Foraged Birch Wreath
Giving Foraged Materials a New Life
In the summer of 2015, my mom and I took a camping trip up north in the Upper Peninsula, along the coast of Lake Superior. At the time, thousands of birch trees were shedding their summer skin, leaving heaps of birch bark on the ground. Birch trees are my absolute favorite, so, without thinking twice, we began collecting pieces for crafts and home decor. Looking back, I’m so happy we did that because now I have memories tied to whatever crafts we make with the bark!
Now that Spring is sort of here(?), I’ve been dying to make a few new wreaths for the house. Traditionally, spring wreaths have a lot of colors. It’s a season filled with pastels, cheery blooms, faux fruits, and wicker bird nests. However, I wanted to make a naturalistic style wreath, in a tonal color palette, using materials I had on hand. This wreath might not be your typical spring wreath, but it works for me and I like the uniqueness of it.
Materials Used
To make this wreath, I used: foraged birch bark, a hot glue gun, an old wreath, and some dried, seeded eucalyptus. I always have wire and scissors on hand when crafting with wreathes in case I need to trim or anchor something down.
Foraged Birch Wreath Assembly
Tear or cut strips of birch bark, aiming to keep a consistent width. I chose to tear mine, as it gives a more natural look.
Carefully tuck and wrap the bark around the wreath. Secure with hot glue on the backside of the wreath. I like the look of pieces sticking out here and there, so I kept them, but if that’s not for you, glue them down. Birch is very thin, take caution when gluing!
Garnish wreath with dried florals and use a ribbon to hang. If you hadn’t noticed, I’m obsessed with velvet ribbons right now. This gorgeous Ivory ribbon is from Emma’s Attic Store, she has the most beautiful colors. The raw edges give it the perfect vintage touch.
Voila! A spring wreath made with foraged birch and travel memories.