Don't Toss Out The Dandelions From Your Yard — Turn Them Into A Stunning Wreath For Your Door

Love 'em or hate 'em, dandelions are an ongoing reality in the growing season. If you take a step back, dandelions are quite pretty, especially when they've gone to seed. The next time you wage war against these weeds — or better yet, tend to your dandelion patch for pollinators — gather up a basketful of dandelion clocks to make a charming wreath. Instagrammer @clarehooper highlighted the beauty of this maligned plant, stringing closed dandelion heads onto a circle of wire and hanging them from a bit of lacy ribbon. The results are short-lived, but the magical part of this project is the clocks finish their natural cycle on the wreath. After a week or so, the fringed florets open into their final globe form. Unlike pressed flowers (which is a stunning way to preserve dandelions into whimsical decor), this isn't a piece you'll keep for the rest of your life, but once you form the wire wreath, you can recreate the look any time you find yourself flush with dandelions.

The buds you pick should be closed and have a tight white fringe of seed fibers. The best heads are ones that just finished blooming; when dandelions turn white and the seeds are nearly ready to spread. For the wreath form, purchase 16- to 18-gauge wire that will be thick enough to hold its shape while you slide the dandelion heads onto it. Also grab a pair of wire cutter pliers and 1 inch-wide ribbon. If you want to extend the life of your wreath a bit, also set aside a dish of warm water and a bottle of hairspray.

The amount of flower heads you'll need depends on the length of each bud and how large you'd like your wreath to be. You may need around 40 1-inch-long buds to make a wreath with a 12-inch diameter, but a mini wreath will be precious, too.

Curve the wire into a circle ahead of time, since manipulating flower-covered wire could damage the buds. Find a cylindrical item like a flower pot or a trash can to use as a form. Bend one end of the wire into a small loop to create a hook that'll hold the wreath closed when you're finished. Coil the wire around your form, and carefully slide off the hoop. Then, remove the stems from each dandelion bud. Dip them in warm water to help prolong their lives and slide them onto the wire stem, bottom-end first, until you've covered the wire with flower heads. Bend the remaining end of the wire into a hook to the wire loop at the other end of the wreath. Finally, tie the ribbon handle.

After up to 10 days, the clocks will open into full globes. A spritz of hairspray over the heads should slow the progression a bit. Wherever you hang your wreath, you'll eventually experience dropping seeds. If you don't want the dandelions to blow weeds all over your or your neighbor's yard, you may want to hang it on an interior door or a window where you can keep the seeds from spreading outdoors. Granted, that's messy for you, but it's probably more neighborly. For matching decor, also try turning the dandelions in your yard into a cute garland.