Photos: Chris Emeott
Florists share how they make wreaths that stand out and how you can too.
In this festive time of year, what livens up the season more than decorating your home in a celebratory and personal way? We connected with three local florists who specialize in wreaths about their distinct style and approach—and got their tips on how to create your own whimsical front door décor for the holidays.
Alison Bakke
Wildly Grounded Botanical Art, Stillwater
Alison Bakke calls herself a “speakeasy floral designer,” meaning that most people find her via word of mouth. Her approach to wreaths is grounded in her personal commitment to reducing waste. “Part of why I got into wreath-making was because when I bought my first house, I bought a cute little wreath from a big box store to put on my front door. As it faded, I realized I had to throw it in the trash, and that made me crazy,” she says. “It changed my perspective on being wasteful.”
Bakke took it as a personal challenge to create seasonal works of art that aren’t destined for a landfill. She shares that the commercial floral industry can rely on wasteful materials, from floral foam to various plastic products. Bakke’s wreaths are made with grapevine bases that she forages and makes herself. “Usually, I work with the natural bend of the grapevine, so my wreaths are all different shapes,” she says. “You can go hiking, and you can find wild grapevines on the trail, snip a few and you’re in business.”
The natural materials in her wreaths showcase her spunk and style. “I love funky, unexpected surprises,” Bakke says. She uses bits of fruit, tomato vine and even allium onion toppers. “ … Anything that’s kind of unexpected, I love it,” she says.
Alison Bakke
By Bakke’s standards, anyone can make a cool wreath. She says, “My number one rule is that if you think it looks pretty, add it and see!”
Wildly Grounded Botanical Art and Pink Moon Farm
Facebook: Pink Moon Farm
Instagram: @wildly.grounded
Jenn Hovland
Studio Louise Flowers, Stillwater
Jenn Hovland likes to tell people that working with plants and flowers makes her heart sing. “I love observing nature,” she says. “My design style really reflects that. I like to design with textures and shapes mingling together, as if the arrangement is growing together.”
She agrees that winter wreaths don’t need to be confined to certain colors or themes. “I just go out and harvest different evergreens, even bark,” Hovland says. “I love to tuck in branches and stems for the winter designs, any seed heads that are left. I want to really enjoy and celebrate those small details that are happening in nature right at that moment.”
Hovland’s approach involves being in nature and finding things that are unique and personal. She says, “If it speaks to you and your eye catches it or you are drawn to it with your heart, it’ll be beautiful no matter what. Just do it.”
Jenn Hovland
Studio Louise Flowers
Facebook: Studio Louise Flowers
Instagram: @studiolouiseflowers
Elle Sullivan
Mellifera Flowers, Shafer
Elle Sullivan came to wreath-making about as naturally as any flower farmer could—there were flowers left in the field but nowhere to put them. “It was just born out of a desire to not let all the beautiful, ephemeral things fade and go to waste,” she says.
Sullivan adorns her wreaths with “different elements that represent the holistic ecosystem our flowers are grown in, the ecosystem I’m walking through on my way to the garden—feathers, mushrooms, bones,” she says. “I want to incorporate all the dragonflies and butterflies that get trapped in the greenhouse and die. How can I bring those into wreaths?”
If you’re making a wreath for yourself, Sullivan says a metal wreath form and some floral wire are a great place to start. “Notice what you already end up with in your pockets after a walk, or notice what plants you are happiest to see every time you do your favorite hike or when you’re at your grandparents’ house,” she says. “You’re going to be happiest with what you made if the ingredients are already inspiring to you.”
Elle Sullivan
For Sullivan, wreath-making in the wintertime takes the flower farm beyond the typical rhythm of production. She says, “Wreaths feel like the place where I can just make weird art or art that maybe feels particularly personal, and then hopefully that is inspiring and speaks to other people, too.”
Mellifera Flowers
Facebook: Mellifera Flowers
Instagram: @mellifera_flowers
Visit these florists’ websites to register for holiday wreath-making and floral workshops.
