First, I’d like to apologize for the long silence.

I was waiting for a guest blogger to fill in the space.

My husband wanted to do the Sunday Psalm series on benedictions and blessings throughout the scriptures.  So I waited for his input.

He has been so busy that although he kept assuring me he would get it done- well….

So I just kind of went off in another direction and played with lavender this weekend.  And I made wands and a pretty candle wreath of thyme and lavender.

  + =

My kitchen smelled wonderful!

And I now have lavender woven into sweet scented wands.

I made this up in about 15 minutes- tops!

It  costs almost nothing- and you can make more than one and add your own special touches and interests.

Start with a 12 inch piece of 2×4. 

Pound in 5 -3 1/2 inch galvanized nails- one in the center and 2 diagonally on each side. Gather up clippings from evergreen bushes,pinecones, shells, magnolia leaves, and 5 pieces of fruit.

Layer yo ur greens on top of the board- being VERY CAREFUL NOT TO IMPALE YOUR HAND ON THE NAILS!  THERE ARE FIVE NAILS- COUNT THEM FIVE!!!

Then, starting with your largest fruit in the center ( I used a pomegranate, but a small pineapple or large apple would work just as well) add the fruit, impaling it onto the nails.  It will hold your greens in place and is the focal point of your centerpiece.

This also makes a wonderful hostess gift if you are going to a lot of parties!

I added some candles and shells we picked up on the beach today-  and we have a beautiful table for our Christmas Eve feast!

Remember this post where I said making boxwood wreaths is fun and easy?

I wasn’t telling the WHOLE truth.  Making boxwood wreaths is fun but it isn’t always easy.  The wreath I showed then was a makeshift one, put together quickly and placed where no one will touch it until time to throw it out.  And that wreath-although it will dry nicely- cannot be used another year, because it was just loosely wired into place and has no real stamina.

I felt guilty acting all craftsy without telling and showing you how to make a boxwood wreath the more formal and accurate way.

I am using the boxwood we cut in Chincoteague.  I left it outside and it has been cool enough that it hasn’t dried out yet.

You will need a pair of wire/plant shears, thin gauge wire,  a wreath frame, green ribbon and about 2 1/2 hours to complete this wreath.

Don’t quit yet.  Put on some Christmas music, brew yourself a cup of tea and create a little Christmas beauty and cheer.

Cut your boxwood into small pieces with several branches -making a lot of tips.

You will need a LOT of tips, cut to about 6 inches long.

Gather them together, arranging them by size and direction, rather like a bouquet- face the fronts of the leaves to the front so that they match.

Then close your palm around them and hold them tight,

So that you can wire them into a tight little bundle.

You will need many bundles.  Only use enough wire to hold them together and twist it tightly, because you need a long wire left over to go around the wreath form.(about 8-10 inches long)

I used a straw form that I’ve had for too many years to count.  But you could use grapevine or a wire form.  Take off the plastic wrapping and wrap the wreath with ribbon.  It helps to hold the wreath together and  makes it easier  to handle.

Then, start to wire your boxwood bundles onto the wreath-

and wrap the ribbon securely over the wired end, locking it into place.

Add the next bundle next to the first, wire it into place and wrap with ribbon again.

Keep adding more bundles, filling in the space and covering all the bases with ribbon.

You need to cinch the ribbon tightly so that it gives the bundles and the wreath added support.

This goes a lot faster than it sounds.  Most of the time spent making the wreath is put into cutting and making the bundles of boxwood.

Don’t worry about covering the back side- the nice thing about wreaths is that you are not going to see the back when it is on display.

Now, add a big bow and hang it up in a prominent place.

Because YOU made it!

FYI- no animals or insects were hurt in the making of this tutorial.  I found a cocoon on one of the stems and took it outside and gently put it into the protection of an arborvitae tree.

This wreath will dry perfectly and if packed carefully can be used for several years to come.

Making a boxwood wreath from the clippings from the hedge in Chincoteague was our recreation while at Meredith’s house.  We started with a grapevine wreath for the base and then jammed as many long pieces of boxwood into the frame that would fit.

Then we made smaller bunches of the tips and magnolia leaves and pods, hydrangea flowers and rosemary bunches and rosehips growing around the beds at the house, and using a paddle of wire wrapped them tightly around the wreath base ,”taming” some of the wilder branches of boxwood we had jammed in previously.

We layered the bunches and the decorative pieces around the wreath to make it look well covered and uniformly designed.

Then added a bow and it was ready to hang.

And we used it to decorate the mantle of the fireplace in the dining room.

Making a boxwood wreath is REALLY easy!  All you need is a base wreath, a paddle of medium green florist’s wire, Lots of boxwood, and some design items to add.  Look around your yard and see what kind of materials you can make into a beautiful wreath.  It really is a lot of fun.