Melissa Skidmore - Beautiful Wreaths: 40 Handmade Creations throughout the Year

Copyright 2019 by Melissa Skidmore All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018. Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. Cover design by Qualcom Cover photo credit by Melissa Skidmore Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-4410-3 Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-4409-7 Printed in China Dedication I believe that each of us is created in the image of God. In the beginning, God created... Genesis 1:1 We were created to create.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for fostering that creativity in me; for showing me the love and warmth of home. Thank you to my David Skidmore. This journey of life I am sharing with you is more than what I could have imagined. The way you support me, overlook the messes that my projects create, are so patient with me, and love me so completely is more than I deserve. I love you with all of my heart and am so thankful you asked me to be your wife all those years ago. Thank you to my precious girlsDaisy, Anna Belle, and Lila Mae.

You have given me one of the greatest joys in my life by making me a mom. Thank you for the ways you notice the little details of our home and for the way you have oohed and ahhed at each new wreath Ive made. Yall are so incredibly creative yourselves, and I love to watch yall create! Contents Introduction I grew up in a creative home. My parents wouldnt necessarily consider themselves creative, but my dad woke up every morning to a cup of coffee and a yellow legal pad where he would sketch ideas for things he wanted to build. His chosen material for creativity was wood. And the table saw was humming most weekends, as he worked to create his sketches that week.

My moms canvas was our home. She was forever rearranging furniture, hanging pictures, making throw pillows, and sewing tablecloths. Our home was always a warm and welcoming place due to her loving attention to detail. I vividly recall the day she bought her first silk flowers. Our neighbor across the street walked over with an armful of flowers, announcing that these fine, high-quality silk flowers were on sale at our local department store. My mother and I packed ourselves into the Oldsmobile and took off.

My mother had recently seen some beautiful grapevine wreaths, and she was ready to try one for herself. I remember the buckets loaded with flowers. As my mom handed me stem after stem, I could see she was getting more and more excited about the endless possibilities these realistic reproductions had to offer! She rushed home with her mind swirling with ideas. She sat down at the kitchen table, gathered her hot glue gun and wire snips, and began making her first wreath. When she was done, she proudly hung it on our front door. The neighborhood ladies oohed and aahed over her creationeveryone wanted a wreath of their own.

Before I knew it, my father had sketched out a design for a wreath-building stand and set up a little work area for her in the garage. I recall the day they set off for my uncles farm, spending the day cutting grapevines and making their own wreaths. They came home with dozens of circular bound vines. My mom was giddy with excitement. She made wreaths for everyone we knew and made sure that every room in our house featured a different wreath. Our front door was never bare.

It held new wreaths every season for as long as I can remember. I am forever grateful to my parents for planting a creative spirit in me. And while I have no skills when it comes to working with wood, I take after my mom and treat my home like a canvas. More than twenty years ago, my husband, David, and I bought our first home. We were on a pretty tight budget, but I knew that I wanted my guests to feel welcome from the moment they arrived at our front door. And I knew that our home would not say welcome without a wreath! I scraped together ten dollars and headed to the local discount store.

I came home to my kitchen table, got out my hot glue gun and wire snips, and got to work. Our house has not been without a wreath ever since. We have also added three precious daughters to our homeDaisy, Anna Belle, and Lila Mae. I have strived to pass along the same creative spirit my parents had shared with me. As our girls got older and I had a bit more time to myself, I decided to go into the wreath-making business. I called my dad and had him build me a wreath making stand, and I set up my shop in my kitchen.

I have now made and sold over three thousand wreaths. The process of creating feeds my soul. I find such joy in it! Sometimes, the completed project is more than what I could have dreamedand sometimes it is an epic fail! Most of the time, it falls somewhere in the middle. Let your joy come from the process of creating, and relish in your creation, rather than in the approval of others. In these days of Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook, there is such tremendous pressure for our homes, the parties we throw, and our general lives to look a certain way. There is so much comparison among our peers, and with that comparison comes anxiety and deep feelings of inadequacy.

My mom never had that pressure. The meals she cooked, the beautiful projects she completed for our home, and the parties she hosted were just for the people she loved. That is how I try to liveliving fully with my tribe. Living fully in the moment and not caring if the pictures will be good for social media. Yes, I love creating beautiful things, and I love for my home to be warm and welcoming. But, my main motivation beyond followers and likes is to create a place where my people enjoy being and where new people will want to come.

I desire this for my girlsI want the homes they create to be warm and welcoming for the sake of their loved ones, and not for the sake of keeping up an image for others. And I want this for you, too! My intention with this book is to encourage creativity, just as it was encouraged in me. The wreaths you create will not look exactly like the ones in this bookand thats perfectly fine! You should make any changes you like to make the wreath your own. My hope is that you can sit with this book and be inspired to create something beautiful for your own home or as a gift for a friend. Happy wreath making!