Sunday, September 12, 2010

How to make a wreath.



I never got around to start a fire in my stove yesterday. The cooler rainy weather never reached us and the night was actually warmer than most summer nights. But it´s much the same today as yesterday morning. Cloudy and foggy but rather warm.






We all know that there´s lots of viruses going around here in the Internet and most of us have one, hopefully good anti virusprogram in our computers. But I would like to say that You should never trust only one anti virus program. You should have At least two! I have one of the best anti virus programs there is out there through my internet company, but I also have a program called "Spy bot". It´s a free ware and can be downloaded from several places out on the net.





The first time i downloaded this program it found over 35 Trojan horses and several other viruses too (and I had one of the most used programs back then). Trojan horses can be used to reach Your bank accounts if You use an Internet bank like I do. This morning however I realized that I had forgotten to download this program in my new computer so that´s what I've been doing just now and then it searched through my computer. I´m happy to say that it didn´t find anything this time.





Now You might think that "I never visit places where there´s a risk of getting any viruses" and neither am I. But now days it´s enough to look at photos in our blogs or perhaps looking at photos of our favorite celebrities. Those photos can be infected with viruses too, but since You now know that I check my computer with two different anti virus programs and only show photos that I´ve taken myself my photos are safe to look at. But never take anything for granted, so get a second anti virus program now!


Prairie coneflower, Ratibida pinnata.

This is the biggest pumpkin I got and I don´t think it will have a chance to become any bigger. The frost has taken all leafs and even if the frost stays away this will ever become a big pumpkin.



I made a new wreath yesterday and took photos to show how I do it. If something is unclear with how I explain things just ask me so I can try to explain again :-) Now it´s time for a cup of tea and some breakfast I think.
Have a great day now!


This is the material I use to make a wreath. A frame of straw with plastic around, otherwise it would son start to mold in our climate), wire reels and straight pieces of wire of different thickness (You can use string too but it´s way much harder). But You can make Your on frame by twining branches together. Make it in the shape You like, why not like a horse shoe?
I went out and cut fern leafs to have on the wreath. But anything goes to be honest. If You want the wreath to stay green, choose something ever green. This one will soon trun brown. Oakleafs is another great thing to have on wreaths. I especially like the oak leafs that comes from the Northern read oak (quercus rubra). Unfortunaly for me they don´t grow here.
Cut what ever You have in the same size pieces. The longer the pieces are, the "fluffier" the wreath gets. These parts doesn´t look like good pieces to make a wreath, but You cover these with the top part of the fern leafs. 
Start by pushing in the end of the wire on the side You will have the leafs.  Spinn the wire one or two turns around the frame so it locks it self to the frame.
 
As You can see here the top of the fern leaf covers the parts I showed You earlier. I hold them towards the frame and spins the wire around the leafs and the frame one time. Pull hard so the wire keeps the leafs in place. The leafs are much tougher than You might think and won´t break. Now You´ll just do the same thing again with a new bunch of leafs. The next layer must cover the others so You don´t see the end bits. It´s a good thing if You cut all leafs before You start and You will need a lot more leafs than You might imagine. It´s also much easier doing this standing up, to sit and do this has never worked especially good for me.
 
 
Half way through now. Every now and agan I spin the wire two times around the frame to lock the leafs so they sit there even if You should dropp the wreath on the floor.
 
Now it´s time to end the binding. Just lift the top of the first bunch that You put there and place the last bunch of leafs benieth that. Spin the wire twice and push it benieth itself like You can see in the photo. Pull really hard so it locks itself and cut the wire.
 
I didn´t do it properly this time since I want to show You how to fill an empty spot. You can still see the plastic in this photo.
 
Now it´s time to use the straight pieces of wire. Just take some leafs and spin the wire hard around them. They can take it without problems.
 
I missed to take a photo of the next step. Anyway, Push the vire through the frame, this can be really hard when You are not used to do it. The thicker the wire is the easier it is to push through the frame. But the thicker the wire is the harder it is to spin around the leafs. To fill the empty spot You will have to stat benieth the leafs already there so they will cover the place the new leafs are cut. When the wire is through the frame pull real hard and lock the wire in the frame by pushing the end of the wire in to the frame.
 
