A dried flower wreath starts with a bare ring and a pile of stems. You tie the stems into small bunches, then wire the bunches onto the ring, all facing the same way. Each new bunch hides the stems of the one before, and once you've worked all the way round, none of the ring shows.
The wiring is the easy part. How long the wreath lasts depends on the stems you choose. Statice and strawflowers can keep their colour for years, whilst some other stems fade within a year.
We go through every step, from choosing a base to packing the wreath away, to help you get another year out of it.
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What You Need for a DIY Dried Flower Wreath
Choose your base first. It decides how you fix the stems on and how much of the ring stays on show.
Choosing a Base for Dried Flowers
Straw makes a good first base. A tightly bound straw ring holds wired bunches and floral pins without shifting, and it suits a full wreath where none of the base will show.
Vine is the one to choose when you want the base on show. Its open weave lets you tuck stems straight in, which works well for a looser design with some of the ring left bare.
Moss gives a soft green backdrop that shows between the flowers. It also holds moisture, which shortens the life of dried stems. Keep a moss base dry.
Pick the size before you order your stems, because a bigger ring needs more bunches to cover it. We stock straw, vine, and moss wreath bases in these sizes:
- Straw: 25, 30, 40, and 50cm
- Twisted vine: 30 and 45cm
- Moss: 20, 25, and 30cm
Tools and Finishing Materials
You'll need:
- Reel wire. Thin florist wire on a spool, for binding each bunch to the base as you work round.
- Stub wire. Short, straight lengths of stiffer wire, for wiring single heads or pinning into a straw base.
- Floral pins. U-shaped pins for fixing bunches straight into a straw base.
- Snips or secateurs. For trimming stems.
- Wire cutters. For reel and stub wire, to keep your snips sharp.
- A hot glue gun and glue sticks. For anything too short or light to wire.
- Ribbon or twine. For the hanging loop and any finishing bow.
Gloves are optional, but they protect your hands from wire ends and brittle stems.
The Best Dried Flowers for Wreaths
Build the wreath mostly from stems that last for years, and use shorter-lived ones for colour you're happy to replace.
Flowers That Last Longest
Kept indoors with simple care, these four can last for years:
- Statice (Limonium), 2–4 years. The papery heads resist fading and keep their shape well.
- Strawflowers (Helichrysum), 2–4 years. The crisp heads hold their colour naturally.
- Lavender (Lavandula), 1–3 years. Keeps its colour and scent best out of direct sunlight.
- Poppy heads (Papaver), 2–3 years. The woody pods keep their shape with very little care.
Our guide on how long dried flowers last compares more stems.
Mixing Focal Flowers, Fillers, and Grasses
A wreath looks fuller when each bunch mixes a few different shapes.
Build every bunch round one larger head, such as a strawflower. Small, airy fillers like statice cover gaps and soften the outline, and a few grasses, such as bunny tails (Lagurus), add a feathery edge.
For the fillers, browse our dried fillers and foliage range.
Stems That Fade or Shed Quickly
Air-dried hydrangea and larkspur (Delphinium) usually look their best for six to twelve months. Larkspur's tall spires can also shed if the wreath gets moved about.
Hydrangea is still worth using for the colour and volume its big heads add. Our preserved hydrangeas are treated to stay soft, and they can last 12 months or more. If you have hydrangeas in the garden, you can also dry your own heads and plan to replace them before the rest of the wreath.
Gypsophila (baby's breath) lasts one to two years, but it's very brittle. Add it once the bunches are wired on.
How to Make a Dried Flower Wreath, Step by Step
Clear a table and lay everything out within reach. Here's how to make a wreath with dried flowers, one small bunch at a time.
Prepare Your Stems and Make Small Bunches
- Strip the lower stems. Remove any leaves or side shoots from the bottom few centimetres, as they make bunches bulky and hard to wire.
- Cut the stems short. Leave enough stem to wire, but keep it short enough for the next bunch's heads to hide it.
- Make small mixed bunches. Split each type of stem between the bunches to spread the colour evenly round the ring. Small bunches sit flatter and are easier to overlap than big ones.
- Lay them all out. Set the bunches round the base before you wire any of them, which shows you straight away whether you need more.
Should You Wire or Glue Dried Flowers?
Wire the bunches, because wire holds a bunch of stems firmly against the base. Use hot glue for light pieces with no useful stem, such as cones, pods, and loose flower heads.
Wire the Bunches On in One Direction
- Fix the wire to the base. Tie the loose end of the reel wire firmly round the ring, at the back.
- Place the first bunch. Lay it on the front of the ring at a slight angle, with the stems pointing the way you'll work.
- Bind it with a single wrap. Take the wire once round the stems and the ring, and keep it pulled tight. It works the same way as the wiring method for fresh Christmas wreaths.
- Overlap the next bunch. Lay it so its heads cover the stems and wire of the bunch before, then wrap again.
- Keep going round. Work in the same direction all the way, angling some bunches slightly in and some slightly out so the sides of the ring are covered too.
- Close the circle. Lift the heads of the first bunch, slip the stems of the last one underneath, and wrap it in.
- Tie off at the back. Finish with a few extra wraps, then cut the wire and tuck the end into the base.
On a straw base, you can pin each bunch in place with floral pins or bent stub wire instead. Push them into the straw at a slight angle.
On a vine base, tuck the stems into the weave and add a dot of hot glue wherever they feel loose. Leave gaps wherever you want the ring to show.
