Leftover boughs?

Make your own wreath and more

By Roberta McQuaid
Turley Publications Columnist

N ow that we have children, my husband and I are getting into the holiday spirit earlier and earlier with each passing year. Last Saturday he spent most of the day decorating the exterior of the house. This coming weekend we will turn our attention to the interior, and “finding the perfect tree” is at the top of our “to do” list. I have a funny feeling that we won’t be the only folks at the tree farm. We go to a great place just minutes from our home, and no matter what size the tree is, it sells for the same price. Since time is tight and money is too, I’m thinking that I’ll get a tree a bit larger than what we need and use the extra lower branches to make swags, wreaths and even cemetery boxes. You can make your own decorations too, read on for simple instructions.
My Dad was the wreath-maker in the family. His approach is the same one I’ll recommend today. Start with a wire coat hanger bent into a circle and attach some pliable wire to it. Then, wrap little bunches of greens to the base one after another. Be careful to lay them alongside, not on top of each other. You can make a wreath of just your extra boughs, but mixing in other types of greens will make it more interesting. I like to use prunings from my home landscape: mountain laurel, boxwood, juniper, and white pine among others will look great together because they vary in color and texture. You can dress up a green wreath with pinecones, winterberries and artificial fruit, not to mention a big bow. Most types of Christmas tree boughs are conducive to wreath making, but wear thick gloves if you are using Colorado blue spruce as your base — it sure is picky!
When my Dad gave up making his famous wreaths, Mom took a simpler yet more elaborate approach to decorating our house. She still makes a swag for each window! First determine how many you want to make, then set up an assembly-line of sorts. Choose a sturdy green for the base of the swag — extra Christmas tree boughs would be perfect for this. I cut however many I need to the same size, and I lay them out pretty side up. Next, I choose another type of green a bit smaller and put it on top. I repeat the process six or seven times until I have a nice upside-down “fan.” Here too, varying texture is nice, although Mom’s feathery white pine and pinecone swags are pretty by themselves. To complete your swag, wrap wire around the stems four or five inches down from the top, leaving a loop on the back for a hanger. You can cover the wire with a bow.
Homemade cemetery boxes are also easy to make. We always had a supply of “log boxes” in the garage that Mom would dress up with greens and some artificial poinsettias and berries, etc. The key to crafting these is to remember that they are viewed from the front, so start with your tallest boughs in the back and work your way forward. My mother always uses plain old garden soil to fill the container and hold the greens in place. Some florists use oasis floral foam — it is a great anchor and is less messy.
Have fun this weekend making your own easy and inexpensive holiday decorations. Maybe I’ll see you at the tree farm!
Roberta McQuaid graduated from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. For the last 17 years, she has held the position of staff horticulturalist at Old Sturbridge Village. She enjoys growing food, as well as flowers. Have a question for her? E-mail it to journalregister@turley.com with “Gardening Question” in the subject line.