Wind yourself a wreath
26.11.2018
Translation: machine translated
2 December is the first day of Advent. The unofficial start of the Christmas season naturally includes an Advent wreath, whether home-made or bought. Or at least a little Christmas decoration if wreaths aren't your thing.
Some people could drink mulled wine all year round, others would love to scald your face with it. The pre-Christmas period polarises. I like it. Mainly because I like lights. Fairy lights and candles make everything better. That's why I make myself an Advent wreath every year. It's decorative, smells delicious and bathes my living room in a soft glow. I'll show you two variations. The first is a pre-tied wreath decorated by Product Sourcer Karina, a trained florist. The second is a self-tied wreath, which is characterised by purism.
I'm all set
For the first variant, we had a ready-made wreath delivered to us. It still needs to be decorated, but the real branches are already neatly tied around the ring. Karina and I decided to keep the decorations in red and gold. A classic Christmas look. We organised four candles, stars, snowflakes, orange slices, self-collected rosehip branches, angel hair, small Christmas baubles and gold decorative wire. We also need hot glue to make everything last on the wreath.
First, the candles need to be placed. We use special Advent wreath candle holders for this. This way, you can be sure that no hot wax drips onto the wreath. First place the candle in the centre of the holder. Place it in the desired position so that it holds well. Once all the candles are evenly distributed, you can start decorating.
For some naturalness and a demonstrated closeness to nature, the rosehip is used first. Karina drapes it around the wreath and ties it with golden thread. This is decorative and holds. Any protruding branches can be cut off with secateurs. Next come the red baubles. Glue them in the desired place with hot glue. If possible, drape them at least in a double pack. Otherwise, the baubles will look random and lost.
Now comes the smaller decoration, which can be distributed individually. We cut the orange slices in half and spread them over the wreath. These are also glued on again with a little hot glue and pressed down firmly. Fits. Next come the golden curls of an angel, probably our most glamorous element. Cut a curl from the ball of hair and place it on the wreath. The hair will catch itself in the fir branches. Finally, we stick on small golden stars and Advent decoration number 1 is complete.
Be heavy on the wire
Variant two takes a little longer because you tie the wreath yourself. This doesn't bother me because I find the work soothing and I like to smell the fir branches.
To wind the wreath, you need a wreath blank (mine is made of straw), fir branches and green wire, which is less noticeable. My branches come from Nordmann fir, as they are nice and bushy and don't needle until late. I first have to cut 10 - 15 centimetre long branches from larger bundles. I make sure I get a good mix of single and multi-layered branches so that I end up with an even wreath. Now wrap the wire around the straw wreath a few times for a solid start.
Wire
Quantity discount
CHF2.80 per piece for 4 units CHF0.08/1m
Creativ Company Steel wire Flower wire
50 m
Now I place the first bundle of twigs around the wreath and tie it at the bottom with wire. Place the second bundle on top and wrap it with wire again. I follow this pattern to the end. The last bundle should be tied under the first branches. As the wire presses the twigs flat, I push individual twigs under the first bundle. This makes the wreath a little bushier at this point. My own wreath looks a little wilder and more sprawling than the pre-made wreath, but that's okay. I still shorten a few protruding branches.
I also use candles. However, I don't use a holder, but insert them into the wreath with a sturdy piece of wire. To do this, cut a piece about ten centimetres long and heat one end on a candle. Insert this into the candle using pliers. The other end goes into the wreath. I usually place the first candle on the start/end piece, as this is not the visual highlight of the wreath. The candles sit directly on the branches, which is not a problem as long as you don't let them burn all the way down. Otherwise, your parlour will be warmer than you imagined.
Now it's time to decorate. This step is much quicker for me than the first wreath as I hardly use any elements. A few pine cones, small baubles and thinly sown angel hair, that's it. I don't use hot glue to attach the decorations, but some kind of wire clips. You can reuse these without any problems.
A crystal clear thing
If you don't like wreaths but still want to bring a bit of Christmas into your home, you can make a decoration in a glass. You will need a vase-like glass, a Christmas rose (Helleborus) or a plant of your choice, some moss, rosehip branches and your favourite decoration.
Fill some moss into the bottom of the jar. Then take the Christmas rose out of the plastic pot and wrap it in moss. Now place the plant in the jar and press it down a little. You can now start decorating. Anything you like is allowed. We put in a few red dogwood twigs and stick snowflakes on them. From both sides of the branch so that the Christmas decorations look good from every corner of the room. That's enough for us, but you can of course glue, stick in and wrap more. We only needed just under 20 minutes for our low flame version.
I am satisfied. I now have a wreath for my home and one for the office that bathes my immediate surroundings in soft light. All that's missing now are home-baked biscuits, dear colleagues. Then Christmas can come!
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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