Decorating Your Holiday Wreath
Buying a Wreath
Most of us are not skilled in the art of making a wreath from branches so it is usually best just to buy a wreath. Depending on the size of your wreath and the materials used, an undecorated holiday wreath can cost you between $15 and $50, and up to $100 for a fully decorated wreath. It’s obvious which wreath is the bargain. Just remember you get what you pay for so stay away from excessively cheap wreaths because they will probably dry out quickly and shed needles.
When buying a wreath, you should know that Fir trees are the best for wreath making. A wreath made from a Douglas fir can cost up to $50 but is well worth it because of the quality. A Fir will not shed its needles and will hold moisture a little bit longer than other pines. The Douglas fir is green with short needles and stiff branches. The Douglas fir is usually the traditional fir used for wreath making. The Concolor fir has longer blue needles and is just as good as the Douglas fir, but offers you a different color if you don’t want green. The fir family of trees are some of the most aromatic pines, and can bring the smell of the season right into your home.
Wreath Care
If you are buying your wreath for the front door you must know a couple of things. First, never sandwich the wreath between the front door and the storm door. The hot air that builds up in the middle of the day will dry out the wreath, and it is likely you will prematurely loose the needles. Also if you are placing your wreath outdoors remember that it becomes prey to the birds. When decorating an outside wreath be careful of using nuts and berries, unless you want to have a bird feeder on your front door.
When placing a wreath indoors it will survive the best if you keep it hydrated. If you buy your wreath early in the season don’t expect it to last all season long. You may have to replace it after a few weeks if it starts to look dry or loose its needles. You can either spritz the wreath with water but this is usually a pain after it is decorated and hung. The water can destroy the decorations and your walls. Applying water is only protects the needles from drying out until the water evaporates, which doesn’t take long indoors.
Other than replacing the wreath the only thing you can do is to spray on a urethane coat before you decorate the wreath. If you have small children or pets this isn’t really recommended, and since it may be flammable it is not safe for fireplace mantles. The sealer will protect the needles and keep them from drying out. You can tell when the needles are dry because they look dull and loose their shine. The urethane coating will thwart the fragrance of the tree. Really, it is the safest just to replace your wreath if it is dried out.
Decorating Your Wreath
After you have picked out a wreath you will want to start decorating it. There are so many wreath decorating ideas that it can seem quite daunting to pick out one. Try to focus on a theme and look you are going for. Traditional color schemes of red, gold, burgundy, and green will compliment any holiday d�©cor. You can use anything you want to decorate your holiday wreath.
Fruit and Nut Themed Wreath– If you are looking for a traditional style to decorate your wreath, try doing a fruit and nut theme. Traditional Christmas art often depicts the celebration of fruits and nuts. During the 1800s Christmas was a celebration of harvest because in those days Thanksgiving was not yet widely celebrated. Fruits like apples and oranges, and nuts like walnuts and pecans became traditional holiday foods. You can easily attach nuts with a hot glue gun.
Attaching fruit is a little more difficult. Use small fruits like tangerines and miniature apples. If you use real fruit it may rot so try using decorative fake fruits. Stick an ornament hook through the back of the fruits. If you are using fake fruit you should just be able to push it in. If you choose to use real fruit you will have to get stronger hooks. To attach the fruit hook the ends of the ornament hooks over branches on the wreath and bend the ends so they can’t slip off. If your fruit is light you can just glue it on with hot glue. When using real fruit it is attached the same way, but you may have to wire the hook into place to make sure it is going to stay attached.
Natural DÃ?©cor Wreath– If you want to bring a little of the outdoors to your Christmas decorations try going for a natural motif. You can use anything you find outdoors. Pine cones sprayed gold or dipped in glitter, leaves, berries, and twigs are also wonderful additions to your Christmas wreath. If you want to incorporate birds into your wreath try using feathers and miniature birds posed on twigs.
Red tipped dogwood is a great addition to any wreath and adds a hint of Christmas red. Red tipped dogwood can be found at almost any florist, or if you want to get your own you can find it in any low lying wet area of the forest. Adding ferns and cedar branches will add a feathery texture to your holiday wreath, as well as compliment the green color of your wreaths branches. Lemon leaf, magnolia leaves, rosehips, and Brazilian pepper berry are also some great natural decorating products that can be found at most florists. You can either glue these plants to your wreath or tuck it in under the branches of the wreath.
Some More Wreath Decorating Tips
âÂ?¢ Because natural berries tend to fall and rot don’t be afraid to use faux berries.
� Use hot glue or wire to attach ornaments and other items.
� Miniature ornaments are great for wreath decorating and can be found at any craft supply store.
� Fresh fruit will add a wonderful aroma to your holiday wreath.
� Use twigs and leaves you find around your home to decorate your wreath.
� Be creative and use your imagination!
