Something a little bit different this year...

So you’ve been assigned the task of organising the office Chirstmas party and next words that come out of your boss’ mouth fill you with dread: ‘let’s try something a bit different this year’.

The pressure is on and expecations are sky high, especially after spending the holiday season 2020 in lockdown! The team are ready to let their hair down and looking forward to getting together in London, potentially for the first time in nearly two years.

A Christmas Wreath Making Experience is about as festive as it gets and definitely ticks the ‘something different’ box.

Something activity-based will really help ease any social anxiety that anyone may have after such a long period of isolation. A private space just for your group will also help with this and ensure an exclusive and intimate feel for your party.

For members of your team on restrictive diets or who are cutting back on alcohol, it’s a much more inclusive option than going out for a boozy meal. That’s not to say there isn’t delicious catering and free-flowing bubbles at our events for those who do want to indulge.

Not only will your guests enjoy being hands-on and learning a new skill but they get to take a gorgeous handmade Christmas decoration home to enjoy for the holiday season.

Our team are highly skilled and knowledgeable florists but also have a flair for entertaining! We know a fun atmosphere is just as important to your event as creating beautiful wreaths.

Contact us to find out more about how we can make your Christmas Party in London extra special, and certainly a ‘little bit different’.

Christmas Tree foliage

Nothing here happens just because it’s the easiest or most obvious choice!

We’ve spent the last week discovering more about different types of commercially grown Christmas trees, reaching out to dozens of farms and collecting samples. We can’t wait to get making with them tomorrow.

Everything will be tested for ease of use, aesthetics and then of course longevity.

Top left is a Nobil Fir from Surrey. Really lovely and soft with lovely blue tones.

Top left is green spruce from Kent. This has sharp needles and is very spindly but does make a beautiful tree.

Bottom left is a blue spruce (Kent again). Even sharper needles but a lovely icy shade (perfect for our new Nordic design).

Bottom right is old trusty Nordmann fir! This time from West Sussex. We’ve used tonnes of this (literally) for the past few years at many of our workshops and people find it easy to work with.

All freshly cut just for us - just the way we like it!

Wreath Making Delivered in action!

Check out the lovely Carla making her Wreath Making Delivered copper design

Our Moss from Wales

In a few weeks I’ll be heading to Wales to collect our moss for the year.

It’s not been easy to find a farmer to supply the quantity we buy so we’re really excited to be starting this new relationship.

The moss is sustainably harvested from these valleys and woods and few people could be so excited to go and see the operation in person! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

It’s really satisfying to cut out the middleman and know that all the buying costs are going directly to the people (and families) that have worked so hard to supply our fresh products.

To be totally honest, when the farmer and I started talking about costings, I was ready to negotiate him down to match the prices that our wholesalers offer. After learning more about the process, and understanding that our order would put him at picking capacity for 2-3 weeks, I felt that his price was fair for his hard physical labour and I didn’t ask for a penny off!

The history of Wreath Making

Wreaths can be found in the home throughout the year but for many are most well known as festive decorations. They can be made of almost anything and are generally either placed on a flat surface (advent wreath) or hung on a wall or front door (like those we’re making today).

What many don’t know is that wreath making has a rich tapestry of meaning that dates back as far as the 7th Century BC! 

Prevalent in the ancient traditions of the Greek, Roman and Persian empires wreaths were often worn as headresses and symbolized power, authority or an award of honor to warriors, emperors and victorious athletes. They were made of a variety of materials including flowers, olive leaves, laurel, even fabric and jewels. 

In ancient pagan, german and scandanavian cultures, wreaths have also symbolized nature and have been used to honour the return of the sun and the promise of spring. The wreaths held candles that were lit in hopes of the return of the warmth and the sunlight. 

Christian congregations have adorned their churches for many years with festive decorations such as the ever popular traditional evergreen wreath during the advent period. Candles and specific foilage are chosen to represent their beliefs. 

We see wreaths across many other modern religious traditions such as the Christian harvest or maypole festivities. Or the 3 day Muslim celebration of Eid, throughout which door wreaths are often displayed to celebreate the end of the holy month of ramadan.

Over the last century, wreaths have become very popular as head dresses for brides looking for the natural touch.

A common theme across many of the interpretations of the wreath is the circle or ring shape being symbolic of eternity or eternal life, because the shape has no beginning or end. 

Some of the most commonly used wreath making materials such as evergreen and holly also carry the meaning of eternal life to some cultures. In fact, the ancient Druids are the first society in known history to have worn sprigs of holly. They believed that holly remained green all year due to having magical properties. Many speculate the holly berries have given us our green and red colors of Christmas. 

Later on, winter greenery, particularly mistletoe, started to be considered pagan because of it’s mytical properties. This was because of it’s particular association with magic & winter solstice.

