Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Bark covered Wreath
- 31 March 2011
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The bark covered wreath that I used in my Mud!!! demonstration design was huge! It took me a month to glue all the bits and pieces.
I shaped the wreath out of polyester fluff pillow stuffing. The stuffing is made from recycled plastic or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is fibered, fluffed and flocked to create long sheets of strong water repelling foam which is ideal for a Floral Art shape.
Once I had a solid shape I began to cover it with long strips of bark. Painting the bark with wood glue results in a inflexible and strong continuous shape. I then removed chips of wood and beautiful moss from branches. I placed these chips on the visible seams. Be careful not to glue the moss. Only place glue on the bark. The moss will continue to grow and will spread throughout the wreath. Spray the wood lightly with water to keep the moss from completely drying out. The plastic stuffing will repel the water and it will not spoil.
Keep in mind that in order to make a realistic looking fantasy design element, such as the wreath, you must focus on how this item would grow in nature. In this case it is vital to follow the wood grain all around with both the bark and the chips of wood for the wreath to look natural.
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