Adventures in Wreath Making...

I should probably start this post at the beginning of the week...On Tuesday, we woke up to 65 mph winds and rain that took down trees all over the Western Washington area.  Around 9 am, as predicted, our power and internet went down.  So, Ty and I hopped in the car headed for our favorite coffee shop to work.  At the end of the dirt road, just past our mail boxes we saw it - a downed pine tree that landed clear across our one lane road balanced on the power lines.  Just to be clear here, this is literally the ONLY way off the ridge that we live on.  So until a utility truck could come up and move it, we were trapped.

Being the true mountain man that he is, my lumberjack of a husband didn't hesitate for a moment. We turned around, headed for home where he promptly loaded the 1984 Ford Van with a chainsaw, and headed back for that tree. He fired up the saw, and expertly detached the limbs of the pine, careful not to upset the power lines that it was precariously balanced on.

How could I not record this?

As I stood there in the rain, watching him toss boughs of sweet-smelling pine to the side of the road, it struck me, I should make holiday wreaths! So, Wednesday afternoon, when the power was finally restored, Mae and I took a walk down the road, gathered a giant pile of downed branches and began to plan!

Yesterday, I finally had time to gather the materials I needed at Michael's (floral wire, feather accents, mini LED lights, and wreath frames), and set up shop in my father-in-law's workshop.  

Never having done them before, the first one took a while to master, but once I got the hang of it, I was rolling through them with ease. The steps are simple: snip branches, arrange them to your liking, place on the frame, and wire them down.  I used a continuous wrap around method initially to get the branches in place, and individual wires to get the precise look I wanted at the end.

I loved the feathers I found, though a bit expensive.  I also used a laser-cut "Seasons Greetings" ornament I had laying around, and pine cones. and a monogrammed frame.  Other ideas that would look great: bows, the classic wreath adornment, pretty colored ball ornaments, acorns, citrus fruits, small apples, a cranberry garland, succulents, seashells, a mix of different greens, moss (which we have oodles of around here) dried flowers....anything is possible when you use your imagination!

Happy Decorating!

xoxo,

Bee