It's official. The holiday season is definitely in full swing! Yes, there are plenty of annoyances to prove it: Christmas Top 40 hits on repeat deafeningly blasting you from every direction, coupons flooding your inbox persuading you to consider all the deals passing you by, and long lines of cranky folks at the post office. But come on. The holidays aren't all bad. Let's take a moment to appreciate some of those lovely touches that do make this season bright!
Wreaths are one of my all-time favorite holiday decorations. Every year, after strolling through the intoxicatingly festive Union Square Market and ogling the gorgeous herb wreaths on display, I convince myself that rather than spend money on these beautiful specimens of holiday cheer, I should save a penny and go straight home to make one for myself. It'll be fun, I say! As you have probably guessed, time and again the holidays fly by and before I finally sit down to put my mind to this wreath-making business, we are well into January.
Well, this year is going to be different. Why? Because I already have a plan in place. I was perusing my latest issue of Martha Stewart Living when I glimpsed my muse. Among floral designer Emily Thompson's beautifully inspiring and creatively styled wreaths in Melissa Ozawa's article, I found this Grevillea Wreath below and my wheels started turning. I love the untamed, rustic simplicity of this wreath. Though I can't actually smell the grevillea through the photo, in my mind's eye the branches conjure up the scents of pine and sage, some of my favorite aromas.
I'm making a trip out to a plant shop on Thursday to buy the necessary materials to create my own version of the Grevillea Wreath. I don't imagine Australian Grevillea branches are easy to come by in Brooklyn, so I've come up with the idea to use air plants instead, which are similarly spiky and free-wheeling. Plus, since air plants are so durable, I thought this would also allow me to keep the wreath green all year long and change out little details depending on the holidays. That's one of the advantages of going with naturalistic wreaths like this rambling rose branch wreath. Swap out the red ribbon for a pastel one, maybe add a few tiny, removable flower buds here and there, and suddenly you have a sweet spring wreath.
If you don't have the time to make your own wreath, and there's no shame in that, there are many impeccably designed options you can purchase with just a few clicks on Etsy. These are some of my naturalistic picks.
If you prefer a wreath with a twist, take a look at these options.
There are so many directions to go in with a holiday wreath. Have you made one before? What did you use and how did you make it?
Photo Credits
- All Martha Stewart wreaths are designed by Emily Thompson with photos attributed to Maria Robledo and taken from Melissa Ozawa's December 2012 article in Martha Stewart Living.
- All other photographs taken from vendors' respective Etsy shops. Links to original sources are available in each caption.
