An Easter wreath made of Silver Birch branches and early spring flowers. A simple, rustic version of a door wreath - can be tear drop shaped or round.

Equipment: florists wire, rope, ribbon, hessian ribbon / fabric, raffia, easter eggs and other decorations including feathers

Flowers: A small pot of spring flowers eg. violets, primroses, dried flowers

Foliage and decoration: silver birch twigs, eucalyptus branches / leaves, berries, seed heads (poppies, agapanthus), moss for birds nest

1) Wreath framework: gather together a clump of twigs and gently bend the main branches in the shape required, securing them at the top with florist wire, rope or ribbon. Gently weave the side branches into the main framework, adding each strand in turn. Continue weaving additional branches, starting each at a different place on the wreath to keep it evenly distributed. It builds up to an interesting tangle of wood.

2) Foliage: Thread the eucalyptus leaves through the main framework. Random weaving is good - it shouldn’t look too manicured.

3) Flowers: add the flowers, feathers, berries and seed heads in groups by tying them together and weaving them into the wreath. You can also use craft glue dots, florist wire or florist tape to secure things. I used things in groups of twos or threes.

4) Potted flowers : Wrap the pot in hessian or brown paper and insert it into the bottom of the wreath, standing upright. Secure it using rope or florist wire. A

5) Bird’s nest: use some hessian fabric / ribbon to create a birds nest, fill it with moss (Reindeer or Spanish) and secure it by wrapping some raffia around the sides. Place the Easter Eggs on top of the nest.

6) Ribbon: finish it off by adding a ribbon or bow, and using a tie to secure it to the door.

I decided on a more round-ish shape to fit with my door. It takes more weaving (and volume) to create a round vs tear-drop shaped wreath. Purists would be able to do this weaving without using any supports, but I cheated and used florist wire to secure it in a number of places. Adding more and more branches will help fill out the sides.

There is no water source in this arrangement so the flowers / berries / seed heads I used are mainly dried. The pink pepper berries are from the Christmas wreath, the seed heads from the garden, the purple flowers all dried from previous arrangements. The twigs themselves come from the silver birch trees in my walled garden. I love the natural effect and the gentle colours of this wreath. The twigs had to be trimmed to fit in my door frame, and the postman is not going to like it one little bit. But it cheers me up every time I look at it.

Other people used spring bulbs with bulb still intact, a variety of feathers, ribbons and bows, eggs and chickens …….. anything Easter themed goes.