Make your own Christmas Wreath
Why not have a go at making your own Christmas Wreath this year? If you are struggling to get outdoors to enjoy some fresh air and make the most of the remaining sunny, blue skies, this could give you the perfect excuse!
Your first step is to make a wreath ring. Making a ring is easy, just twist a piece of fresh-cut willow into a loop, then begin to wrap the excess around itself until you run out of willow. Here’s a video with more in-depth step by step instructions.
If you don’t have access to any willow, we will have some lengths available at the Big Local Bungalow for you to collect on Fridays between 2pm and 4pm.
You can also weave lengths of ivy or climbing vines such as clematis, lash sticks or twigs together with string (your wreath does not have to be circular!), use thick wire, cut out a template from stiff cardboard or use scrunched newspaper, reinforced with tape…you can adapt pretty much anything you have to hand to make your base. You can also buy metal wreath rings in various sizes and shapes online and in craft shops.
Next it’s time to take a walk! Go out for a stroll on a nice day and collect a mixture of evergreen foliage from parks, hedgerows, local woods and even neighbours gardens (ask first of course!). Only collect what you need and have a look at the ‘What to collect’ information sheet for ideas on the types of foliage that work best.
Once you have your ring and foliage, gather together a few other resources and tools such as scissors, string, wire, ribbon, and sparkly thinks. You are ready to get creative and make!
Layer your foliage against the ring so it’s all pointing in one direction and attached it with a bit of wire or string, then work your way around adding until you’re happy with how it looks. You can dress it up with some ribbon, a bow, some tinsel, or even some lights!
Here’s a few links to help you get creative:
Willow wreath from natural found materials – whole process
Easy Christmas wreath – how to decorate
How to make willow ring and starting to decorate
If you’d like some more pointers or just some company while making your wreath, the Big Local Gateshead craft club will be having a go when they meet online on Wednesday December 9th at 1pm. The group is open to all and free of charge so just send us an email at hello@blgateshead.org.uk or contact us on Facebook if you’d like to join in. They are a friendly bunch!
