I don’t decorate inside the house until Christmas Eve, when we bring in the tree and greenery but I thought it would be nice to put a cheery wreath on our door. We have a selection of wreaths, that we sell alongside our Christmas trees, and I could just unhook one and spirit it away. But, they’re all the same; uniformly made, lined up in regimented colours and remind me of women with neat haircuts who look smart whatever they wear. As I have a rather more relaxed appearance, it’s not surprising that I prefer a slightly less formal and structured wreath.
It’s easy and quick to make a simple rustic wreath with small, whippy branches of hazel or willow cut from the hedgerow. Make a circle with one stem, overlapping the ends and then twist the overlaps around the circle. Tie the circle together with twine and then one by one, twist more stems around the base circle, overlapping them as you work around the circle. Tie at intervals with twine if it looks as though the whole thing will burst apart and leave to dry for a few days. Once dry, you can cut the twine, though I leave it tied in one place just to be on the safe side.
This is my “From the Garden” wreath using feathers, crab apples, rose hips, teasels and ivy that I picked from the garden and poked into the base. None of it is wired in, so if we get a windy day then the whole thing might fall to pieces, but until then, it’s hanging from a door that I can see from the kitchen sink.
The herb wreath is made with bay, marjoram, thyme and rosemary pushed in and tied onto the base with ribbon and is hanging on the back door so that instead of putting on my boots to go out to cut herbs, I can just snip them off the wreath. By the end of December it may be rather denuded.
By Christmas next year The Barley Barn will be completely renovated and Slamseys Art wil be holding courses in it. I’m going to book into the wreath making course so I can make a proper wreath that’s held together by more than a wing and a prayer.
LIFE IN MUD SPATTERED BOOTS 
I love those & was just thinking of what I want to make for the front door. I love the idea of the feathers in the first one but the red ribbon and herbs in the second are so eye catching. Maybe I’ll try something like the second & tuck a few feathers in?
Was planning to make one this weekend & now very inspired! Ruby would love finding feathers to tuck in. I do like the idea of you denuding your back door wreath.
I am having a bad hair day. Again.
Your ‘From the Garden’ wreath suits me down to the ground.
I particularly love the herb wreath, and the word ‘denuded’.
I love these Anne, especially those guinea fowl feathers!
I haven’t made a wreath in four years since I’ve been over here. I have herbs, I have ivy, I have a red berried plant (not sure what it is) and now I have the inspiration!
So beautiful!! I love the feathers…come to think of it, I have a lot of feathers that the kids have collected from around the homestead, I just might have to borrow your idea. 😉
These are absolutely beautiful! You make it look so easy to do, but I know from experience that you need real talent to produce such wreaths. Lovely!
that looks amazing Anne! You’re very talented 🙂
Love your wreaths Anne! I don’t like wreaths that look too artificially “perfect” – they’re much nicer with a naturalistic, artless element even if that takes quite a bit of artfulness to create! I think you underestimate your skills – it takes a deft and artistic hand to create something like these. If you’re running wreath courses next year I might just have to book myself on one but only if they guarantee to ensure the end results look like yours! I am looking at my bantams’ tail feathers in a new and speculative light now! E x
Two beautiful wreaths – so nice to make them unique with what you have to hand, and the feathers are a great addition.
Anne, I LOVE your first wreath – SO much more than the pre-made ones you sell! I’d suggest that they’d be a runaway success if you made them and sold them, but the amount of work involved in doing it on a large scale makes me shudder… 🙂
The problem is that when people buy things, they expect them to stay in one piece! I have to keep stuffing bits of ivy back into mine if it’s a windy day.
Love the look and idea of your herb wreath Anne – how wonderful to be able to snip away at it, as required, over the festive season!
I always get so intimidated when I think of actually making my own wreath, yours are just beautiful and much better than the mass produced “stiff” wreaths.
Beautiful wreaths. I might have to go out with the secateurs tommorrow!
Your wreaths look wonderful – I especially like the herb one. I made our wreath today. Like yours it’s a ‘from the garden’ version, only mine is a lot less artistic… I like to think of it as ‘rustic’!
Rustic is best!