| Christmas wreaths are an old Christmas tradition that | | | | end of the foliage and then twist the wire around the |
| is used to decorate the outside of the house, typically | | | | wreath ring with another piece of wire. Repeat this |
| on the front door, to give Christmas time visitors a | | | | procedure an inch or two further down the stem.During |
| festive greeting.To make a Christmas wreath you will | | | | the first round of the wreath the foliage will slide |
| need a wreath ring, florist wire (you can get these | | | | around a little bit but the more you put on the more |
| cheaply from our local florist) and some | | | | stable it will become. Keep your work flat on a |
| vegetation.Take a walk around your local park, your | | | | tabletop to prevent movement.Much of building the |
| garden or in the countryside. Take a bag and some | | | | wreath is to place your foliage to make something |
| scissors with you and collect interesting vegetation to | | | | pleasing to the eye, with interest around the whole of |
| make a Christmas wreath. Under no circumstances | | | | the wreath.However there are some general rules of |
| should you pick plants from other people's gardens | | | | the thumb.Use the inner and outer rings as separate |
| unless you have their permission to do so.Collect | | | | 'rounds' filling both rings makes a full plush wreath.You |
| evergreens, ivy and loral leave are good. Some leaves | | | | will find that you can make rounds appear to have a |
| are a silvery grey; these add a frosty feeling to the | | | | direction. This is when the stems all lay the same way. |
| wreath. Conifers are popular in people's gardens. Do | | | | Wreaths look best if a round follows the same |
| you have a conifer in your garden? Conifers don't | | | | direction. However, the two rings on the wreath ring |
| have overly interesting foliage but they make a great | | | | don't necessarily have to go in the same direction.The |
| base to the wreath.Also look out for holly or other | | | | more you add, the better it looks.Save the 'feature' or |
| shrubs that bear berries. Berries add colour to the | | | | fancier pieces until last so that they sit on the top layer |
| wreath. Look out for dried seedpods such as poppies, | | | | of the wreath where they can be seen.To add pine |
| teasels and pinecones. Seedpods can be spray | | | | cones, wrap some wore around the bottom layer of |
| painted silver or gold and used to add interest to the | | | | the cone seeds, and twist the two wire stems firmly |
| wreath. If you do intend to use spray paint any pieces | | | | together and push the wire into the wreath and twist |
| do this well in advance of the day you intend to make | | | | them together at the back of the wreath. You could |
| the wreath to give the paint enough time to dry. When | | | | also wire on Christmas baubles.When the wreath is |
| using spray paint always closely follow the direction of | | | | finished hang it on your front door for all to see and |
| use printed on the back of the tin.To make the wreath | | | | appreciate.S. Roberts writes for where Santa writes |
| To attach pieces of foliage to the wreath ring you cut | | | | FREE personalised emails and children can write and |
| to piece to length and wrap the wire around the lower | | | | tell Father Christmas their Christmas wish list. |