How to Make a Dried Floral Wreath: From Garden Flowers to Beautiful Home Decor
There's something special about finding ways to enjoy the beauty of the garden long after the growing season has ended.
Here at Wendland Family Farm, so much of our year revolves around flowers. From starting seeds in the spring to harvesting armfuls of colorful blooms throughout the summer, there's always something growing, changing, or waiting to be gathered. And while I absolutely love fresh flowers, I've come to appreciate the quieter beauty of dried ones, too.
Throughout the growing season, I gather flowers that I know will preserve beautifully. Some become dried bouquets, while others are saved for wreaths and seasonal arrangements.
One of my favorite ways to use those preserved flowers is by creating handmade dried floral wreaths. They're a beautiful way to bring the garden indoors, celebrate the changing seasons, and create something meaningful with flowers we've grown and gathered ourselves. And the best part? You don't need to be an experienced florist to make one.
Why Make a Dried Floral Wreath?
A dried floral wreath is more than a seasonal decoration. It's a way to preserve a little piece of the growing season.
Unlike fresh flower arrangements, dried floral wreaths don't require water. With proper preparation and care, they can be enjoyed for many months or longer. They're also wonderfully versatile.
You can create wreaths with bright summer flowers, soft romantic colors, warm autumn shades, or neutral grasses and seed heads. Each wreath becomes a reflection of the flowers used to create it. And because every flower dries a little differently, no two wreaths ever turn out exactly alike. That's part of what makes them so special.
The Best Flowers for Dried Floral Wreaths
Not every flower dries equally well. Some flowers retain their shape and color beautifully, while others become fragile or lose their structure during the drying process.
If you're planning to make your own dried floral wreath, choosing the right flowers is one of the most important steps. Here are a few of my favorites.
Strawflowers
Strawflowers are one of my favorite flowers to grow for dried arrangements. Their papery petals hold their shape beautifully, and they come in a wonderful range of colors. They make excellent focal flowers for wreaths because their distinctive blooms naturally draw attention.
Statice
Statice produces clusters of small flowers that dry beautifully. It's especially useful for filling spaces between larger blooms and adding texture throughout an arrangement.
Gomphrena
Gomphrena has small, rounded flower heads that bring beautiful color and shape to dried wreaths. Its sturdy structure makes it useful for adding smaller pops of color throughout a design.
Celosia
Celosia adds incredible texture to dried arrangements. Both plume and crested varieties can create interesting shapes and visual interest.
Yarrow
Yarrow produces clusters of small flowers that add structure and a natural garden-inspired appearance. It works beautifully alongside grasses, strawflowers, and other dried botanicals.
Ornamental Grasses
Don't overlook grasses! Ornamental grasses add movement, softness, and texture. They can help create a wreath that feels a little less structured and more like something gathered straight from the garden.
Farmer Tip: I love combining flowers with different shapes and textures. A few larger blooms, smaller filler flowers, and interesting grasses can create a wreath that feels full and natural without becoming overcrowded.
How to Dry Flowers for Wreath Making
Before you can begin creating your wreath, you'll need properly dried flowers. One of the simplest ways to preserve many varieties is by air-drying them.
Step 1: Harvest Healthy Flowers
Choose flowers that are healthy and free from significant damage. Whenever possible, harvest on a dry day after the morning dew has evaporated. Flowers that are wet when gathered may be more difficult to dry successfully.
Step 2: Remove Excess Foliage
Strip away leaves that won't be needed in your finished arrangement. Removing unnecessary foliage improves airflow and helps your flowers dry more evenly.
Step 3: Gather Small Bundles
Group flowers with similar drying requirements into small bundles. Secure the stems with rubber bands or twine. I prefer working with smaller bundles because they're easier to handle and check throughout the drying process.
Step 4: Hang Flowers Upside Down
Hang your flower bundles upside down in a dark, dry location with good airflow. Avoid direct sunlight, which can cause flower colors to fade.
Step 5: Allow Flowers to Dry Completely
Many flowers take approximately one to three weeks to air-dry, although drying time varies depending on the flower variety, stem thickness, humidity, and growing conditions. Before storing or using your flowers, make sure they're completely dry.
