Fresh and dried flowers — whether they are applied as accents or comprise a whole wreath — are valuable design tools to complete a wreath craft project. The power of their beauty, though, is usually accompanied by a weakness in their stems. And because flowers are inserted into wreath bases using their stems, it's crucial their stems be reinforced. This strengthening is readily achieved with the aid of floral wire.

You can get floral wire in pre-cut lengths or on spools, and comes in a number of widths. You will likewise need a pair of wire cutters or florist's scissors and a roll of floral tape in a well-matched shade of green or brown.

• Start by cutting a length of wire at least twice as long as the stem.
• Wrap the wire around the top of the stem multiple times to secure it, and keep on wrapping down the stem in a 45° angle.
• Let several inches (4-7 cm.) of wire to hang past the natural stem. Then wrap the wire in floral tape, using the same procedure.
• For really delicate flowers, like helichrysums, trim the stem to 1 1/2 inches (3.5 cm.).
• Hold a length of heavy-gauge wire beside the natural stem, and wrap both the stem and the wire together using a thin-gauge wire.
• For stems that are thick and not so attractive, or for stems just overly delicate to wire, the natural stem can be substituted with a sturdier, more flexible wire stem.
• Push a measure of medium-gauge wire through the center of the flower's head from the back side.
• Keep on pushing the wire through the head till you have adequate length to make a small hook. Then pull the wire back down so the hook securely embeds into the flower head.