The Penny Loafer: DIY Flower Basket Wreath

Ever since I got married and we moved into our own little "home" I have loved decorating my living space. One of my favorite things to make for my home are wreaths for my front door. Nothing sets the mood of a home than the wreath outside your front door, and I love being able to personalize that mood however I feel! In my pursuit for some front door inspiration this month, I recently came across a beautiful flower basket wreath on Pinterest and thought I'd try my hand at making my own. I loved the way it turned out!

What you'll need:

1 Basket

1 Dry floral foam block approximately the length and width of your basket

*you can always cut your foam to size if you need to!

Enough silk flowers to fill your basket

Ribbon

Wire cutters

Rocks or small weights to fill the bottom of your basket (optional)

Note: This project ended up being fairly expensive, so if you are on a budget I would recommend purchasing everything you need in increments. Jo-Ann and Michael's always have seem to have 40% off coupons (download their store apps, you'll never regret it!). Also, when selecting your basket, keep in mind that you'll need to attach a ribbon to the sides to hang your basket, so look for weaving or handles that won't be too difficult to attach ribbon to.

Step one: Cut your floral block down to size if necessary.

Foam blocks can be pretty messy so I would recommend cutting your block over a cutting board.

I just used a plain old kitchen knife to cut my foam.

It took a few tries to get it to the perfect length, but it's always a better idea to not cut enough than it is to cut too much and have too little!

I forced my foam into the basket hoping to lodge it in tight so it wouldn't fall out. Keep in mind that the floral foam crumbles, so be prepared for some leftovers on your counter!

Now it's time for the flowers!

If your flowers have any leaves on them you can cut them off using regular scissors.

I prefer my flowers without leaves because the flowers look more lush without the extra green.

Next, use your wire cutters to remove the excess stems from your flowers. I measured my flowers beforehand by simply holding the flowers up to my basket and estimating how long the stems needed to be in order to stand up tall enough. Remember, it's always easier to cut in small segments and remeasuring rather than making one cut and loosing too much length.

Remove your floral foam from the basket and place your flowers in the basket. This gives you an opportunity to experiment with your arrangements and cut your flowers in the appropriate length. Remember that you will be placing the flowers in foam so you'll have at least an extra inch of height for your flowers.

Once you have cut your flowers to the appropriate length, place your floral foam back in the basket and arrange your flowers. Your basket will be facing forward while hanging on your door, so focus placing your flowers towards the front and the side. It's ok if the back is bare!

You should have enough floral foam to leave you some wiggle room in case you change your mind about the arrangement and need to move some flowers.

I live in a city famous for strong winds, so I was worried about my basket being tossed around too much on a stormy day. I placed some rocks in the bottom of my basket to add some extra weight, just to avoid blowing around too much.

I'm pretty cautious about making sure that my crafts lasting a long time!

Next, tie your ribbon to the sides of your basket. This might require some experimentation in order to make sure your basket hangs the right way- not leaning too far forward, not too far back. Once you've found the right spot, reinforce the ribbon with a few knots.

I tied my ribbon towards the middle of the sides and then pulled the ribbon back along the sides of my flowers in order for my basket to hang correctly.

The picture of the wreath I was recreating from Pinterest had a bow tied around the center of the hanging ribbon, so I did the same. You can find excellent instructions for tying bows here!

And Voila!

This wreath ended up being crazy easy to make and a lot of fun along the way! My mom loved mine so much that she had me make one for her. As you can see from the picture below, I haven't quite figured out how to attach the hanging ribbon yet, but I will find a way eventually!