Making a Christmas Wreath

Wreaths are made by covering wreath bases with posies of fresh or dried flowers and foliage. So to start with, you will need a base for your wreath. Wreath bases are available in stores in many types and sizes. Dried stem rings, vine wreath forms, wire wreath form, and twisted or bleached willow rings can be decorated with bundles of fresh garden material for short-lived decorations, or with dried plant material for long-term displays.

Also available, nowadays, are plastic wreaths filled with florist foam. These rings provide fresh flowers with a moisture source. Caution must be taken, when using foam rings, to conceal the ring completely with any decorative foliage before you start adding the greens.

Step 1: Collect required plant material like rich evergreens, holly, berries, flowers such as roses, hydrangea and purple sage, acorns, poppy seedheads, fruits such as lemons, kumquats and pecans, pinecones, birchcones etc. Add color and texture to your wreath by including berries, ivy, holly, silver berry, barberry, rosemary, yew etc. to the traditional evergreens. For unusual variations, add bunches of gilded wheat, flaxseed, poppy seedheads etc.

Step 2: Cover your work surface with newspaper and spread out any material that you want to spray with gold paint. You can choose to spray leaves, nuts or fruits completely or partially. Spray the material on both sides and leave to dry.

Step 3: Gather the plant material into bunches, place them over the wreath form of desired size, loop a 'staple' over the stalks and press the wire ends into the wreath base. Continue adding the material all around the ring, the heads of one cluster or bunch covering the stalks of the previous one.

Step 4: Add berries, acorns, nuts, fruits etc by tying wire around their stems and then, pushing the wire through the foliage into the wreath base.

Step 5: Complete your wreath by tying a bow at the top center or bottom center or both by pushing half a stub of wire through the loop at the back of each bow and inserting it into the wreath form.

This article appears in the Christmas 2004 issue of 'Celebrating Christmas PDF Magazine'. To download a FREE copy of the entire magazine packed with illustrated articles on holiday recipes, crafts, home decor, party planning tips, gift ideas and family fun activities for Christmas, go to http://www.celebrating-christmas.com/magazine.shtml