Step by Step: Simply Flower Wreath

The significance of Memorial Day goes back to the years immediately following the American Civil War as the country grieved over the loss of nearly 625,000 lives and struggled to heal wounds that tore the nation apart. In April 1866, the women of Columbus, Mississippi placed flowers upon the graves of both the Confederate and Union Soldiers at a local cemetery. Two years later, Major General John A. Logan, head of an organization of Union veterans called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), called upon the nation to decorate the graves of the war’s dead with flowers. This day of remembrance was called “Decoration Day.”

These floral decorations are symbols of memories. We invite you to continue this tradition by creating a flower wreath of your own. As you create it, think about somebody you have lost  whose memory you wish to honor. At the conclusion of our ceremony on Monday, you can cast your wreath onto the river to let it drift away (you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to).  If you cannot attend in person, your can find another place to either display your wreath, or let it return to nature.

Remember to only use biodegradable materials – no plastics, metals, or other synthetics.

To make your flower wreath please choose flowers that have long, pliable stems. Daffodils and buttercups are excellent wild flowers for this project. You can make a wreath of any size, the more flowers you pick the larger the wreath will be.  Please remember to respectful when picking flowers, always ask permission if it is not your yard and leave some for the bees!

Step 1

Lay stem 1 on top of stem 2. Wrap stem 1 around stem 2 by bringing the bottom of stem 1 behind, up and over stem 2.

Step 2

Bring stems 1&2 together and lay stem three on top of it. Repeat step 2, wrapping stem 3 over stems 1&2.

Step 3

Continuing wrapping your stems until you reach your desired size.

Step 4

Bring the ends of your wreath together to form a circle and hold it closed with your fingers.

Step 5

Use one last flower and wrap it around the stems you are holding to keep them together.

And here is the finished product!