Well it's that time of year... when the old Holiday Wreath on the front door starts turning brown, and the needles are falling off. Not so festive looking anymore! I actually had 2 of these this year, since I used a second one in my dining room. I purchased both of these locally, but thought it would be fun to try making my own next year. I started to throw these out and then realized that ... Hey! There are a lot of good useable parts on these things! So I grabbed them both and headed outside for the dismantling.
I used some wire cutters and wore gloves, those needles are sharp! Not to mention the wire pieces used to hold everything together!
And this is what I ended up with, it's like a "wreath kit" all ready to go for next year! I've got faux berries, pine cones, velvet bows, icicle things, and 2 wire wreath forms. All I have to do is add some fresh greens and I'm good to go!
And as for the rest of the wreath.... I've added it to a little make shift compost pile in the back of our yard, where we typically put our yard waste, like weeds and things. So nothing went into the trash! Yay!
great idea .. why didn't I think of that all these years?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea ... now why didn't I think of that? All these years I've just been throwing the whole darn thing in the trash. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMe too Susan! I'm glad I'm not the only one that didn't think of it! haha!
DeleteThat is a great idea Karen! Hope you have a good week end!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you have a lovely weekend too!
DeleteI did that last year, dismantled it and saved all the parts...and then forgot about them, until after I had ordered new wreaths for the season. Apparently I need to figure out a way to remember BEFORE I order! hehehe!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Pendra
That could be a problem for me too Pendra! I'm leaving little notes for myself in the boxes where I keep my holiday decor. I've got some projects that I purchased supplies for and never got too, so those will get notes too, so that I don't forget what I planned on using them for!
DeleteGood idea. I once threw away a wire heart-shaped wreath form and still wish I'd kept it to recreate a wreath : )
ReplyDeleteOh, a heart shaped one would be nice!! And perfect for you especially!
DeleteVery good idea! So many of us just toss it and not think about how we can reuse it again next year. Just a one without the décor is expensive so the "kit" will help cut the cost. Clever!
ReplyDeleteI've been guilty of that in the past Angela, I won't be doing that again! Thanks for your comment!
DeleteWhat a great tip Karen! I try to recycle everything I can and you are right...there are a lot of reusable parts to those wreaths!
ReplyDeleteThanks Danni!
DeleteGood idea, Karen! I make my own wreaths (working at a garden centre, we make lots of fresh greenery decor) and it is so much fun! You get to do them just the way you like. And I save all my wreath supplies like you did.
ReplyDeleteDebbie :)
Oh, you are a pro then Debbie! Maybe you can come over and help make mine next year! That sounds like such a fun job that you have!
DeleteI make wreaths for a tree farm and I'm amazed that people don't save the decorations from the wreaths. I make my own bows and put unique decorations on them. It's so easy to re-decorate. The rings you have had the prongs upright to start with. Once the boughs are put down, the prongs are bent down to hold them in place (either with a machine or a hammer) You can try to put the boughs into the bent prongs and wire them on tighter if need be. Is that a cedar tree near your compost? I use a lot of cedar in my wreaths along with yew and juniper and sometimes dried artemisia. I hope you remember to make your own next year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome tips Bonnie!! Yes, I believe it is a Cedar, we have several of them, as well as Cyprus, & Holly and a few other lovely things that I can't recall the names of, so I should be set for greenery. I love the idea of adding in the dried artemisia too, that sounds really pretty!
DeleteI took apart both of my green wreath's last year and donated the bow and the decorations back to the church that I had bought them from....I also helped to decorate them this year....the only thing about saving that metal ring is in order to get a great looking wreath you need a special machine to tighten the branches onto the ring....I tried doing it with out any help and I nearly killed my hands trying to close those clips. This year I have hung my wreath's on the outside of my storm door. The other day it was so windy that when my hubby opened the door the wreath had slid...wreath hanger and all to the end of the top of the door and he caught it as it was going to fall off....so I brought it into the house and there are NO NEEDLES falling off the wreath. It is back outside now and I hope to be able to keep it up until late Jan or early Fed and then I will dismantle it and save the stuff for next year again.
ReplyDelete