FROM FAUX TO REAL!!

This is the time of the year that I LOVE wreath making! 

SOOOOOO I thought that I would share with you how I make my wreaths.  They are easy and fast!

Just a little background on this project!  In 1991 we were renting an old farmhouse!  I LOVED IT, however it had soooo many windows!  I loved that too, but since I always made our wreaths with fresh greens from the yard and leftovers from the tree I KNEW I would never be able to do that in this house!  We had this great outlet store nearby so I decided it was time to go "Faux"!  Much to my surprise this store had wreaths for $1.00 each!!!!  They weren't the most pretty but they were going to be so high up on this wonderful house that I decided to go for it:)  They looked pretty good after being fluffed out, but I still made a real one for the front door:)  A couple years later we are in Newport RI!  Now this place was a dream come true!!! There were wonderful weeds, rose hips, BITTERSWEET! AND ohhhhh the FLAT CEDAR!!!! be still my heart!  We lived on a part of the Navy base that was actually a park so I sort of thought we might not be able to cut it.  I went to the grounds keeper and asked if we could cut anything and he thought we were crazy!!! He showed us the things that needed cutting! YEP BITTERSWEET!!!  We happily helped him out:)  By the way, the WE in this was my sweet talented friend Barb.  You find her over at "TheEverydayHome Blog.com.  Soooo, he did say that it was against the law to cut the flat cedar, but went on to say that we could have what ever we found on the ground! Everyday I took a walk through the beautiful park and picked up whatever cedar I could find!  There was actually a good bit!  Still not enough for a big full wreath, but I could add in lots of extra things and put the cedar on the top.  I just had 4 windows so I was thinking that I needed 4 rings or straw wreaths.  I went to measure the faux wreaths and then I thought hmmm why not wire the cedar to the faux wreath and create a base with the faux wreath and the good stuff on top:) It worked!! And it was so fast!!!  AND it doesn't take half as many greens for the wreath to look nice and full!

 So here is how to do it:)

First find the cheapest faux wreath possible, they have the most wiry stuff!

This year we pulled loads of ivy from our yard so I decided to try using that!  It worked pretty good, but I think would be better for the spring!! I hope I remember that IN the spring:)  The point is that you can use anything you can find! Cover most of the base with your choice by getting together little bundles and wire them into the wreath using the wires of the wreath.  Leave a few spaces to fill in with the good stuff:)

When it is covered the way you want, begin to add the rest. Until you are happy with it!

I had some boxwood, cedar and nandina berries.  I sprayed the berries with Mop and Glo!  So far they have held up.  Usually they fall off every time the door is opened:)  I learned about the Mop and Glo while decorating at James Madison's home Montpelier.  The garden club there had loads of greens from the property and sprayed them all with Mop and Glo!!!!  They said it HAD to be Mop and Glo, it seemed to be the only one that worked! Sooooo I have used it off and on ever since!  I used it on this wreath because of the delicate ivy leaves and berries.

Put the undiluted wax into a spray bottle.  You can spray before you put the wreath together, but be sure to let the greens dry thoroughly.  I didn't want to wait for drying period, so I finished the wreath then sprayed.  

Here they are drying.  You will see a white milky coating on your greens at first but it will dry clear. It also gives a little gloss to the greens.

Soooooo  Out with the old:

And in with the new:)

It turned out pretty good, I will still add some fruit and maybe some of the frasher fir left from the tree!

It was a beautiful warm day to just get to sit outside and make a wreath!! YAAAY!

Now, get out there and look for some weeds and stuff for your wreath:) 

Have fun!!