How to Make a Della Robia Garland

The term Della Robia refers to an object that is decorated or enhanced with fruit. It can be a ceramic platter or a wreath, but here we are going to make a garland and decorate it with fresh fruit and nuts. Garlands are easy to make and add a festive touch to your home during the holiday season.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Hosiery
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Twine
• Cable Ties
• Paddle Wire

Make the garland

1. Gather a wheelbarrow full of evergreen trimmings. Use the tips of the branches for best results. Some suggestions are juniper, oak, asparagus fern, bay laurel, redwood, cedar, pine and fir.
2. Cut the evergreens to a length of 6 inches.
3. Place a 10-foot length of string or twine on a large flat surface.
4. Tie a loop in one end of the string.
5. Attach #24 floral wire (sometimes called paddle wire) to the loop end of the twine.
6. Select several of the 6-inch foliage pieces and place them together in a bunch, with the stems at one end. You can mix different kinds of foliage in one bundle.
7. Place the bundle of foliage at the loop end of the twine with the stems pointing toward the long end of the string.
8. Wrap the floral wire around the stems and twine to secure them in place. You will need two hands for this: one to hold the foliage in place against the string and the other to wrap the wire.
9. Wrap the floral wire around the bundle a second time and then pull it tight. Make sure to leave the wire attached to the twine - you still have a long way to go.
10. Gather another bundle of foliage and place it so that the leaves overlap the first bunch and cover the stems. Make sure that all the stems are facing the same direction.
11. Continue the process of overlapping the bunches of foliage and wiring them to the twine until you run out of string.
12. When you finally do come to the end of the string, twist the wire tightly around the last bundle, then knot the wire and the string together. Leave 12 inches of wire (to attach the garland where you want it) and cut the wire with scissors or pruning shears.

Add the fruit and nuts

13. Cut 4-inch squares from discarded nylon panty hose. Light colors work best and are the least visible.
14. Wrap lemons, pomegranates, limes, apples, nuts and other long-lasting fruit in the squares of panty hose. (The panty hose will be all but invisible once the garland is hung, and the fruit will last longer if you don't need to pierce it.)
15. Pull the nylon tightly across the fruit, twist the end and secure with floral wire (sometimes called paddle wire). Wrap the floral wire tightly around the base of the wrapped fruit. You've now got little fruit "packets."
16. Leave 6 to 8 inches of wire attached to the base of each fruit packet.
17. Wrap several nuts together into one packet. Twist a bit of the nylon tight around each nut and tie with wire to separate the nuts in appearance. Leave 6 to 8 inches of wire attached to the nut bundles.
18. Prepare as many packets of fruit and bundles of nuts as desired.
19. Place the garland on a flat surface and tuck the fruits and nuts into the garland, wiring each packet in place as you go. Leave some space between the fruit.
20. Add small pinecones, if desired, by wrapping wire around their bases and wiring them in among the fruit.

Tips & Warnings

• This is a dirty job! Work over newspaper, and have plenty of soap and water ready to clean your hands when you're done.
• Cover the finished end of the garland with a ribbon or raffia bow.
• If you need the finished garland to be longer than 10 feet, you can wire two completed garlands together.
• Plastic tie wraps (sometimes called cable ties) work well to hang garlands on banisters.
• The finished Della Robia garland will be heavy. Make sure that you have adequate support and sturdy hangers when you hang it on the mantel or banister.