Christmas Wreaths, Swags, and GarlandsChristmas Wreaths Fresh greenery provide the senses with many delights. Not only do they look beautiful, but they perfume the air around them. Pine boughs, ivy, eucalyptus sprays, box hedge stems and ferns are just a few kinds of fresh greenery you can use to make wreaths. Best to work on a table when preparing your wreath form and later to hang it up to add the decorations and final touches. It is easier to see where you need to add leaves, flowers, ribbons etc., when you are face to face with your wreath.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS WREATHS:
2. Cut several 8" to 10" long branches of greenery (redwood, pine, douglas fir etc.)
4. Secure decorations with floral wire or hot glue.
A different take on the traditional Christmas Wreaths.
2. Bind small bunches of flowers together using floral wire. Leave some of the larger flowers separate. 3. Randomly secure the bunches of flowers and the single ones to the grass wreath. HOW TO MAKE WREATH HANGERS: Make a wreath hanger before you begin to decorate your wreath. It establishes the top, and you can hang your wreath in front of you while you decorate. You may choose not to use your hanger to attach the wreath to the wall. Styrofoam, wire and straw wreaths are light and flat enough to hang on a nail. If your wreath is heavily decorated on one side, however, you will need a hanger to keep it centered. Grapevine and Nito wreaths need the support of wire hangers. The vines are irregular and in most cases cannot be hung on a nail. To make a hanger for a grapevine wreath, look at the shape of the wreath to determine the top. Then, slip a floral wire around a few branches in the back, at the top of the wreath. Wrap it around a few times and twist the ends of the wire. Make sure the loop is secure. 1. Twist a circle in a medium gauge wire. 2. Push the end of the wire in the back of the wreath base.
3. Secure the ends by pushing them into the back of the wreath.
A bunch of fresh fresh greenery held together with a rubber band or some floral wire, a red bow and some pine cones hot glued or wired to the stems makes a simple and elegant Christmas statement. 1. Cut several branches, staggering the lengths, especially if you have a variety of greens. 2. Rubber band the stems together with thick rubber bands. Using lightweight floral wire, make a hanging loop. 3. Add ribbons, bells, pine cones etc. using floral wire or hot glue. Add the fragrant perfume of Christmas greens to a hallway or room by running a fresh swag made from pine boughs or redwood branches around a doorway. 1. Cut several 18"-20" evenly shaped branches or boughs of greenery. Wire them together. 2. Loosely wrap them with shiny ribbon. 3. Screw in cup hooks at the top corners of the door. 4. Make hanging loops for the swag using floral wire. 5. Put berry garlands around the ribbon.
Swags can be hung on a wall, placed on a mantle, draped over a headboard or used to decorate a table. A swag is a shorter, more compact version of a garland.
The mantel is a natural place for Christmas wreaths, candles and greenery. Mix fresh, silks and dried floral material together and add some candles and you have a recipe for a fragrant, long lasting fireplace swag. 1. You will need a 4" wide strip of wood that reaches the length of your fireplace mantle. Hot glue floral foam along the length of the wood. 2. Secure candles by using candle cups Or you can make your own by gluing two foam prongs together, base to base, insert one set into the foam and the other into the candle. Use different size candles for a more dramatic look.. 3. Run two pieces of ivy garland down the front of the foam. Allow them to droop over the ends. 4. Build up the center of the swag with more evergreen branches. Extend the branches to either end. Fill in the sparse areas with greenery picks of variegated ivy. Which you can make easily by taking wired wood picks and attaching pieces of the ivy garland. 5. Group several different botanicals such as gold curly pods and a few pine cones around the center candles. Attach pine cones and botanicals to the arrangement by using green wired wood picks. Extend smaller groups out each side. 6. Cut the stems of your silk flowers to 7" long. Use a large size white bloom such as Silk gardenias, mums or hydrangea's and place the flowers throughout the arrangement.
7. To finish the arrangement put a few drops of a pine or evergreen fragrance oil on the silk flowers so you have the fragrant perfume of Christmas.
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1. Make a base using two wire coat hangers. Wire the hangers together and cover with floral tape. 
3. Using lightweight floral wire, secure the branches to the Christmas wreath base. Overlap the stems. Keep adding stems until the wreath base is fully covered. 
1. Gather a bundle of long grass. If the grass is too dry to shape into a circle wet it down before shaping it and binding it with fishing line, twine or floral wire.
