Green Fingers: Crafting Wreaths and Garlands

Dec 9 2008

Create a warm welcome for guests this Christmas with scented wreaths and garlands decorated with the rich colours of the season and old world charm.

The natural fragrances of oils, herbs and spices have been used to fragrance homes for centuries. Those familiar scents of childhood instantly re-capture our imagination, transporting us back to our formative years, wrapping us in comfort and secure memories every time our nose stumbles across them.

The citrus zing of oranges, wood smoke from apple logs, cinnamon sticks and sandalwood – combined with oak moss, nutmeg, fresh pine cones and sweet cloves – the scents of the season can range from simple to the sophisticated, drawing us in with their intoxicating perfume.

In fact the word ‘perfume’ is derived from per fumin, meaning ‘by means of smoke’ evoking a heady mix of traditional winter fragrance. What could be more inviting at the entrance to your home than a seductive aroma? Your doorway, hall and stairs can set the scene for gentle, subtle perfumes and colours that are both warm and welcoming.

Wreaths and garlands have always been festive favourites and when home made are a crafty way to trim the Christmas budget. Harking back to their ancient Persian, Greek and Roman origins of fresh bay and laurel boughs, a wreath was traditionally called a ‘diadem’ from the Greek word diadema, meaning ‘a thing bound around’ – they quickly became headpieces worn by warriors, emperors and royalty. In fact, neatly completing the passage of time, the Latin word ‘crown’ is derived from corona meaning garland or wreath!

Today as favourite holiday adornments, they offer attractive and affordable homemade decorations for doors, archways, staircases and mantle pieces, even providing a unique table centrepiece, when combined with candles, scented foliage and seasonal decorations.

Both wreaths and garlands come in a variety of bases for imaginative home use – fresh pine, noble fir, blue spruce, mixed foliage or holly - or for indoors, artificial fir (spruce), synthetic eucalyptus, holly, poinsettia or bare rustic ‘twig’. The secret to success lies in choosing the best background material for your colour scheme and adding sufficient adornments of your choice.

Always decorate your garland in-situ, winding its length around the staircase’s newel post and banisters, swaging over doorways or draping across the mantelpiece. Pull on ‘fairy lights’ for depth, in either timeless white or a colour to compliment your décor. Bunch flowers, foliage, small berries and baubles into equal-sized groups before nestling into the garlands foliage at regular intervals. Large ‘silk’ blooms – such as peony, poinsettia, roses or magnolia provide dramatic scale, while simple ‘fruits’; either fresh or faux add richness and opulence to the arrangement as a whole.

Continue layering further decoration – including family heirlooms and favourites from the tree – in designs that compliment the display. Droplet and icicle shapes work well when framing an archway, while clusters of mirrored baubles and bejewelled fruits heap sumptuous decadence onto a table.

Stick to a clear colour palette, restricting the range for style and sophistication. Velvety reds are popular this season, along with deep chocolatey browns or, go for jollity with cheerful mixed shades. Layer different textures and similar colours, adding to the richness and intensity. Tie ribbons and bows for substance, while tabletop scented votives and pillar candles offer a traditional Christmas glow.

Wreaths respond to similar treatment, providing room for finer detail when hung in full sight, at eye level. Bundles of cinnamon sticks, lavender, dried fruit and rose buds offer natural perfume and homespun charm, while bold ‘silk’ flowers, velvet ribbons, scented fir cones and eucalyptus provide chic sophistication. If you have a power point close by, add a delicate string of fairy lights, or use a battery-powered ‘fine wire LED’ or ‘rice lights’ for sparkling charm.

Ultra-fashionable once again, cut dried material from the garden including autumn collected seed heads, nuts, berries and coloured leaves. The orange ‘balloons’ of Chinese lanterns, ‘Mrs Tiggy-Winkle’ teasels, ‘paper moon’ honesty and starry alliums may all be lightly gilded silver or gold with spray paint, or left naked in their bare-faced glory. To keep the glamour high, arrange in groups of their own kind or use a single variety for a coordinating range of decorations. Dried artichokes or cardoon flower heads make magnificent candleholders, when hollowed out and sprayed metallic silver. Place along the mantelpiece or arrange in a gilded bowl and mixed with baubles and gems for opulence indoors.

Thread Chinese lanterns, real popcorn or cranberry fruits into chains and wind round your festive garlands and trees. Add bright Christmas colour with red and orange rosehips, clusters of crab apples or berries. A drop or two of essential aromatic oil will intensify the fragrance and bring the freshness of the garden wholeheartedly indoors.

So why not plan a Christmas steeped in tradition and homespun charm, surround yourself with the great company of family and friends and revel in the joy of the season, exchanging gifts and sharing good food and good times together?

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