How to Make a Dried Lambs Ear Wreath
So yesterday, I shared a bit of a garden secret:
Lamb’s Ear — that prolific perennial garden grower — dries beautifully!!! It retains its signature soft silvery sage color and that soft fuzzy texture!
Were you surprised? I had never known this.
My delightful neighbor, Sharon, educated me last Fall.
If you missed it, get caught up here.
Aren’t those the sweetest leaves?
I actually appreciate them more inside, up close than I ever have in the garden. Maybe because the soft fluffiness is all the way down at my feet as they grow as a ground cover and the soft color gets overwhelmed by the bright show-offs of the garden. Relegated to supporting role status.
But inside, up close, the Lambs Ear is the ingenue, the new star.
What Can You Do With Lambs Ear?
Specifically, Dried Lambs Ear?
Yesterday, we talked about sprinkling little vases of it throughout the house while it was drying.
And I showed you how to bundle a few multi-leaved sprigs into a bundle to hang or set about for charming displays.
But today, today we’re going bigger.
Break out your glue gun.
We’re making a wreath. A wreath like this:
Let’s Make A Dried Lambs Ear Wreath:
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Start with your structure. It can be a grapevine wreath, or a wire hoop, or a bleached branch form like mine.
Mine is a 9-inch one from my local Dollar Store.
Took me three coats to get the color where I waned it. Each one maybe 10 minutes, so not crazy effort. Just used leftover interior latex in grey and white.
Here is a video of how I layers the leaves, then tucked in just a few berries for contrast and a little extra depth and interest.
Lastly, I gently covered the center where the leaves joined up with a twill ribbon that wrapped twice and tied in the back. Notice I like to tie the end with slip knots. This just gives the ribbon a bit more dimension.
Tips For Making a Wreath Like This:
- Use hot glue only — No wiring on this one
- Start with largest leaves and build up to smallest filling any gaps
- Wrap the center with a ribbon of choice knotting once in back
- I like to knot the ends of my ribbon (twill tape in this case) to give them more dimension
- Add a few berries for contrast
- Keep it simple — no overthinking this
I hope you keep this in mind when you plan your garden beds, or maybe when you are thinning your current beds.
Please consider spreading the joy, by saving to your Pinterest boards, and sharing this post with your friends.
Where do you use the glue gun? i think i need a little more specifics…
Hi Kim, thanks for the question! I just jumped over and it looks like the video is not working. I’ll have to look into what happened there. But the hot glue was used on the back of the stem and up the spine just a ways to hold the leaves on the wreath and layered on top of each other. Then you cover the bundle of stems with ribbon or twill tape as I used.
You can’t use wire as the leaves are rather delicate and wire will cut right through them.
Don’t hesitate with any additional questions that might come up.
How long does it last?
Do you have picture after it’s dried?
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So do you dry the leaves before making the wreath or so they dry on the wreath?
Hi Barb,
I laid them them out for a few days, until had time to get around to it, and them out then put my wreath together. I would not let them dry for months before working with them or they will get too brittle. Don’t overthink this. They are very forgiving, kind of like hydrangeas.
Gorgeous.
Can I winter over lambs ears indoors?
Linda, that’s an interesting question. Ive never tried because in our area, zone 6a, Lambs Ear are an evergreen perennial. So I’ve never felt the need to overwinter indoors.
Hello Diane! Thank you for your tutorial! I am making simple lambs ear wreaths which will lay on a table with a lantern within its center for our daughters wedding centerpieces. I am using the hot glue method on wire hoops. The wedding is 25 days away! If I cut and create the wreaths now, while the lamb’s ear is fresh, and glue them in place,
do you think they will be in good shape for November 2?
Oh, Sharon! I love that plan. It sounds beautiful!!! Would you please, please get some photos for me? I’d love to share them with the others in this community to further inspire them.
The lambs ear will retain their color and stay soft and fuzzy, the leaves will just become brittle and need to be handled with care as the tables are being set.
Whenever you harvest the leaves, you will want to glue them in place within a day or two, while they are still supple. Be sure to use low temp glue. Hi-temp glue can sometimes leave a brown spot.
My ag zone is 6B (Kansas City) and the lambs ear leaves stay nice well into December. Depending on your region, you could wait longer to harvest and make them, but I get that whatever can be done ahead, needs to get done ahead. So make when the timing works best for you, and they will be lovely!!!