Wreath making time. Lets see yours.

[dwardo]

Ayup all,

Its that time of year again so with the holly, spruce and ivy collected it was time to knock up a few wreathes.
I popped out this morning to grab the last item which was a bunch of willow withies. I find a good place is to look under power lines where the electrickery companies cut the willow back causing it to coppice nicely.
I enjoy making these and usually start with just one but end up making a load for the family.

These were knocked up this afternoon. Still need a little colour but berries of any kind are thin on the ground especially holly. They need no wire and nothing you cannot find when out and about. The hangers are just a bit of elm cordage. Need a little touch up here and there but basically done. So get out there and make one yer selves and if you need any pointers i will be happy to help. Lets see em then

 

[Mick w.]

I can't believe no-one has commented on these! They'll look great once you add the colour.
I'd love to have a crack at these - can you give me some pointers? Is it a circle of something like willow or honeysuckle bound around, and other stuff threaded in, or what?
Please tell!

 

[addo]

Nice work Dwardo, Me and my daughter will be off soon to make one for the front door again.
I'll stick a pic up when its done.

 

[greensurfingbear]

Misread the title

Orric

 

[dwardo]

Nice work Dwardo, Me and my daughter will be off soon to make one for the front door again.
I'll stick a pic up when its done.

Good stuff, post it up Very relaxing thing to do.

Misread the title

Orric

Dont think it will look quite as nice hanging from the door

 

[Elen Sentier]

Like it

 

[dwardo]

I can't believe no-one has commented on these! They'll look great once you add the colour.
I'd love to have a crack at these - can you give me some pointers? Is it a circle of something like willow or honeysuckle bound around, and other stuff threaded in, or what?
Please tell!

Basically mate yeah.

Get three or four hazel or willow shoots nice and straight no knots or kinks and about 5 feet long. Gently the first into a loop then just wrap the others round and round. Hard to explain but you will figure it out. If its a bit of a pain wrap the odd bit with a bit of cordage. These wrapped limbs are where you insert the holly and bits n bobs. Just start at one pont and work your way around. When you stick the bits of holly inbetween the wrapped limbs they act as shims and help strengthen it all up.
If you get stuck give me a shout and i will try and take some better pictures but it is pretty simple once you get going. One of these was my neighbours first attempt and he managed it nay bother.

 

[Mick w.]

Cheers Dwardo. After looking at your pics I searched Youtube, found a few vids of people making them on there in much the same way as you describe, so that's what I'll be doing on Sunday afternoon. A nice stroll round the woods with the dog and a pair of secateurs - looking forward to it already!

 

[dwardo]

Good stuff enjoy
Few tips, the tips of the holly branches are better and try to leave two or three inch of stem under say a group of 6 holly leaves or so. The stem helps to stuff into the weave of the hoop. The more fussy you are in the first place with the secateurs the less waste later on. Get a good size "bag for life" full of these for say one and a half wreathes. The other smaller bag fill with ivy spruce, pine ala interesting bits.

 

[addo]

Heres ours done

Just Yew, Pine, Holly, Ivy on a Willow hoop with some nettle fibres all collected on our walk to the woods.

 

[hog]

I was going to make one but SWMBO said they should be reserved for funerals etc so I am not going to bother.:evilangel::vioh well.

 

[Mick w.]

I finally got round to making one, but had to reinforce it in places with a bit of garden string. Even so, quite pleased with it although my good lady has added a few artificial bits to tart it up - so I suppose cheating by using string has been rendered pretty irrelevant in this case!

 

[dwardo]

No such thing as cheating and great work chaps Never thought to use yew but that's what makes these great. Make it up as you go along.

 

[brancho]

Some nice ones hown already.
Well not the best but heres mine after promising for several years to make one it did survive the strong winds the other night


PC240752 by alf.branch, on Flickr

 

[Roy North]

Here's ours. We make one every year. Merry Christmas

 

[asemery]

I made this Turks Head wreath many years ago. My wife decorates it with flowers according to the season. Tony