No one will ever know that You´ve missed a spot or two :-)
 
Finished. A wreath is always a bit uneven so try to find a top and a bottom of it. The thinnest place should be placed as a top when it hangs on a door.
 
You really don´t need any decorations on the wreath, but I choosed rose hips this time too. Here You can see how I pushed the straight wire throuh them. I lock the end of the wire at itself so the rose hips are pulled together. When that is done You just do as when You would fill an empty spot.
 
You´ll need a hook in the wreath so You can haf it where ever You want to hang it. Use a thicker piece of wire and bend it like I show here.
 
Push it in to the wreath at the place You want as the top of it. This might have to be adjusted several times until You feel that it is in the right place :-) :-)
 
If You think this is to "fluffy" ferns are the easist leafs to cut with scissors. I tried to have some acorns in it too, but they sort of dissapered besides the rose hips :-)
 

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I see a lonely little cottage in the one picture Christer, maybe a very early morning shot. I like the wreath lesson. Will have to try this one with palms as that is pretty much what we have here in Florida. My wife thinks we can find wild berries which we cannot eat and fall to the ground and make mush because of the heat. They are hard on the vine so might work. We can spray them to hold their skin and color. Also a few oranges, we have plenty of them coming in and lemons. But not the grapefruit, too big! We will try it and post a picture of it on the Cat. Thanks!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Z&M!
That´s my little cottage :-)

Palm leafs would do great, but I wonder about the lemons and oranges. They do sound a bit big. Qumquats is better if You have that or small limes.

That spray thing sounds great! Rose hips keeps their color thankfully, but soon birds will eat them :-)


Looking forward to that photo them!
Have a great day now!
Christer.

decareis said...

Hello Christer
I loved the class, I have here at home throughout the material, but I'll see what I can do.
Gave me nostalgia, here hardly see ferns, while in Brazil and held at home via several species.
I make many discoveries here, after all I am an animal urbamo, despite having home in childhood summer in and do things that most kids will not know the city. Still, what is unknown colossal.
As for example: rose hips, I have used the cream because of a scar, but never seen. Just as acorns, I had the opportunity when I met Peneda Geres national park here in PT. Fabulous place.
Therefore I love your blog!
Good Sunday!

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Andrea!
You can find these things in a hobbu store or a hardware store and it´s easy to make the frame Yourself.

I love ferns and this winter I´ll order some fern spores from the nortern America. I hope I´ll be successful growing them.

You can make the most delicious soup of rose hips too. Can be eaten cold or hot, but I love hot rose hip soup in winter :-)

I´m glad that You get to know all these things here then :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

ana_didi said...

Good morning Christer,
The post today is all colored!
Fall colors I think so so beautiful.
Very nice you show how to make a wreath. Someday I will try ... here just got leaves of coconut and leaves tree "sun hat". All too big for that!
kisses
Didi

jaz@octoberfarm said...

hi christer....thanks for the wreath tutorial! i am going to try to make one this way. i love the way it looks on your door. i will get the blog tech to check on my computer anti viral system today! joyce

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Didi!
Yes, the early frost made the leafs turn color and early too. Last year the frost came late and mny leafs fell before changing colors. It is beautiful, but it means that there will soon be no leafs left.

Well You could make a hughe wreath with those leafs :-) :-) :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Joyce!
Just remember to always pull the wire real hard! Otherwise it will become to loose and all leafs will fall like leafs in fall :-) :-) :-)

I think it is really important to have a good protection against those computer viruses! Especially if one uses an Internet bank. they can collect all bank account numbers if You are unlucky!
Have a great day now!
Christer.

caryn said...

Hi Christer,
Excellent lesson on wreath-making. Usually I just grab some grape vines, make a coil and stick things into the coil. Casual, spontaneous but not very secure. :-)
My weather is much like yours today. Cool, cloudy and a little damp but no rain yet. Some leaves are starting to show a little color but on my morning walk today I saw a magnolia in bloom. I think it is a little confused.
Have a great day.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Caryn!
Thank You :-)

I just couldn´t remember the word coil this morning :-) :-)

More and more trees are going yellow here now and some trees have lost most of their leafs. I think it is the early frost that started it so early.

Magnolia in bloom now! Yes, it´s definatly confused :-) :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

Kat said...

