This easy tutorial shows you how to make a flower crown using weeping willow sticks decorated with real flowers and no wire.
DIY flower crowns are super easy and quick to make, so they are a fab craft for all ages. I have run several ‘make a flower crown’ workshops at festivals, and they are always hugely successful.
What you need to make a real flower crown
Willow sticks
Fresh flowers
Scissors or Secateurs
We use sticks from our Weeping Willow tree, but any pliable sticks or vines will work. You will need 4 or 5 rods for this project.
The method is the same as making our Simple Willow Wreath, with fewer lengths and a smaller diameter. Perfect for sitting on top of a head.
How to make a flower crown
Weaving the willow into a crown is simple. Take your first stick and shape it into a rustic hoop the diameter you want your flower crown to be.
Make sure you leave the tail from where you started sticking out of your ring. (as shown in the photo below).
Add the second stick to your willow ring a quarter-turn away from your first, again leaving the tail sticking out for the time being.
Continue turning your ring and adding sticks, and you will find that your crown becomes rigid and takes shape very quickly.
The photo below shows our crown after we have added, and woven in, the fourth stick.
As you add in more lengths, you will find that the ring holds itself together under tension, and it’ll be easy to tuck in the smaller ends as you weave.
Once the crown size is to your liking, cut off the willow stick tails to make a neat finish.
Adding flowers to your flower crown
Once your willow crown base is complete, it’s time to add your flowers.
Cut your selected flowers with about three inches of stem so that you can insert them between the willow stems. The tension between the willow sticks should then hold them in place.
Above is an example of an early summer flower crown decorated with wildflowers, including meadowsweet and wild rose.
And below is a flower crown made in autumn decorated with some beautiful hedgerow berries.
DIY flower crowns only take minutes to make and are a lovely outdoor craft activity to do with kids.
And if you don’t fancy wearing a flower crown, they also look gorgeous around the base of a vase or candle for a table decoration or as a stunning door wreath.
Fresh willow is a pleasure to work with – for more willow weaving inspiration, check out our Rustic Willow Balls and our Succulent Christmas Tree.
14 comments
We’re planning on making something like this at our school’s summer fair. Do you have any tips on where to get lots of young willow branches from?
Willow likes damp conditions so it grows in some places better than others. I’d suggest trying to find someone with a weeping willow in their garden who doesn’t mind you giving it a trim :)
Sarah, beautiful, thanks for sharing, i would be making this for my sister’s daughter, she is crazy for the crowns.
We went to an event on the weekend Hannah and made them with about 30 children – they all looked adorable and had such fun making and decorating them :)
That flower crown is beautiful. I love the idea of using it to make a wreath as well. Will have to give this a try with my girls :-)
Thanks Louise, your girls will look adorable in them :)
Sarah you know I just love this. It reminds me of all those wreaths I make for May Day. Anything that is close to nature is on my desirables list!!
I think of your wreaths often Mary – they are so pretty :)
Your rustic flower crown is so cute. I bet your little girl had lots of fun making this crown. I sure wish I had a Weeping Willow tree so I could make some of the fun things that you make out of them.
Thanks Linda, she did love it – I do love our weeping Willows they’re a very pretty tree :)
These are so pretty! I bet they would also look great as table decor for a dinner with friends or family. So fresh. It would be perfect in place of a bouquet, sometimes the vase of flowers is in the way for table conversation.
Definitely going to try this for our next get together. Thanks for showing me how!
Be lovely on a table Nikki, or around the base of a candle. You must share pictures when you make one :)
What a super idea Sarah. You’re little one looks like a fairy princess with her beautiful red hair and nature’s crown. You must be such a fun mom
Thanks Michelle, flower crowns are pretty aren’t they :)