Herbal Wreaths for the Holidays
By Karen Hegre
Soup Wreaths are a charming small craft to practice. Gather a basket
of
edible herbal snippets....the last of the chives, a huge bunch of
parsley,
some burnet...lovage, sprigs of rosemary and sage, lots of thyme in
great
variety and the long strands of lemon balm, tarragon and mint.
Using an inverted tea cup as a guide for the charming little wreaths,
weave
bits of the aromatic greenery in and out, around and around, until a
satisfactory small culinary wreath is achieved. Bound loosely with a
length
of transparent thread, the tiny seasoning circlets soon pile up.
What adorable decorations for a kitchen tree. They will season holiday
soups or be given to visiting friends or tied on packages or tucked into
letters or used as quick garnishes or...
who knows what these culinary delights could be used for!
Woodland Wreath
Colorful pepper berries complement the subtle, natural hues of a wreath
that
can be enjoyed in any season!!!
This wreath is displayed from Thanksgiving through January at our home.
Materials:
16 inch diameter grapevine base
Four inch length of dark green 1/4 inch wide polyester ribbon
Sprigs of preserved juniper
Two to three bunches of dried white statice
Three to four large bunches of pepper berries
Fifty to sixty dried cranberries
Assorted dried seed pods such as miniature bell cups, miniature lotus
pods,
poppy pods
Glue Gun and sticks
Directions:
Make a loop with the polyester ribbon and tie to the base for a hanger
Glue four clusters of juniper sprigs, statice, pepper berries and
cranberries to the base.
Layer the items in the following order:
Juniper sprigs, statice, pepper berries, cranberries.
Glue the remaining pepper berries along areas of the base between the
clusters.
Experiment with groupings of the seed pods in each cluster. Glue pods
to
base.
Holly and Ivy Wreath
Materials:
24 stems of fresh variegated ivy, each eight to ten inches long.
Eight cups of damp sphagnum moss or green sheet moss
36 stems of fresh holly, each 8 inches long
Bucket of water
14 inch diameter flat wire wreath frame
Floral spool wire
Three and a half yards of red twisted paper ribbon
Six floral pins
Scented Oil (spice is nice)
Clippers
Scissors
Wire cutters
Before working with the fresh ivy, submerge it in a bucket of water
overnight.
Dampen the moss and place it around the wreath frame. Wrap with spool
wire.
Divide the holly into 12 clusters of 3 stems each. Lay a cluster on the
frame with tips angling outward, and wrap with wire to secure. Wrap the
remaining clusters until the frame is covered.
Remove the ivy from the water. Tuck the bottom of the ivy stems into
the
moss all the way around the wreath. They will continue to remain fresh
as
they absorb moisture from the moss. (you can spritz the moss with water
to
keep the wreath longer)
Take one and a half yards of the twisted paper ribbon and wind it
loosely
around the wreath. (do not untwist the ribbon) Pin the ribbon to the
moss
with floral pins.
Untwist the remaining two yards of ribbon and make a bow. Attach the
bow to
the wreath with spool wire.
Before hanging the wreath, sprinkle drops of scented oil directly onto
the
wreath in 'out-of-the-way- spots!
About the Author:
Karen is an avid gardener and crafter, plus she owns The Herb Cottage. In her business she sells herbal teas, dried culinary herbs
and other herbal treasures. She and her husband have a Backyard Wildlife Habitat,
plus 'Fairy Gardens' where the children can learn about different herbs and hear Karen
read a story about the Garden Fairies and Flowers. For more information about Karen
and her herb discussion lists, WindowsillGarden, visit http://www.egroups.com/group/windowsillgarden.
or NatureCrafts at http://www.egroups.com/group/NatureCrafts.
