Four takes on holiday wreaths

Wreaths can hold many different meanings and hang as symbols for eternity, peace and the holiday season. Mostly, though, they're just really pretty. And quite inexpensive and easy to make yourself. Good Times contacted four people in the community and gave them a blank slate -- or wreath, if you will. A teacher's aide, a florist, a nature center employee and an artist all took on the challenge to create something from nearly nothing, and they have provided tips on how to replicate their designs. Armed with a wreath, a hot glue gun and wire, each person created a completely different holiday decoration. Using a little imagination -- and guidance from our wreath mavens -- you can make your own version of this traditional holiday decoration.

Peace grapevine wreath with flocked ribbon roses

Hope Eddleman, a preschool teacher's assistant at Alma Schrader Elementary School, designed this wreath with the Christmas tradition in mind. This wreath can be a family affair. Eddleman said children around the fourth grade level can make the ribbon roses and bows. However, an adult should handle the hot glue gun to attach them to the wreath.

Materials

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com

• A 24-inch grapevine wreath
• A few sections of artificial greenery
• About a dozen small gold globe ornaments
• Approximately 6 yards of decorated ribbon
• 6 yards of grosgrain or flocked ribbon, cut into 1 yard sections
• Hot glue gun
• Wire
• Floral picks

Instructions

Start by attaching the artificial greenery to the wreath using a hot glue gun. Attach the small ornaments singly and in groups to floral picks. Hot glue them onto the wreath in various places.

Preparing the ribbon roses

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com

Each rose requires one yard of ribbon. Leave a 1 1/2 inch length of ribbon free before you begin folding. Make a 90 degree fold by bringing up the end and folding onto what will be the base of the rose. While holding onto the base, bring up the free hanging ribbon and make another 90 degree fold, leaving a small 1/8 inch gap between the base and new fold. This will later serve as a spot to pull the end of the ribbon through to secure each rose. Continue folding and turning until there is no more ribbon to make another fold. Push the ribbon through the gap and secure ribbon to base with floral wire.

Fasten roses to wreath with hot glue or floral wire.

Preparing the bows

The size of the bow is determined by the size of loops. Large bows take three yards. This wreath has a full bow, half bow and swag in the middle. Approximately five and a half yards were used.

Determine bow diameter.

With your hand in a horizontal position, loop a section of ribbon over fingers a little longer than half the diameter of the bow and hold in place with thumb. With spool unraveling freely, pull a length of ribbon up from the bottom to about midway and secure with thumb. Make four or five loops and scrunch the middle with thumb and forefinger. With a section of flexible wire folded in half, loop over midsection of bow, secure and twist. With wire firmly holding loops, distribute the loops for a full bow.

Natural decor wreath from native Missouri resources

By Mary Jane Fieser naturalist

The country primitive look, chosen by Fieser, was made at an adult's only class at the Nature Center, which she facilitated. Volunteers from the Nature Center collected items from the grounds before to use on the wreaths.

Ingredients

• A 24-inch grapevine wreath
• 3 yards of old fabric torn into a 3-inch wide strip
• holly berries
• magnolia leaves
• magnolia pods
• small pine cones
• dried mushroom pieces
• red glitter pen
• hot glue gun
• wire

Instructions

Remove extra leaves from grapevine wreath. Pull and fluff out the wreath. Tuck red cedar branches into grapevine wreath. Attach magnolia pod to wreath by tucking stems in and hot gluing if desired. Place dried magnolia leaves behind and around magnolia pods to frame the pods and add a different hue. Fasten with hot glue. Add small holly branches and fasten with hot glue.

Fan-shaped fungi were dried for 16 hours in a gas oven set to pilot light. Experiment with placing them right side up and upside down for varied texture and color. Attach with hot glue. Attach small pine cones to base of holly berries. Use a red glitter pen to highlight areas sparingly for a sparkly affect.

See "Preparing the Bows" for construction of large bow. It required three yards of fabric torn into a three inch wide strip. You can use an old dress, shirt or blanket lying around. Raffia is tucked in to add brightness and interest. Attach to top of wreath with wire.

Cascading Hawthorn wreath

By Joyce Kuntze, Arrangements by Joyce florist

Joyce Kuntze designed this wreath for use on an informal front door or inside the house.

Ingredients

• A 24-inch grapevine wreath
• 2 6-foot sections of artificial cedar greenery with miniature pinecones
• regular size pine cones
• Hawthorn berries
• wired tartan ribbon
• small red berries from the cedar garland
• hot glue gun
• wire

Instructions

Use two six-foot sections of artificial cedar greenery with miniature pinecones around the grapevine perimeter. Let grapevine wreath show through for a natural look. Place cascading Hawthorn berries at top and attach with wire and/or hot glue. Instead of a large bow, use a pine cone cluster for a top focal point. Spray two or three of the cones with gold paint to add color. Use wire and/or hot glue to attach. Attach wired tartan ribbon behind and underneath the pinecone cluster and shape over and around the wreath, tying on or hot gluing where needed. Small red berries incorporated all over the wreath were clipped from the cedar garland and distributed.

Metal meets nature wreath

Judy Barks-Westrich said once she came up with the idea for this wreath, the rest was easy. Westrich estimated the wreath has about $25 worth of material on it, but she used items she had, like CDs, copper and brass sheeting, and willow branches she found outside.

You can substitute aluminum cans for the copper and brass sheeting and reuse old CDs, though Westrich used new ones.

Ingredients

• A 24-inch grapevine wreath
• found branches or sticks (she used willow branches because they curl and add dimension)
• CDs
• copper and brass sheeting or cleaned aluminum cans
• single feathers and small bunches with wire bases (found at most craft stores)
• gold rope
• scraps of wide gold ribbon (about 12 inches long)

Instructions

Attach the willow branches to each other and the wreath with wire so that they look like part of the wreath (Westrich said this was the hardest part). Use shears to cut the sheeting or cans into leaf shapes. Cut small holes in the base of each leaf. Attach them to the branches with thin wire. Tie the gold rope onto the wreath, leaving loops to add layers. Tie in a different pattern ribbon to add texture. Take one wide 12-inch ribbon and thread it around a thick branch on the wreath. Thread one end of the ribbon through the middle of a CD and tie in a bow to secure. Repeat with other CDs and ribbons in various places on the wreath. (Choose one CD to tie the long single feathers into the gold ribbon.) Thread the wire end of a feather bunch through the opening in one CD. Weave the rest of the wire through the branches in the grapevine wreath to secure.