Before you begin decking your halls with boughs of holly, consider adorning your door with an au naturale wreath. For the winter, a bold wreath covered with warm foliage welcomes guests to your home and celebrates the holiday season in style. This year, say bye-bye to that traditional evergreen wreath; let's spruce things up a bit!
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Bridget Stone of Allie-Laine Flowers of Longview wraps ribbon for her natural wreath.
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Vine wreaths, be it grapevine, honeysuckle or jasmine, make a wonderful addition to any home. They're easy to make and so versatile that you can quickly change their look to suit any season. Just ask Bridget Stone, owner of Allie-Laine Flowers in Longview.
"Living in East Texas, we are blessed with all the natural foliage we could ask for," she said. "Because of where we live, we have an abundance of little things we can use for a great wreath — mushrooms, pinecones, sugar gum balls, moss, walnuts, acorns and even willow, just to name a few."
Nature's contribution not only helps us save a pretty penny in our pocketbooks, but it also allows us to spend good quality time with loved ones.
"It's a fun project for families to do together, because as a family you can go out and enjoy time together finding and picking up things that nature is providing for you," Bridget said. "This activity can certainly help families build fun memories and even start a great tradition."
Simple steps
1 In creating a natural-looking wreath, you must turn to nature. Take a walk outside and pick up some of Mother Earth?s botanical goodies. Keep your eyes peeled for items such as acorns, berries, pinecones and even fungi (the kind you see growing on the sides of trees). Also, look for your vine. You can find vines growing along any type of fence. Find a fairly long, stout strand.
2 Once you?re back at home, strip the leaves from the vine. Coil the vine in a big circle as if you were winding up a garden hose. Make the first ring about the size you wish your finished product to be. You don?t need it to be a perfect circle — that?s not natural looking.
3 Loop the vine around until you?re about midway through a second circle and pull the strand through to the inside of the ring to anchor the wreath together. Repeat this process until the wreath is the size and thickness that you want. It is up to you whether you weave the vines tightly or loosely. A loose wreath appears less formal and allows room to weave in more decorations.
4 Bind your wreath with wire so that it stays in place.
5 Attach a wire or string at the back for hanging, then begin decorating your vine wreath as desired. Make it as elaborate as you like, but keep in mind that symmetry and simplicity go a long way.
