Juliette Rogers - Making holiday wreaths

Juliette Rogers

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Edited by Nancy W. Ringer

Cover illustration by Alison Kolesar Cover design by Carol J. Jessop (Black Trout Design)

Text illustrations by Alison Kolesar, except by Frank Riccio

Text production by Leslie Noyes

Copyright 2000 by Storey Publishing, LLC

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Printed in the United States

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rogers, Juliette.

Making holiday wreaths / Juliette Rogers.

p. cm. (A Storey country wisdom bulletin; A-262)

ISBN 1-58017-341-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)

1. Wreaths. 2. Holiday decorations. 3. Nature crafts.

4. Evergreens. I. Title. II. Series.

TT899.75.R645 2000

745.926dc21 00-057347

The circular unity of a wreath bears witness to its symbolic use world-wide for centuries. The circle has represented cyclical life in many contexts, but at midwinter it remains especially comforting as a reminder that spring will come again. Having some of the seasons only surviving greenery in your home helps soften the months of winter gloom. The evergreen wreath is thus the quintessential adornment for marking midwinter holidays. And when its boughs are dressed with bright ribbons, shining bells, or fruits and nuts, the sight of a wreath is all the more festive.

Holiday wreaths have come to be much more versatile than past tradition dictated. Now joining the elegant balsam ring on the front door are scores of wreaths from sophisticated to quirky in design inside and outside the home. Their bright, piney scents bring a touch of the wild to every room and yard, and nothing tops the unique charm of wreaths for inviting good holiday cheer into the home. Best of all, whether you make your own wreath from scratch or buy a base to decorate, making and hanging wreaths is a simple, fun project, one that the entire family can enjoy.

Every room of the home has places for wreaths, which bring the holidays with them. Any room with a mantelpiece has a traditional hanging spot though there are many ways you can put the mantel to work for you. In place of a painting, a wreath can simply hang from a hook or nail. A more casual display method is to set the wreath on the mantel, leaning it against the back wall. If the mantel is over an unused fireplace, you can hang pine wreaths below mantel level, over the fireplace (remove wreaths before lighting a fire because they are highly flammable). A cup hook screwed into the underside of the mantel is ideal for this purpose. Flank these wreaths with stockings on Christmas Eve.

Alas, many of us do not have a fireplace, but we do have windows, in most if not every room. Hang small wreaths inside windows, from the curtain rod or sash, to make windows shine despite the dwindling daylight hours. Hang wreaths on the inside of doors why should only your neighbors get to see your door wreath?

Encircle the kitchen wall clock with a seasonal whimsy, or hang lightweight wreaths on cabinet doors. Look for places you can lean a wreath against a wall, such as on a plate shelve, mantel, side table, hall table, kitchen counter, or bookcase. Playfully loop a wreath over the back of a sturdy chair with finials or around the arm of a seldom-used easy chair.

To create a festive spirit for the midwinter holidays, decorate a wreath with cones, berries, and other small accoutrements and hang it in a prominent window. Its jaunty colors will lend a spark of excitement to all who pass by. For added ambience, set candles, scented sachets, gifts, and ornaments in complementary colors on the windowsill beneath the wreath.

Many people hang a wreath on their front door during the holidays. But the door is only the beginning. Wreaths on the grilles of cars and trucks have become a cheery sight in recent years. Wreaths can also be hung on the front windows of the home, a sight that is especially lovely if there are candles on the inside that are framed by the wreaths outside. Hang miniature wreaths from doorknobs and banister finials. A wreath circling your mailbox will brighten your mail carriers day (though be sure it doesnt interfere with access to the box or flag).

If your clothesline is up in the winter, make it pull its weight by clipping a line of wreaths along it. Likewise, a birdbath is doubly useful if it has a festive, berry-decorated wreath ringing its circumference try adding peanut butterfilled pinecones to please your backyard birds, too. If you are lucky enough to have a nice old deciduous tree in your front yard or driveway, dress it up by hanging a wreath from a low branch. Again, you can decorate the wreath for your wild friends see for suggestions on treats that will attract all the birds in the neighborhood to your backyard.

Before you start making your wreath, its helpful to spend some time figuring out where it will go and how it can best enhance the room around it. Here are some things to consider in your wreath design:

What is the decor style of the room? Is it spacious and airy? Cozy and cluttered? Elegant and formal? Whimsical and quirky? Country-style or sophisticated? How can you make a wreath that suits that setting? What kind of decorative elements will lend it just the right personality? Should the wreath be a graceful, narrow circlet or a bushy, abundant ring? Densely packed or wispy at the outer perimeter?

How big is the space you want to fill? Choose a wreath frame that is smaller in diameter than the desired finished size, because the greenery sprawls outward.

What colors are in the room? Choose complementary wreath decorations.

Is there a decorating theme? Can your wreath contribute? Themes may be generic, such as food-related decorations on a kitchen wreath, or they may be specific, such as a nautical wreath wrapped with knotted ropes or dotted with seashells for a living room window overlooking the ocean.

When all is said and done, it is often just as simple and frugal to buy a premade wreath base as it is to make your own. If you need only one or two wreath bases, the work that goes into making your own along with the pitch-stained hands and wire-scraped skin may not be worth it. Luckily, evergreen wreath bases are readily available at craft stores, herb shops, church bazaars, grocery stores, home centers, and wherever balsam Christmas trees are sold. Premade wreaths are inexpensive, but they dont come in much variety of shape or thickness. They are nearly always balsam boughs wire-wrapped onto crinkle frames.