A wreath from Kandi's workshop is built to come out every year, not to be replaced every year. Whether that actually happens depends almost entirely on the eleven months it spends in storage. Here is how to store a handmade wreath so the design that goes back on the door next season is the one you bought.
The three things that ruin a stored wreath
Crushing, heat and damp. Everything below is about avoiding those.
- Crushing flattens florals and mesh, bends stems and creases ribbon. Some of it fluffs back. A lot of it does not.
- Heat is the attic problem. A Georgia attic in August is hot enough to soften glue, warp foam and fade anything with color. Ribbon suffers most.
- Damp is the garage and basement problem. Grapevine is a natural material and will hold moisture, and any wreath with fabric elements can mildew.
Box it, do not bag it
A wreath in a plastic bag is a wreath being crushed slowly by everything stacked near it. Use a box that is larger than the wreath in every direction: wide enough that nothing touches the sides, deep enough that the focal piece does not touch the lid.
The box the wreath arrived in from the workshop is the right size, because it was chosen for that exact piece. Keep it. If you no longer have it, a wreath storage box or a sturdy shipping box works. Kandi publishes her own shipping box sizes to Krew members, and the same sizes that protect a wreath in transit protect it on a shelf.
Inside the box:
1. Hang or set the wreath so its weight rests on the base, not on the florals. A hook screwed into the inside of the box lid, or a loop of ribbon taped to the top, keeps the wreath suspended. 2. Stuff tissue or paper into any large gaps so the wreath cannot shift. 3. Lay a sheet of tissue over the front to keep dust off ribbon. 4. Do not stack anything on the lid.
Store it upright, in the house
Upright, the way it hangs, so gravity pulls the same direction it did on the door. A wreath stored flat on its back for a year develops a lean when it goes vertical again.
Location matters more than container. The back of a closet, under a bed in a flat box, or a shelf in a climate-controlled room are all better than any attic or garage. If the only space you have is the garage, choose the coolest wall, get the box off the floor, and check it once mid-summer.
Ribbon and bows
Bows are the first thing to go wrong in storage and the easiest to protect. Stuff the loops of the bow lightly with tissue so they hold their shape, and lay the tails flat. If a bow does crush, most wired ribbon can be reshaped by hand. Unwired ribbon can be steamed, gently, from a distance.
Lighted wreaths
Any design with battery-powered lights, like the Cardinal Church Lighted Grapevine Wreath, should have its batteries taken out before storage. A battery that leaks over the summer takes the battery pack with it. Tape the fresh batteries to the inside of the box lid so they are there next year.
Bringing it back out
Take the wreath out a day before you want to hang it. Give every floral a gentle lift and turn, fluff any mesh from the inside outward, and reshape the bow. Hang it on the door and step back. Anything that still looks flat will usually settle within a day of hanging.
If a stem has come loose, it can be re-glued or re-wired at home. Krew members bring exactly these repairs to the weekly live sessions, and the vault inside the Kreative Krew covers attachment techniques that make a wreath hold up year after year.
How the workshop does it
Kandi's Savannah workshop holds supplies and finished pieces for every season at the same time, which is the reason her Wreath Making Easel folds flat, and it is the reason she is strict about boxes. Every finished wreath waiting to ship is boxed upright and suspended. Nothing is stacked. That discipline is also what the free Stress-Free Shipping Guide is about, and shipping and storage are the same problem from different ends.
Frequently asked questions
Can I store a wreath in a plastic bin?
Yes, if the bin is big enough that nothing touches the wreath and it lives somewhere climate controlled. A sealed bin in a hot garage traps heat and moisture, which is worse than a cardboard box in a closet.
Should I store a grapevine wreath differently from a deco mesh one?
Grapevine wants dry. Deco mesh wants uncrushed. Both want upright and out of the heat. Grapevine vs deco mesh explains what each base is made of.
How long should a handmade wreath last?
Years, on a covered door and stored properly. Sun and heat are what age a wreath, not use.
What if mine got crushed?
Take it out, hang it, and give it a day. Then fluff from the inside out. Most florals recover. If a bow is hopeless, a new bow is the easiest repair there is, and how to make a bow for a wreath shows the basics.
