MATERIALS:
- Wire Wreath Base
- Chicken Wire made of uncoated metal
- Floral Shears
- Greens & Flowers
- Hanging Hardware like:
- “S” hooks
- Twine or thin chain
- Cup hook
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Make the wire base for your chandelier. Unroll the chicken wire and cut off a length that is a few feet long. Begin wrapping it around your wire wreath base, taking care to overlap each piece by a few inches. If you run out of chicken wire, just cut another length and continue wrapping. Wrap loosely so that there are a few inches between the inner frame the chicken wire and take care to tuck any cut edges into this negative space to prevent finger pokes! Once you’re finished, your base should look similar to a lopsided donut or life preserver.
2. Next, attach your hanging materials. Loop your chain or rope around “S” hooks and hook them in at three points, equally distanced from one another on your wreath frame. Leave equal lengths that measure the distance you’d like your fixture to hang from your ceiling or connection point.
3. Next, it’s time to decorate. Greens first! Resting your chandelier on the ground gently insert greens through the chicken wire until you meet resistance. This should catch the stems and prevent them from falling out.
Pro Tip: for a slightly more uniform look, insert greens in the same direction. This will create fluid, movement through the design! Continue adding greens until the top portion is covered and the chicken wire is no longer visible.
4. Next, focus on the bottom. You’ll need to do the same process to the underside of the chandelier. If your piece is smaller, this should be done easily enough holding it in your hand. If it’s larger, you can take this opportunity to hang the piece at half height so you can work sitting, kneeling or standing underneath it to complete the greening. Make sure the chicken wire is completely covered and invisible from all angles.
5. Finally add all the flowers and bits of greens.
Pro Tip: Keep the cost down by creating just one large or a few smaller flower accents or “moments” on your chandelier. Pick the “front” of the chandelier and group your accents there.
6. To create these floral “moments,” create groupings of one or two larger headed blooms surrounded by the smaller bits of greenery and flowers. Once you’ve picked the assortment, gently insert the stems of each flower into the wreath base.
Pro Tip: To help the flowers feel at home in their bed of greens, sometimes we like to add a few extra stems of greens around the blooms to help them blend!
7. Once you’re done flowering, hang your chandelier or raise it to desired height. For best results, make your chandelier the day it will be used. This will ensure the best freshness for greens and flowers so they’re ready for your guests!
