The sunny days are here and flowers are blooming everywhere in the garden, delighting both butterflies and gardeners with their beauty. Why not take this opportunity to create a beautiful dried flower crown? It will make a stunning statement hung on a wall, a door, or simply placed at the centre of a table—even for a wedding. Especially since natural materials have been very trendy in recent years. Raffia, linen, rattan furniture, and dried flowers bring a bohemian touch to the home. Plus, this way, we extend their lifespan and maintain the garden at the same time.

Discover, through our tutorial, how to make a dried flower crown to decorate your interior.

When and how to harvest the flowers?

Depending on the variety, flowers for drying should be picked throughout the months. For example, lavender should be picked between June and July, towards the end of its flowering. Statice should be harvested during summer, while hydrangea flowers are picked later, around September. Preferably, choose flowers that have just bloomed. Harvesting should be done during the day, or even late afternoon, avoiding early morning when dew is still present. Similarly, always harvest on a sunny day to prevent ambient moisture from causing mould on your flowers.

Simply arm yourself with secateurs or scissors to cut the stems cleanly. Some plant varieties may cause itching, such as thistles or palm leaves, so don’t hesitate to wear gloves for protection.

Country walks can be an opportunity for a beautiful harvest - photo by Pezibear (Pixabay)

Which flower varieties to choose?

For a romantic crown, you can create a lovely composition of pink flowers, such as peonies (including the magnificent 'Monsieur Jules Elie') and Achillea millefolium 'Sammetriese'. Add some hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Benelux'), traditional roses, and a few fluffy aments from Salix chaenomeloides 'Mount Aso'. For a successful wedding, add some white flowers like Achillea kellereri and baby’s breath, along with statice Goniolimon tataricum (Limonium).

You can also create a beautiful colourful floral composition by combining azure blue and golden yellow. Lavender will be particularly appealing for its intoxicating fragrance, evoking the warmth and aromatic scents of southern France. Add a few azure-blue globes of Echinops, as well as thistles for their unique round shapes. Yellow-flowered Achilleas, strawflower 'Granvia Gold', and Craspedia globosa will enhance the arrangement with a golden touch.

To perfect your floral creations, you can add a few branches of foliage from Eucalyptus, ferns, or ivy. For originality, add sprigs of honesty and Chinese lanterns to your floral compositions. For a rustic feel, also add wheat spikes, silky plumes of pennisetum, and a few stems of ornamental grasses.

In any case, limit yourself to two or three harmonious flower colours to give your crowns a contemporary look. Too many colours or a mismatched blend will create an outdated effect reminiscent of another era.

A marriage of gold and blue: Achilleas with yellow flowers, lavender, Echinops, and Craspedia globosa

How to dry flowers?

Drying fresh flowers is very easy—here are a few steps to guide you:

1- Remove foliage from the stems and any thorns.

2- Make small floral bouquets, consisting of 3 to 6 stems maximum. Tie the bouquet with natural twine or raffia.

3- Hang the bouquets upside down in a dry, room-temperature, and well-ventilated space, such as a garage or attic. Avoid exposing your flowers to light, which could fade their colours.

4- Check occasionally for mould formation. Your flowers will be dry within 15 days.

How to make a dried flower crown?

Materials needed:

  • Secateurs or scissors
  • Light-coloured twine or transparent nylon thread or florist wire (commonly used in floral arrangements)
  • A crown made of flexible branches (wisteria, willow, hazel, vine stems...), straw, or metal.

Steps:

1- Place the ready-to-use crown in front of you. You can also make one yourself with flexible branches (wisteria, willow, hazel, vine stems...). Form a circle with the branches, then secure them together with natural twine.

2- Tie your twine onto the crown.

3- Place one or several flower stems on the crown, then secure them by wrapping the thread around the crown and stems. Continue alternating flowers. Be careful not to overload your crown with flowers, as this could give it an old-fashioned look reminiscent of our grandmothers' time. Similarly, stick to two or three harmonious colours at most.

4- For a full crown, tuck the last stems under the first ones and secure everything by continuing to wrap your thread around the whole arrangement.

5- Finish by tying off your twine.

There you go—your crown is finished! You can now hang it on a wall, your front door, place it on a table, or use it as decoration for funerals and weddings.

To go further: