I saw cornflowers today, dreams from childhood.
I’ll pick a few blossoms,
I’ll weave a wreath and give it to you.
I’ll weave in memories.
How wonderful to be a child.Eveline Dächer
Hej friends!
How beautiful are the wildflowers of summer. They shine brightly among golden fields, dry scrub, and grasses. Tough and so enchanting. They don’t smell like spring flowers. They smell summer vacation, freedom, and round bales of hay baking in the sun. The wildflowers of summer remind me of childhood and the sweet breeze in my tousled hair. It’s only natural to want to adorn myself with these pretty creatures.
So today I’m going to show you a simple way to make a flower wreath yourself.
Flowers were a decorative element, especially for young girls, and were woven into their wreaths. These wreaths were already worn by the Germanic tribes as hair ornaments on major holidays or during seasonal changes. Flowers are a symbol of beauty, fertility, and vitality. A wedding wreath expresses innocence and youthfulness.
With the arrival of Christianity and the suppression or reinterpretation of pagan holidays, the significance of the flower wreath also faded in Europe. This only changed after the French Revolution, when floral decorations and gifts became fashionable again.
Even if the weather isn’t exactly summery, nature shines in lush green and flowers bloom in the most colorful colors.
Along the field’s edge, we found mostly colorful cornflowers and daisies. For even more color, we stole a few wild roses from the garden, as Irma was so keen to make a flower wreath.
Almost every flower has a meaning. Its symbolism is derived from its appearance, color, and effect.
The rose’s powerful symbolic power was already known in ancient times. The red rose symbolizes love and passion. Depending on the color, however, the rose conveys a different message.
Pink represents youth and beauty – and it also suggests the beginning of love.
The cheerful yet shy daisy represents naturalness and unadulterated happiness. If given to your loved one, it can also challenge their current emotional state.
Why am I telling you this? Because I’m fascinated by the powerful symbolism of the blue cornflower. It’s contradictory, like the fact that this pretty flower is actually a weed.
The botanical name of the blue cornflower is Cyanus segetum. Many building elements in Greece – for example, doors, window frames, or church domes – are painted in a light shade of blue. According to ancient belief, this blue, called kyanos, is said to ward off evil.
The “Blue Flower” is a central symbol of Romanticism. It represents love, the longing for an unattainable thing, the pursuit of infinity, and the connection between humanity and nature.
The color blue symbolizes longing, distance, and clarity. It expresses the infinity of the sky, youth, and hope.
It is not uncommon for native plants to be seen as models for the “Blue Flower,” such as the cornflower, which was already a symbol of the freedom movement in 1848.
The blue cornflower stands for freedom and liberalism.
It’s all the more absurd, then, that in the 1930s, the pretty flower was misused as an identifying symbol for illegal Nazis in Austria. It was no coincidence, then, that the historically charged cornflower reappeared as a symbol of the German nationalist camp in Austria after 1945.
Not so long ago, members of the FPÖ boasted about this. Even though they invoked the freedom movement of 1848 and denied any connection to National Socialism, a bitter aftertaste remains.
When I remembered this incident, my first thought was: Oh no! We made a Nazi flower wreath! But let’s be honest, thankfully they can’t claim the flower for themselves!
In Sweden, for example, the blue cornflower is the symbol of the Liberal Party.
..but it’s always what you make of it. My girls and I have made a neutral flower wreath in the spirit of love, peace, and happiness. We all have a little bit of a flower child in us.
Sources:
Birgit Bergmann – Der Kranz des Kaisers
Walter de Gryter – Monument und Nation
Germanen: Unterwegs zu höherer Zivilisation
Die Sprache der Blumen
Kräuterbuch
Stoppt die Rechten
You need:
Flowers
A slightly thicker wire (e.g. garden wire 2mm)
Bast fiber, fabric ribbon or floral tape, thin cord (yarn)
Craft wire or floral wrapping wire
A pretty silk ribbon
Wire pliers
Scissors
Super glue gel
Sewing needle
Tape measure
Choose flowers for your wreath. Small flowers are often preferable because they’re easier to arrange, but you can, of course, vary them to your liking.
1. + 2. Trim the flower stems to about 3-5 cm and place the flowers in a vase of water. This will keep them fresh until ready to use.
3. Measure the circumference of your head. If you want to make a bracelet, simply make the wreath smaller accordingly.
4. Add a few centimeters and you’ll have the wire length you need for the wreath. Choose a wire that’s a bit thicker and sturdier, yet still easy to bend. If you don’t have one on hand, you can also wrap two or three thin wires together.
5. – 8. Now wrap the wire with bast fiber or fabric ribbons. To secure the wire, apply a little superglue gel or similar adhesive to both ends.
Floral tape (self-adhesive flower tape for tying bouquets etc.) is highly recommended, but as already mentioned, bast fibre etc. will also work.
9. + 10. Once the wire is completely wrapped, make an eyelet at each end.
11. If, like me, you don’t have suitable wire on hand, you can also wrap the flowers around the wreath with yarn or another thin cord. To do this, secure the yarn with a knot a few centimeters from the eyelet.
It’s easier to attach the flowers to the wreath using thin craft wire or floral wrapping wire. Of course, you don’t have to tie the wire with a knot.
12. + 13. Make small bouquets of 3 – 5 flowers and tie them one by one around the wire.
14. Once you have reached the other end of the wreath, cut off any stems that are too long.
15. – 16. Finally, tie a bouquet of flowers in the opposite direction. To avoid damaging the blossoms, it’s helpful to use a sewing needle – of course, this only works if you’re using yarn. This way, you can simply pierce under the flowers and wrap the stems around them, securing the yarn with a knot.
If you use a wire, you can also pierce through the flower stems without a needle.
17. Now you can decide whether to put the eyelets together or thread a pretty ribbon through and tie it into a bow.
Enjoy the summer with all its colors and scents!