In fact, in 575 A.D., a German Catholic Bishop forbode all Christmas greens and condemned them as "dangerous and heathen". Churches did not see their likeness again for centuries.

In the 16th century, the word "Holly" appeared in writing for the first time, used by Shakespeare. By the 17th century, holly had become a grander part of Christmas celebrations, the Christmas Wreath, and holiday decorations once again.

Evergreen foliages from our nextdoor neighbour!

When we talk about working with local farmers to source sustainably grown greenery it’s not just PR talk, throwing buzz words into the mix and then ordering everything from Holland.

We spend months contacting dozens (if not hundreds!) of farmers direct - moss farmers, arable farmers, Christmas tree farmers, small holding farmers, flower farmers!

Occasionally they are familiar with what & how we’re looking to source foliages, but much of the time we have to come up with a unique supply system that works for both of us.

These photos are the gorgeous evergreens that we buy from the farm directly next door to our HQ. Every couple of days these pickups drop off truck fulls of freshly cut greenery straight from the farm.

The bags used are repurposed from other farm operations and we send them back to be refilled once we’ve emptied them.

That totals zero packaging waste (not even a string!) and no more than a mile journey to reach us.

This year we are working directly with at least seven farmers and certainly for us, the extra effort is definitely worth it!

Connecting through craft this Christmas with Wreath Making Delivered. New designs for 2020!

We’ve all missed socialising with our friends, family and colleagues this year and here at Wreath Making Delivered, we have the complete package to help you spend a couple hours of shared festive fun with one another, virtually. We deliver all the materials required for each of your party to make their own luxury Christmas wreath at home while you follow our pre-recorded online video tutorial together.

Here at Wreath Making Delivered, connecting through nature has always been at the heart of everything we do. Our expertly selected foliages are sourced direct from farms local to our south-coast HQ and delivered straight to front doors across the UK. Our natural, foliage led designs aim to tap into that creative, festive flare whilst giving wreath makers a real appreciation for the beauty that nature brings to our lives - something that many of us have come to treasure through periods of isolation and lockdown.

This year we’ve been busy developing three inspiring new designs that will be delivered across our portfolio of festive wreath making products. Our Nordic Wreath is inspired by nature & simplicity, bringing earthy textures and frosty tones to your front door. The contemporary metallic and pink in our Rose Gold Wreath glisten with an explosion of fun. For those looking for something more classic, our dried fruit and spice filled Traditional Wreath wreath oozes Christmas through bold colours and warm tones. All of our six designs are packed with eucalyptus and up to ten different types of fresh foliages for a layered and luxury aesthetic.

For those looking for more of an interactive experience, we are offering live-virtual workshops via our Columbia Creative brand. Our florists will be facilitating workshops in much the same format as they do at our in-person events, just with a virtual twist! These workshops will last 1.5 hours and are available at various dates & times throughout December.

Whether attending one of our virtual workshops, or opting for the more flexible Wreath Making Delivered package, we are connecting our customers both with nature, and with one another this Christmas! 

Virtual. Sustainable. Unforgettable.

Customer Testimonial

Christmas truly came to our home with our beautiful wreath from Wreath Making Delivered. I was sure my lack of creative skills would mean mine would look nothing like the ones on the website, but judging from how impressed my friends were, I declared it a triumph! 

The box arrived, in recycled packaging I was pleased to see, and inside was everything I needed, perfectly wrapped and labelled so even creative disasters like me could get it right. All the fresh greenery smelt amazing - Christmas in a box!

Now to get to work - the video was great as it meant I could go at my own pace, going back to check I was tying pieces in place properly - far better than written instructions which never quite get across how to do it in practice rather than theory.

At the end I had a beautiful, full wreath, and managed to even add in a few extra bits of greenery as there was such a generous amount sent.It was the perfect way to start dressing our home for Christmas, and was a great activity to get me in the Christmas mood, along with some wine and Christmas music!

About Columbia Creative

KEY FACTS:

The Brand: 

// After launching Columbia Creative in 2013, we have hosted over 5000 attendees at our Christmas Wreath Making Workshop series. 

// Members workshops have been run in conjunction with amazing venues such as; V&A, Tate Britain, Royal Academy of Arts & Chelsea Physic Gardens. 

// Our first Wreath Making Delivered packs were first distributed in 2016 by a bike courier in central London and since then we have gone national, sending kits overnight to anywhere in the UK, arriving perfectly fresh for our customers, everytime. 

// Our recently launched Virtual Wreath Making Workshops offer an alternative online group activity and are available for private sessions facilitated over Zoom. These sessions are perfect for those looking to arrange a fun festive activity for family and friends outside of their bubble whilst getting creative and having something beautiful to show at the end of it. 

