11/23/13

How to Make Your Own Fragrant Fruit Holiday Wreath


While in Williamsburg Virginia earlier this month (click here for pictures of this revolutionary town) I picked up a couple books on decorating Williamsburg style, and ended up falling completely in love with the natural fruit wreaths of the colonial times. 

So I decided to try my hand at making one of these gorgeous wreaths. I found a great 4 minute tutorial on line which gave me a good basic idea of how to start. Just click here to view.




What you will need to make this wreath...

1 12" fresh (or faux) wreath
1 twig wreath
18 gauge wire
24 gauge floral wire
wire cutters
some type of work glove(s) if you have them
apples and naval oranges
faux berry sprigs
cinnamon sticks
whole cloves
small pine cones


I did start with a 12" fresh wreath from my local nursery and a twig wreath from Michael's. Just be aware that the twig wreaths are about $22 each, so make sure you print off a Michael's coupon before heading out to the store. (I found a Michael's coupon on-line for 50% off one regularly priced item here) In addition I also grabbed some faux berries which happened to be on sale for 60% off.

Next I purchased a roll of 18 gauge wire from Home Depot and picked up a bag of apples and a box of clementines at the grocery store. You really do need that 18 gauge wire to support the fruit in this wreath. You can use a heavier wire but it will be a bit more difficult for you to bend and manipulate around. Also if you have them, I strongly urge using some type of protective gloves as the wire does go through skin pretty much like a knife!


I wired the two wreaths together using 24 gauge floral wire, then as the tutorial suggested, I measured out how much fruit was going to be needed before stringing it on the wire.  I left a tail on either end long enough to wrap around the wreath and tightly secure in the back. As I was doing this I decided to make a loop with one of the tails and then wrapped the second tail around the base of the loop, this became my hook for the wreath. The wreath is going to be a fairly heavy one when all is said and done, so the 18 gauge wire is the perfect size for the hook.


Next using either the 18 or 24 gauge wire, secure the ring of fruit to the wreath by wrapping a piece of wire around the fruit wire and securing it tightly in the back of the wreath. I did this about 6 times around the wreath using the 24 gauge floral wire .


The berries and their leaves are just poked into the twig wreath and the cinnamon sticks were stuck between the two bound wreaths. The extra pressure of the wedged sticks makes the wreath a wee bit tighter. Finally I wired on some pine cones and added whole cloves to 3 of the clementines.

And boy let me tell you is this wreath fragrant!!! I am actually giving it to my friend Christina on Monday as an early birthday gift. 


I would definitely recommend hanging the wreath outdoors, so it stays fresher longer. But make sure to hang it where the little woodland creatures can't get to it or your holiday wreath may end up a Thanksgiving feast. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
XO 
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16 comments:

  1. Barbara, this is beautiful. I love the colonial style of decorating when I visit Peddlers Village. I will refer back to this post if I attempt to make one this year. Sharing this on Facebook, too. xo

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  2. That is so beautiful, you did a great job. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Just Stunning! We love Williamsburg at Christmas and the and all the natural decorations. Your wreath would look right at home on one of the Colonial home's front doors! Thanks for the great tutorial!

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  4. You did a beautiful job, Barbara!! Would love to have one of these, but here in the south, I'm afraid the fruit might not last very long outdoors. I have this same Williamsburg Christmas Decorations book, and I just love it! It was actually discounted at our local Barnes and Noble one year, and I couldn't get to the register fast enough with it. :)

    I adore Williamsburg; we went with our son about 13 or 14 years ago, and I wish I could talk my husband into going back. Hopefully one of these days. Our colonial community of Old Salem here in N.C. is very similar to Williamsburg, but a lot smaller.

    Hope you have a great weekend.

    Denise

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  5. This turned out great. I love how these wreaths look. In our neck of the woods it would be eaten in minutes.

    Cynthia

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  6. Holy Cow! That turned out great! Looks professionally done to me. I LOVE natural, fresh wreaths like that. Unfortunately, here it would freeze solid while I was hanging it on the door. lol We have a high in the teens predicted for tomorrow. I was smart enough to sign us up for a Christmas house tour tomorrow and am taking my girls with me- lucky girls! Have a great night- xo Diana

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  7. Very nice! I don't think I have ever seen one of these before. So I am pinning.
    Patty at Home and Lifestyle Design

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  8. Barbara, I have always admired these fresh fruit wreaths. You did an amazing job on yours. It is really pretty..Good job and Happy Weekend..Judy

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  9. WOW!!! love it! I must make one of my own, unless you want to make it for me :) If you get a chance, would love it if you linked up to our Snickerdoodle Sunday (http://www.thinkingcloset.com/2013/11/22/glitter-twine-ball-ornament-tutorial/). Have an awesome holiday week!!

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  10. Hi Barbara,

    I love your wreath. It's beautiful and fresh :) I'm pinning it.

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  11. We would need to have it fragrantly scenting the living room in our air conditioned house. The critters can have it after New Years out in the forest behind me!

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  12. Barbara, hubby and I vacationed in Williamsburg a few years ago. I loved it! We designed our fire pit from the inspiration of the brick bat paths. The garden area was my favorite! Why didn't I think to bring books home with me? I love this natural wreath. Looks like something our ancestors would have made with what they had on hand. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  13. Hi Barbara, I love the traditional wreaths with fruit, this is really gorgeous, thanks so much for sharing on Be Inspired. I'll be featuring this post on Thursday!

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  14. It's on my bucket list to visit Williamsburg at Christmas to see the decorations in person; we've been there many times, but never at Christmas. I love the wreath and it will bring back memories of your vacation all season.

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  15. As a vegetable gardener, I'm so happy to read your fragrant fruit DIY project.

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