How to make a simple ‘potato’ wreath
We’ve given this delightfully simple, cost-effective outdoor wreath a make-over for the festive season. Forget all the expensive florist supplies, grab yourself a BIG potato and get making. You can follow our ideas or do your own thing – just remember you need plants with woody stems that you can push into the potato.
You will need:
- A large raw potato that fits into the palm of your hand (about 4 inches x 3 inches / 7.5 to 10cm)
- A metal skewer (or similar implement which make holes)
- A piece of garden wire – about 12 inches (30cm) in length
- Sprigs of bay leaves
- Sprigs of rosemary
- Holly with berries
- Rosehips
- Decoration of choice – dried orange or lemon slices wired – dried chillies
- A pair of sharp secateurs
How to make your wreath:
Holding the potato lengthways, carefully, using the skewer, make a hole from one side of the potato to the other – about 1/3 of the way down it. Turn the skewer round and round to make a hole in the potato.
Remove the skewer and thread the garden wire into the made hole.
Cross the ends of the wire over each other and wrap around each end to ‘fasten them together’.
Cut off sprigs of bay at a sharp angle each stem being about 8 inches in length. Push each sprig in round the circumference of the potato leaving a gap between each (we used the skewer to make a guide hole). Cutting the sprigs at an angle will make it easier to go into the potato.
Now do the same again in the next circle on the potato with more sprigs of shorter bay or sprigs of sage and/or rosemary.
Make sure that none of the potato base can be seen.
Wire some dried slices of fruit together and wire into the centre of the wreath either into the sprigs or directly into the potato. You could add dried chillies too (being careful to wash your hands after use). We opted for holly and rosehips for colour.
Hang outside where the potato will not rot!
After use, remove the bay leaves and rosemary and dry for future use.
