Marie O'Leary uses bay and a floral foam ring to make her Christmas wreath. Condition the bay by standing it overnight in a bucket of water, making sure that all leaves are above the surface. The next day, float the foam ring upsidedown in a basin of water until the bubbles stop rising and the material is saturated. Cut strips of plastic from a dry-cleaning bag and wrap them around the ring to keep the moisture in. Attach a ribbon or cord to the top (from which to hang it). Cut sprigs of bay about four or five inches long. Stick them around the outer edge of the ring so that they all lie at the same angle and face the same direction. Fill in around the centre of the ring (the doughnut hole), again working in the same direction. Fill in the face of the ring in the same manner.
Make a silver bow and attach to the bottom of the ring with florist's wire. Add silver baubles if you wish.