Our Style & Sustainability: 

// Our designs change yearly. In the past we have offered a variety of styles including contemporary, asymmetric, fresh floral wreaths to traditional, moss-based wreaths decorated with dried fruits and spices alongside fully biodegradable, environmentally friendly, woven willow wreaths. 

// To bring together our beautiful wreath designs, we work closely with local suppliers and family run farms to provide the freshest and most varied foliages available. Much of what we source comes from within 2 miles of our Sussex HQ. 

// We use over half a tonne of spruce a year which is sourced directly from a family run Christmas tree farm - which would otherwise be considered a waste product and destined for the chipper! 

// Sustainability is at the heart at what we do therefore our product and supply chain reflect this. From our workshops through to our delivery service, we pride ourselves on supplying a product that minimises plastic and excess packaging. Our Clients: /

/ We specialise in brand activations and some of our clients include: H&M, Costa Coffee, Liz Earle, Marks & Spencers, Next, Birkenstock, Sipsmith

Contact for further information: jo@columbiacreative.co.uk

Bespoke Workshops

We create bespoke workshops for brands and venues year round. We've been delighted to have produced a repertoire of innovative floral events at some incredible locations across London including Harrods, Tate Britain & The Royal Academy of Arts. Each of our workshops are tailored to the individual needs of each client, from working with brand colours and themes to including ingredients from a product line into the design of a floral creation. Whatever the aspiration of the client, we are able to build your vision into our interactive and engaging workshops, bringing brands to life through nature's best floral and fauna.

Our wreath making workshops are particularly popular. We run public sessions in addition to our private bookings. If you'd like to find out more about us hosting a workshop at your venue, office or retail space please email jo@columbiacreative.co.uk.

The year we are also running Virtual Wreath Making Workhshops for both corporate groups and individuals.

Virtual Wreath Making Workshops



Our workshops have always been a wonderful way to bring people together and we’ve been working hard to ensure that 2020 is no different. 

We’re excited to invite you to welcome in the Christmas season with one of our newly adapted virtual workshops, offering the same interactive, creative and festive fun that we’ve always been so happy to share with our clients. We’ll help you deliver your virtual Christmas party and bring your team together by creating beautiful wreaths all from the comfort of their own homes. 

Led by our established team of florists, our virtual workshops will offer a mixture of whole group demonstrations alongside plenty of time for smaller group conversation, to recreate that all important round-the-table social interaction. We’ll provide everything that’s needed in advance and during the workshop we’ll be ‘dropping in’ on every group (or ‘table’) to guide and inspire individual wreath-makers as they build their wreaths following our demonstrations. 

If you’re not looking for something live you can always opt for our Wreath Making Delivered option, where our pre-recorded tutorial allows you to facilitate group wreath making at your leisure.

Whatever your needs, we’re here to make sure that whilst we’re all keeping safe this winter, we don’t loose out on the spirit of togetherness this Christmas.

Corporate Virtual Socials

At Columbia Creative & Wreath Making Delivered we understand that you want to offer your team a premium virtual experience this Christmas. We are able to package our luxury wreath making kits and deliver them directly to your client’s guests in time for their virtual event. 

Our significant experience in sourcing, packing & distributing these packs since 2016  means that you can be confident we can deliver the materials needed for your events in perfect condition on time, every time
Everything needed to create one of our luxury fresh wreaths is included in the box, along with a link to step-by-step instructions and a high quality online video tutorial. If any of the guests happen to miss the live virtual workshop, they can still create their wreath at another time using this link.

We use the highest quality, sustainably sourced fresh foliages in our kits. Our tried and tested, meticulously weighed out elements mean that we have never once had a client short on what they need to create and full wreath, much like you can see in our imagery. You can see genuine examples of customer creations from previous years on our Instagram.

Our live virtual workshops, hosted by our expert florists, will be a truly interactive experience. For larger groups we will have additional tutors on hand to ensure everyone in the party can get any individual guidance they need.

In addition to our tutors guiding the live workshop, we will be screen sharing step-by-step photos on the screen throughout the session to ensure everyone can easily complete their designs

We have a carefully considered hosting method, formulated to maximise interaction between guests. This, combined with our years of experience delivering in-person tutorials can leave you confident that we will manage your event from start to finish in an engaging and professional manner.

We have high quality digital assets including videos, that you can use to promote the workshops to your clients. These can also be used when creating invitations. For those less familiar with crafting, our videos can be useful to demonstrate what a wreath making event entails.

Christmas is our year-round focus. We have experience in outputting thousands of wreath-making experiences annually, to a high, luxury standard. We can also work with you on larger projects and bespoke designs on request.