DIY Wreath with Fresh Herbs

Have you ever wanted to find a creative and beautiful way to dry herbs in the kitchen? In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to create a DIY wreath with fresh herbs!

Not only are herb wreaths beautiful to look at, but they smell amazing and bring old world vibes to the cottage kitchen! Here’s how to make a wreath with fresh herbs.

 

Best Herbs for a Kitchen Wreath

When it comes to choosing herbs for your kitchen wreath, go with woody types. Tougher herbs will hold true to form and are less fragile than other herb varieties. Excellent options for your wreath include the following options.

1. Lavender foliage
2. Oregano
3. Rosemary
4. Sage
5. Savory
6. Tarragon
7. Thyme

 

What You Need to Make a Herb Wreath

1. A wreath frame (learn to make a simple, natural frame here)
2. Hemp or cotton twine
3. Pruning shears or scissors
4. Fresh herbs from the garden

If you don’t already have a wreath frame on hand, I highly recommend learning to make your own! If you have trees in the backyard, you can whip out a 100% natural wreath frame in no time, using tree twigs and branches.

I show you how to do it here.

 

How to Make a Wreath with Fresh Herbs

Creating your own DIY wreath with fresh herbs isn’t difficult. All it takes is a basket of fresh herbs, choosing your layout and then fastening herbs to your wreath frame accordingly. Let me walk you through each step.

 

Watch the Tutorial!

 

Step 1: Harvest Fresh Herbs from the Garden

Most gardeners recommend harvesting herbs in the morning, just after the dew has lifted. The sun’s warmth weakens the natural oil content found in the plant’s leaves and by harvesting mid-morning, you’ll retain the oils, flavor and medicinal benefits of your herbs.

I recommend harvesting herbs on the very same day you plan to create your herb wreath. Grab yourself a basket and a pair of pruning shears, then head out to the garden to harvest herb varieties.

And when you harvest herbs for your wreath, be sure to take at least 6 inch (15cm) cuttings. If you go any shorter, it will be difficult to fasten herbs to your frame!

Once collected, take your herbs inside and create your herb wreath!

 

Step 2: Choose a Design for Your Herb Wreath

There are 2 basic designs you can choose for the flow of your wreath. Let me walk you through them here, so you can make a decision.

 

1. A Full Herb Wreath

A full herb wreath is simple to make and is the standard when it comes to traditional wreaths. It leaves you with a full, continuous circle of greens. If you don’t have a pretty wreath frame, I recommend you use this method.

 

2. A Wreath Frame with Directional Change & Focal Point

This wreath design leaves some of your frame exposed.  And instead of a continuous circle of herbs, your greens will approach a focal point from opposing sides. Where they meet is where you will display some sort of embellishment, like a cluster of dried nuts, garlic, dried flowers, etc.

 

Step 3: Fasten Herbs to Your Wreath Frame

When making a DIY wreath with fresh herbs, you need to remember 1 thing: most herbs are going to dry out and shrink. The exception is for woody herbs with tiny leaves (such as thyme).

If you want your wreath to look full once it is dry, be sure to make an extra-full (aka bushy) wreath! Here are the steps for fastening herbs into place.

1. Create a small bundle of herbs.
2. Trim ends to length if they are long and uneven.
3. Position herbs on frame.
4. Fasten herbs down using cotton string or hemp twine.
5. Create another bundle of herbs and repeat, laying greens over stems of attached herbs.
6. Carry on, until the wreath frame is full or until you reach a directional change point.
7. For a directional change, fasten herbs on the other side of the frame at the uppermost point and work your way down to the focal point.
8. Add embellishments of your choosing.

 

Step 4: Add Embellishments

For a full herb wreath, embellishments can be spaced throughout herb greens. And if you create a wreath with a directional change, be sure to display something at the focal point where herb stems meet.

You can fasten embellishments into place by stringing them together with a needle and thread. For nuts, you may want to use a glue gun to create a cluster. From there, you can tie them onto your wreath frame.

Here are some creative embellishment ideas that are natural and look beautiful in the kitchen.

1. Dry chili peppers
2. Dried flowers (lavender, hyssop, rose, etc)
3. Dry fruit clusters
4. Dried nut clusters
5. Garlic cloves
6. Small onions
7. Rose hips
8. Sun-dried tomatoes

 

Step 5: Add Jute Twine and Display

Last but not least, tie a loop of jute twine or cotton string to the back of your wreath, so you can securely hang and display it in your kitchen.

Make sure you place your herb wreath in a place where it won’t be bumped and also, where little hands can’t reach it! After about 2 weeks, your herbs will dry and become brittle to the touch.

While this is the goal, just remember that it is fragile and can be messy if roughly handled.

 

Tips for Drying & Removing Herbs

I love how herb wreaths are a dual-purpose project. They make your kitchen look amazing, yes. But in displaying your herbs, they also have opportunity to naturally dehydrate. Here are some tips for you on naturally drying and also removing your herbs.

1. Herb wreaths will dehydrate fastest when displayed in a dry place (avoid placing above the kitchen sink or stove!).
2. To remove herbs for cooking, place wreath face down on counter and cut strings.
3. Sort dry herbs according to type and strip leaves off.
4. Crumble leaves and store away in airtight containers for home cooking.

 

In Conclusion

That’s how you make a DIY wreath with fresh herbs! If you’ve never attempted doing so before, I hope this will give you a friendly push in that direction. Because herb wreaths are both beautiful and purposeful. And that’s my kind of kitchen decor!

Comments or questions? Leave them below!