Fill the Gaps and Add Focal Heads
Prop the wreath up, or hold it at arm's length, and look for thin or bald patches. They're easier to spot from a distance than from directly above.
Fill small gaps with single heads of statice or strawflower, and tuck in any gypsophila now. Push each stem into the base, or add a dot of hot glue and hold it in place until the glue sets.
Add bigger pieces such as poppy heads, cones, or seed pods last. Decide which way up the wreath will hang, then place them where you want people to look first, usually at the bottom or to one side. Odd numbers, such as groups of three or five, give a more natural look.
Add a Hanging Loop
Add the loop at the top of the ring. Thread a fresh length of reel wire through the back and twist it into a loop, or tie a length of ribbon round the base instead.
Hang the wreath up and check it sits straight before you add a bow.
Dried Flower Wreath Ideas Through the Year
Change the stems and the ribbon, and the same method gives you a wreath for every season.
Spring and Summer
Soft, pale colours suit the lighter months. Try pastel statice with lavender and a few bunny tails on a vine base, leaving some of the ring showing. Our spring dried flowers lean towards soft pinks and whites, and the summer range brings in brighter lilacs and blues.
Autumn
For autumn, red and orange strawflowers sit well with poppy heads and a few preserved hydrangea heads. Tuck some dried grasses round the edge, and pick a copper or burnt orange ribbon to match the strawflowers. You'll find more warm browns and burnt oranges among our autumn dried flowers.
A Dried Christmas Wreath
For Christmas, cover a straw or vine base with dried stems in deep reds and creams, then glue on cones and dried orange slices as your focal pieces. Finish with a deep red or green ribbon. Pick the reds from our winter dried flowers, and the cones and dried fruit from our Christmas collection.
For more festive ideas, see our guide on how to make a dried Christmas wreath.
Making Dried Flower Wreaths to Sell
Dried flower wreaths make a good seasonal line for florists and small makers. Dried stems need no water, which means you can make wreaths weeks before you sell them.
Buying Stems and Bases in Bulk
We've supplied florists and retailers since 2006, and every price on our website is a trade price. With no minimum order, you can buy a few bases or stock up for the season. Larger orders cost less in three ways:
- Quantity tiers. Each stocked product has four price tiers, and the price per item drops as you buy more of it.
- Full boxes. Many products also come by the full box, which costs less per item than the highest-volume tier.
- Basket discounts. 5% off orders over £350, 7.5% off over £1,000, and 10% off over £1,500, applied automatically at checkout.
Standard delivery is free on orders over £150 (+VAT), and orders placed before midday, Monday to Friday, go out the same day.
Our bulk discounts page has the full details.
Selling Ready-Made Wreaths
If you'd rather not make every wreath yourself, our dried flower wreaths range includes ready-made designs. Stocking a few alongside your own designs can take the pressure off in a busy season.
Keeping Your Dried Wreath Looking Its Best
Hang your wreath out of direct sunlight, which fades colour, and away from radiators, steamy kitchens, and bathrooms. Only hang it on a front door if the door is sheltered, such as in a porch, because rain softens dried stems and can cause mould.
Handle the wreath as little as possible. To dust it, use a soft brush or a hairdryer on its coolest, lowest setting.
At the end of the season, lay the wreath flat in a sturdy cardboard box lined with acid-free tissue, and add a few silica gel sachets to soak up any damp in the air. Keep the box somewhere cool, dark, and dry, and avoid plastic tubs, which trap moisture.
Our guide to caring for dried flowers has more tips on display and storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Will a Dried Flower Wreath Last?
A dried flower wreath often lasts the whole season on display. If you store it somewhere dark and dry between seasons, you can reuse it for one to two years. Building it mostly from long-lasting stems, such as statice and strawflowers, helps it stay bright.
What Glue Is Best for Sticking Dried Flowers?
Hot glue from a glue gun. Use it for single heads, cones, and seed pods, holding each piece in place until the glue sets. Wire bunches onto the base instead, as they need a firmer hold.
What Are the Best Dried Flowers to Use for Wreath Making?
Statice and strawflowers, which usually last two to four years, along with poppy heads (two to three years) and lavender (one to three years). Statice and strawflowers can make up most of the wreath, and poppy heads work well as focal pieces.
How Do You Dry Flowers for Wreath Making?
Strip the leaves, tie the stems in small bunches, and hang them upside down somewhere dry and dark for two to four weeks. Our guide on how to dry flowers at home has more tips.
Where Can I Buy Dried Flowers for Wreath Making?
Atlas Flowers sells dried stems, wreath bases, and ribbon wholesale, with no minimum order. Buy enough for a single wreath or a season's worth of orders, and every price on the website is a trade price.
Once you've picked your base, browse our dried flowers to choose the stems for your next wreath.
About the author:
Rob Copsey
Rob Copsey is the founder of Atlas Flowers, a London-based wholesale supplier specialising in high-quality, sustainably sourced dried, preserved, and artificial flowers. With deep roots in horticulture and a family legacy in the flower industry spanning four generations, Rob has nurtured a lifelong passion for the natural world. Since launching Atlas Flowers in 2006, he has maintained a strong commitment to environmental responsibility, collaborating with growers worldwide to source exceptional products with minimal ecological impact. Under his leadership, Atlas Flowers has grown into one of the UK’s leading suppliers, known for providing unique, eco-friendly floral options to florists, retailers, and beyond.
Published: November 2026