Hello everyone! Today I am happy to be sharing a little spring wreath tutorial for my latest wreath design, “Bonnie Blue Roses and Thistle.”  In my post,  Floral Arranging: Finding Inspiration In The Little Things, I discuss how I often use small treasures or one particular flower type to inspire a floral arrangement or wreath design.  A little bird and some bonnie (pretty) Scottish thistle and blue roses were the inspiration for this natural looking, Celtic-themed spring wreath.

A.C. Moore is such a fun craft store! I always find something beautiful there, like this awesome vintage bird picture. When I saw it I thought it would be fun to style in a spring birds vignette along with some of my other vintage bird treasures. I needed a little bird too, so I picked this one with the pretty purple, blue and brown feathers.

I was just browsing around the store a little more when I saw this beautiful thistle which matched my little birdie. I instantly knew I had to use the thistle and bird in a spring wreath! My husband and I both have Scottish heritage so I love thistle and this wreath was really enjoyable to make.

I also spotted these gorgeous “drying” slightly crushed, light blue roses. They are so realistic and romantic!

This darker blue variety with purple tips tied all the colors together. Whenever I am choosing flowers for a wreath I like to group them in a bouquet in the store to see how they will look together. If the bouquet looks pleasing then I know I have all the right combination of materials for my wreath.

Sometimes I won’t get around to actually making the wreath for a week or two, so I make a bouquet at home until I find time to make the wreath. I figure I might as well enjoy  all the pretty flowers instead of leaving them sitting in a bag in the craft room. I also kept my little bird in the spring bird vignette until I made the wreath.

Having my “wreath bouquet” on display ensures that I won’t forget that I am planning to make a wreath! I always have so many ideas and projects going on that I might forget otherwise! I only had this bouquet out for a few days however since I was excited to get started on this spring wreath.

Here’s what I used to make my Bonnie Blue Roses and Thistle spring wreath:

I chose a medium grapevine wreath.

Style tip: For a natural looking design use uneven placement of like flowers around the wreath.

I began by simply sticking the blue roses directly into the bottom center of the wreath and spreading the stems apart to opposite sides. I specifically wanted an uneven number of lighter blue roses on each side. I let the roses “ramble wildly” for a romantic, natural look.

Repeat the process in a different area, slightly off center using a similar flower in a different shade.

Style tip: Use several of the same kinds of faux flowers in the same color family that only differ by shade.

I had been wanting to use pussy willow in a spring wreath so this grayish blue color was perfect. I just cut off the shoots to fill in here and there all around the wreath.

Here I began placing my thistle in the bottom center to “grow” up and through the roses. I used three separate stems each of which had three thistle blooms.

At this point I begin to use floral wire to secure the stems in place. Some of the branches fit so tightly in the wreath that they did not need to be wired. For the looser ones I cut a small piece of wire and tied any stray stems directly to the grapevine in inconspicuous places. I specifically let some of the thinner rose stems stick out to make the wreath seem fuller and more natural.

The wire can be easily cut with scissors but the thicker floral stems may require a wire cutting tool.

There were still some bare areas around the bottom of the wreath so decided to use this mossy rope garland to break up any negative space. I wanted the natural woodsy look of some of the grapevine to still show, so the thin moss was a perfect solution.

After wrapping the moss around loosely it was time for the last and most fun part, placing the little bird and mossy nest! I used hot glue to secure them in place.

For the last step I glued four little speckled bird eggs in the nest.

I love how this wreath came together with the addition of the moss garland, mossy nest, little bird and eggs. The Celtic combo of the moss and thistle really is perfect for magical spring! I always name my wreaths for my Etsy shop so I thought “Bonnie Blue Roses and Thistle” seemed perfect.

This spring wreath looks so pretty hanging near a sunny window! The little bird matches so perfectly and seems  happy to be nesting in the foliage.

I prefer natural looking wreaths with a touch of romance and whimsy. I really like to use a bit of moss anytime I make a spring wreath. This one surely turned out the way I had hoped!

Here are a few more photos of the wreath hanging outside in the natural light. Today was a rainy, spring day. Kind of perfect for photographing a mossy Celtic spring wreath!

Seriously. These blue roses.

 I hope you have been inspired by this little wreath tutorial! All of the supplies I used for Bonnie Blue can be purchased at A.C. Moore. If you don’t have an A.C. Moore near you, you might be able to find similar materials at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. I have also posted some affiliate Amazon links below for you convenience. 

Have a bonnie spring!

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