Natural Christmas Wreaths and Other Crafts

We have always been close to nature and when the holidays come around, my decorations consist of collages of objects gathered from the forests and fields. One of my favorite creations is a Christmas wreath made from cones, seed pods, nuts, berries and other gathered plant materials. We start with a flexible, green grape vine, which is easy to find since they grow wild all over Louisiana.
Here's how we make the grapevine wreath:
1. Cut 3-4 strands of green grapevine, about 15-20 feet long.
2. Hold them together so the cut ends are even and the vines are laying in a straight, untangled line.
3. Start winding your wreath from the cut ends, shaping it into the desired size.
4. When you get about 5-6 feet from the end, start winding the vines in and out through the center and around the outside of the wreath to secure the vines and hold the shape.
5. To finish, weave the ends into the wreath to secure them.
6. Now you are ready to begin decorating the wreath.

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There are so many natural plant materials that make lovely wreaths. Since we live in Pine country, we collect pine cones of different sizes. This forms the foundation of the wreath.

Other interesting seed pods and berries include: Holly (including Yaupon), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Magnolia (cones and leaves), Florida Anise seed pods, Sweet Gum balls, Hickory nuts, Chinese Tallow tree seed clusters, Cotton bolls (with or without the cotton) and Yellow-eyed Grass seed pods. Look around the woods and your yard for interesting shapes and textures. Magnolia leaves are very tough and will last for a few years. They can even be spray painted with gold, silver or clear finish. Other evergreens like cedar and short-leaf pines also add color and beauty.

We use florist's wire and hot glue to secure the plant materials. Some of the thicker stems can be forced between the vines, but some of the larger pine cones my need to be wired on. You may also want to add artificial berries to make the wreath more long lasting. Finish it off with a big festive bow. You can make your own, but the Dollar Store usually has pretty ones for a couple of dollars.

When this picture was taken, this wreath was over 2 years old. We had a death in the family right after Christmas so the wreath was left up through February and a pair of Carolina Wrens took up residence and turned this ordinary wreath into something special. Next Christmas, all we have to do is add some new Magnolia leaves and some berries (natural and artificial) and some artificial bird's eggs in the nest and we'll have a unique and beautiful natural wreath.

A natural Christmas wreath can be used for the door or as an advent wreath or table centerpiece.

To See More Designs Visit Naturally Native Creations at Zazzle.com.

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KRW Holiday Wreath Sculpted Ornament by KRWDesigns

Happy Holidays Christmas Postage Stamp by TDSwhite

Cardinal in Holly Christmas Card and Postage Designs by Naturally Native

For years, we have been sharing both native plant and easy to grow introduced plant seeds with our friends and family. We discovered that the 2 1/4" X 3 1/2" paper coin envelopes are perfect for giving seeds. We print out a label containing the planting information and description and stick that to the front of the envelope. Then we put a package of the seeds into each of our Christmas cards (more for the gardeners on our list). Most people really enjoy and will plant the little extra gift and it's our way of spreading natives and hummingbird and butterfly plants around.