Farmer Tip: Never store partially dried flowers in sealed containers. Trapped moisture can encourage mold and damage your preserved flowers.
Choosing a Wreath Base
Once your flowers are dried, it's time to think about the foundation of your wreath. There are several types of wreath bases available, including grapevine, wire, straw, and twig forms.
For a natural, garden-inspired design, I especially love using grapevine wreaths.
Their twisting branches add beautiful texture and provide places to tuck and secure dried flower stems.
You can also choose between creating a full wreath or a partial wreath. A full wreath covers most or all of the base with flowers and foliage. A partial wreath leaves some of the natural base visible, allowing the grapevine to become part of the finished design. Both styles can be beautiful!
How to Make a Simple Dried Floral Grapevine Wreath
Creating a dried floral wreath doesn't have to be complicated. If you're just beginning, I recommend starting with a simple partial grapevine wreath.
Gather Your Materials
You'll need a grapevine wreath base, a selection of completely dried flowers, some foliage or ornamental grasses, floral wire, wire cutters, and garden snips. A little ribbon or twine can also be added for hanging.
Start With Your Design
Before attaching anything, lay your flowers around the wreath base. Think about which flowers you'd like to feature and how you want the colors and textures to work together. I often begin with a few flowers that catch my eye and build the rest of the arrangement around them.
Add Your Larger Flowers First
Choose a few focal flowers and position them where you want the most attention. Strawflowers and larger celosia blooms work beautifully for this.
Fill With Smaller Flowers and Grasses
Once your focal flowers are positioned, begin adding smaller blooms and textural materials.
Statice, gomphrena, grasses, and delicate dried foliage can help soften the arrangement.
Allow a few stems to extend naturally beyond the wreath base to create movement.
Secure and Finish Your Wreath
Carefully secure your flowers using floral wire as needed. Make sure loose stems are supported and sharp wire ends are tucked safely away. Then lift your wreath and take a look at it from a distance. Sometimes an arrangement looks completely different once it's hanging! Make any final adjustments, add a hanging loop if needed, and enjoy your finished creation.
How to Care for a Dried Floral Wreath
Dried floral wreaths are relatively easy to care for, but they do need a little protection.
For the best results, display your wreath indoors in a dry location away from direct sunlight.
Avoid placing dried flowers near fireplaces, candles, heaters, or other heat sources. Dried flowers are naturally fragile, so handle your wreath gently and avoid unnecessary movement. If dust collects, use a soft brush or a gentle puff of air rather than water or cleaning sprays.
With proper care, your wreath can remain a beautiful reminder of the garden for many months.
Bringing the Garden Into Every Season
One of the things I love most about dried floral wreaths is how they allow us to enjoy flowers in an entirely different way.
A strawflower that brightened the garden in July might become part of an autumn wreath.
A handful of grasses gathered at the end of summer might add texture to a winter arrangement.
Even flowers that have faded into softer, antique-looking shades can become something beautiful.
It's another reminder that the garden has so much to offer beyond the fresh harvest. And sometimes, the most meaningful decorations are the ones we create with our own hands.
Learn More With Harvest & Home: Dried Floral Wreaths
If you'd love to learn more about growing, harvesting, preserving, and designing with dried flowers, I've created a complete digital guide to help you get started.
Harvest & Home: Dried Floral Wreaths is a 41-page downloadable guide inspired by my experience growing and working with flowers here at Wendland Family Farm.
Inside, you'll learn about selecting flowers for preservation, drying techniques, wreath bases, color palettes, floral design, and step-by-step wreath construction. You'll also find troubleshooting tips, care instructions, and a printable wreath-planning worksheet to help you create your own beautiful arrangements.
Whether you're preserving flowers from your own garden or working with dried botanicals you've purchased, my hope is that this guide encourages you to slow down, get creative, and enjoy the process.
You can also discover this guide as part of our Complete Harvest & Home Collection, featuring seasonal projects and practical skills inspired by life on the farm.
Because sometimes the garden has a little more to give, even after the flowers have finished blooming.
Happy creating!
Erica
Wendland Family Farm
Grown with purpose. Shared with gratitude.
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