Holiday Wreathes Made from Lawn and Garden Trimmings

Fall is the best time for trimming back those hedges, shrubbery and bushes. If your garden consists of evergreens, burning bushes, fancy grasses or holly bushes the clippings can be crafted into beautiful holiday wreathes. Our property has a line of privacy evergreen trees. Every fall we collect the pine combs and trim the small limbs. We do the same with the holly and burning bush. Last year I decided to hang decorative wreathes outside along the porch, in the windows and on our large front door. My husband was about to compost the shrubbery trimmings when I decided to try my hand at homemade wreathing. The minimal supplies needed were available at our local craft store and the gardening section of our local lawn and gardening outlet.

Crafting wire: Crafting wire is the best way to secure your branches and comes in all types of colors. For the green wreathes I use the green flower arrangement wire. It blends in with the evergreen branches.

Hot glue gun: The glue gun is the Holy Grail to crafters. Easy to use they adhere large and small decorative items quickly.

Twist-ties or Pipe Cleaners: Recycle those green or red package twist-ties they work great to secure large decorative pieces to wreathe. They also make great loops to hang your holiday wreathes. Pipe cleaners work just as well. They are relatively cheap at craft stores and come in colorful bundles of 50-100.

Greenery/Vegetation: Look for small pine and holly branches 12-inches to 15-inches long. Mixing the shrubbery works well. The shrub called Burning Bush turns brilliant red in the fall and produces small red berries. The plumbs from fancy grasses may also be used.

Nature supplied decorations: Use pine combs, grape vine, holly berries, leaves, dried corn cobs, goldenrod, horse chestnuts, cinnamon sticks and lavender as decorative items. Dried fruits such as small oranges, cranberries and lemons make the wreath more fragrant.

Designing your Wreath: Sort through all of the branches and decide what size you want to make your holiday wreath. Most are 15-inches in width. Place the small pine branch length-wise and attach the end. Continue to attach a length of branch until you have the width you desire. Connect the last piece to the start piece and you will end up with a wreath. Add more branches if you desire fuller wreathes. Most gardening outlets and craft stores sell wreath patterns if you prefer to use a guide. Add pine combs, hot glue holly leaves and berries, colorful leaves, etc.

We own horses and adding old horse shoes, tack and mini cowbells personalize our homemade holiday wreathes.

Wild flowers, dried grape vine and any blossoming flowers can be arranged into eye-catching spring and summer wreathes

Source(s)
My Personal Gardening Journal
Michaels Craft Store