How to Make a Wreath

It's doing the underline thing again... sorry.

So I wanted to make a wreath this year. I remember making them in Maine pretty often. I don't remember if we made them every year--I doubt it--but pretty close I'd say, until we moved to Saipan. Although, a wreath of plumeria would smell almost as good as a wreath of pine.

Anyway, here's how, in case you're interested: Go up into a national forest, and when no one's looking, snip a bunch of branches off the types of evergreens you'd like to use for your wreath. Stuff them in a sack, and throw them into the back of your vehicle. (In case you came into the conversation right here, we're talking about tree branches, that's all.) We also gathered some heather as trim.

Have your macho man bend a coat hanger into a circle. Adjust the size of the circle according to how big you want your wreath. Keep in mind, the circle does not have to be very big for you to have a fairly large wreath.

Using green floral wire, strap 'er on. I held them in place while Mike strapped. You need to have it very tight. I recommend laying the wreath all out first, removing the branches and then strapping them on in order. Hold it up often to make sure you don't have any thin parts.

I went to Porter's and bought some trimmings: little colored bells, some feathers, and some berry-beads. Mike grouped the bells into little bunches while I gathered the feathers into threes and stuck a sprig of berries with them. We tied these on with the floral wire. Hold the wreath up again to make sure nothing weighs the branches down funky. The heather we just stuck in here and there. They stay fine among the branches.

TADA! I clipped a little bird ornament we had and pinned the bow on. (It's too bad there aren't any pictures of me making that. I am so proud of it!) I love the look of homemade wreaths. They look so wild and ancient. Did you know, the Germans started wreath making as a pagan tradition. They would make them and light them on fire as a symbol of light in the darkness and a hope of new life in spring. Now we use them on grave stones to symbolize eternal life, and at Christmas to remember the One who gave us the chance to live eternally. Advent wreaths also symbolize specifically Christ's light in the darkness of the world.