Make a Horse Wreath
Mix up tradition and show your outdoor spirit by adding this horse wreath to your holiday decorating.
By:
Melissa Caughey
Related To:
Make a Horse Wreath
Learn how to make this beautiful horse wreath from evergreens and natural findings.
Gather Your Supplies
For this craft you will need: Assorted fresh greenery/ floral wire/ wire cutters/ chicken wire/ garden clippers/ natural elements for eyes and nose/ ribbon/ bells/ garden gloves (optional)
The Foundation
Cut a square piece of chicken wire with the wire cutters.
Rough Shape
Then cut a shape like so that resembles the general shape of the horse head and neck.
Lay the Greenery
Begin by laying a length of greenery on the neck. In a couple of places on the branch, using floral wire, wire it to the chicken wire foundation. Continue laying branches until the neck takes shape and you can no longer see exposed chicken wire. In this photo, there are about 5 branches. (In this step I used 'Carolina Sapphire' juniper.)
Across the Head
Next like you did in the previous step, wire on a couple of branches across the head and face of the horse.
Trim the Ends
Trim off the ends of the branches that extend out past the back of the head.
Smaller Bundle
Bundle and wire together some shorter branches to thicken up the face and nose to make it more substantial.
Taking Shape
At this point, trim off any excess branches to maintain the overall shape of the face and neck. Now we are onto making the mane.
Begin the Mane
With a single branch of cryptomeria, I shaped the mane and wired it into place on the chicken wire frame with floral wire.
Mane Accents
I trimmed off the excess cryptomeria branch and then began to fill in the mane with branches of blueberry cedar. Those too were wired into place on the mane.
Birch Bark Ear
With a length of birch bark approximately 12 inches long, I folded it in half and attached a floral wire.
Attach the Ear
Next I tucked the ear onto the head and wired it onto the chicken wire form.
Horse Noses
These eucalyptus nuts looked exactly like horse nostrils to me. So I added some floral wire to two of them.
Lotus Pod Eye
This lotus pod looked like an eye. I added floral wire to the bottom of that as well.
Eyes and Nose
Then I placed and attached the eyes and nose to the horse.
Sleigh Bells Ring
Horses need sleigh bells. So I strung up three like so on a length of floral wire and then twisted them tightly to form bell rosettes.
Decked Out
I loosely wired on a length of ribbon and added my bell rosettes.
Wire Tie
Add a loop of wire to the back of the chicken wire to hang the horse wreath in place. I added the wire right behind the ear.
Variety Is Key
By adding a variety of textures and colors in your evergreens, your horse will surely stand out. Pines, holly and magnolia leaves would also be beautiful too.
Wreath Care
This wreath can be hung indoors or outside. The life of the evergreen elements will be extended if left outdoors. This wreath should last the entire season.