Thanks, Christer

I make evergreen wreaths and use a wire coat hanger twisted into a ring, and I get a hook for hanging as a bonus. I use string to hold the evergreen to the hanger and layer it much the same as you do. I use straight green picks to hold the decorations which then get pushed into the wreath. I find any neat dried stuff I can and add them.

I love making wreaths, and you've given me a new way to make one.

Anonymous said...

Oh Christer I like that wreath with the ferns ! I've never thought to use ferns !
I picked some grapevive for my wreath while at the cottage . we had to use the woodtsove too ! Can you belive autumn has begun ! ?
it went down to 4c the other night !
I love it though , woodsmoke & wool blankets ☺
my Mum gave me two old moose hides and one little deer skin .I use them as trows on the couch & chair just as my gramma used to do ☺
I'm saving the one good moose skin for to make moccassins this winter ☺
Thanks for posting the pics it reminds me of home always ☺
lov rox

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Kat!
Those hangers can be used to many things :-) But they are a bit to thin for me because I have short and fat fingers :-)

I like the use of green picks to hold the decorations. If one uses wire in the way I do it´s so easy to destroy the decorations if they are fresh like the rose hips. Must think of that next time.

Have a great day now!
Christer.

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Rox!
Ferns are perfect when doing a wreath. But if one makes it less fluffy there´s a risk that it looks like a funeral wreath :-) I can imagine grape vines works perfect.

You are way behind us here when it comes to autumn :-) We´ve already had frost here several nights :-) But one of the few things I liuke about autumn is wood smoke and wool blankets :-)

It´s strange really but they shoot around 100 000 mooses here every year, but it´s almost impossible to find moose hides. If one does it´s so expensive that You don´t buy it :-) It would have been great to have one on the bed during winter :-)

I used to have moccassins when I was younger, but I don´t think I´ve seen any for years now. It´s a shame really because I really liked them.

I´m glad You like my little blog :-) It+s a good thing You commented here today, because I still haven´t found all blogs I used to visit before my computer broke down.
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Too fluffy? Heavens no~! It's perfect and the rose hips just top it off to perfection. :) It's beautiful, Christer, and your directions perfectly clear. At least to me they were.

Yep..that is a tiny pumpkin you have growing there...but at least it is growing and in YOUR yard. I have none, Christer. None!!

It's a beautiful Sunday morning here but will get hotter I'll bet!
Enjoy your tea and I will enjoy my first cup of coffee..leaded of course! (bzzzzzzz) :)
Mona

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Mona!
I like the wreaths fluffy and a problem with a too tight bound wreath with ferns is that it looks like a funeral wreath :-) :-)

I hope every one understands my directions. Sometimes something can look good in the head but becomes a mess when writing it down :-) :-)

I hope the coffee helped :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.

Sharlene T. said...

Love the wreath instructions, Christer... My ferns aren't that big, but I know where my neighbor planted hers!... so far as the virus is concerned, you're a day late... I got hit hard, last night, and had to replace my computer... the repair was almost the same as the cost of the netbook, so I went back to a real laptop and had our Geek Squad set it up... will definitely get a second virus program... thanks for the heads up...

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Sharlene!
I´m glad that You like it :-) Good thing Your neighbor has bigger ferns then :-)

Sorry to hear about the virus!I can´t understand why someone has to create things like that?! There are several good free wares to get, but I prefere Spy Bot.

Have a great day now!
Christer.

Chris in the Emerald City said...

You make beautiful wreaths, and thanks for the tutorial. I will be attempting to make one soon! Love the horseshoe on your door.

Peace,
Chris.......

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Chris!
Thank You :-)

It is really easy to make these wreaths but the first wreaths You make might fall appart. The two first I made fell appart as soon as they hang on the wall in my gardencentre :-) :-)

There must be a horse shoe above the door, for good luck :-)

Have a great day now!
Christer.

Illustrated Ink said...

Hello Christer! This is my first visit to your blog, I found you through "The Natural Catholic" blog by Rox. :) Thank you so much for sharing the wreath "how-to", it's absolutely lovely! I'm going to try to make one now, I'm inspired. ;)
Best wishes, Leila

The cottage by the Cranelake said...

Hi Leila and welcome to my blog :-)

It is rather easy to make a wreath, but just remember to pull the wire hard on every spin! If You don´t have wire and wants to use string instead just tie it after every spin round the wreath.

Have a great day and welcome back!
Christer.