The equipment needed to make a christmas wreath is shears, thread and wire. The mechanics can be mastered with a little practice. The foundation or frame is important; on a bad frame it is almost impossible to make a good wreath.

Drawing 1 shows how a frame may be constructed from switches of willow or any pliable shrub. The best canes for the purpose are those of ordinary California privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium). Privet may be bent into any size hoop without splitting or breaking. For an average christmas wreath you will need canes four or more feet long, and as thick as your little finger. These should be stripped of leaves and side branches. If they are cut in very cold weather, it may be necessary to bend the canes back and forth until they are flexible.

Hold the cane at its thick end. Then make the size circle desired. Next twist the thin end in, over and out of the circle until it is completely used. One long cane may be sufficient; two or more make a stronger frame. Whether to use one or more canes depends on the size of the wreath, the thickness of the canes and the materials with which the christmas wreath is to be decorated. Heavy fruits call for a stronger frame than cones or leaves.

If a second cane is to be added to the ring, place the thick end of it on the ring at a point beyond the entry of the first cane, or else work the second cane into the thinnest part of the hoop. Twist it in the same direction as the first cane. Trim off the stubs of the canes with shears, so that no ends stick out from the circle. The hoops will need no tying, but are now ready for use, as shown in Drawing 1.

I prefer these privet frames to those made of wire. The thread with which the greens are tied does not slip on the canes as it tends to on wire.

Wire frames may be purchased, if raw materials for making your frames are not available. A wire circle can be formed by rounding out an ordinary metal coat hanger. More ambitious craftsmen make wire frames from 8-foot lengths of No. 14 iron wire; the result is a hoop 10 to 12 inches in diameter. This wire is not too hard to handle without tools. A heavier wire, perhaps No. 9, makes a sturdy single-circle hoop if the ends are neatly hooked together. This will require pliers. (Drawing 1).

Sometimes frames are packed with moss, into which the stems of evergreens are inserted or evergreens may be wired to toothpicks and thrust into the moss. I find this type of frame cumbersome and not suitable for hanging on a door. If you do use one, take care that the colored paper wrapped around the moss does not rub off on the door or other background, as it may if the moss is damp.

When frames are ready, evergreens should be cut and prepared. It requires about four pounds of greens td fashion an average wreath. Mixed greens are recommended. It is easier to make a good circle with varied materials, and more effective too. Another advantage is that if some materials dry out there will remain enough green and fresh ones. A good combination consists of arborvitae, fir, cedar and white pine. Any broadleaf ever-green, not too large, can be worked in. The broad-leaved evergreens are excellent for displaying the beauty of fruits in a christmas wreath.

A coat of white shellac prevents the shriveling of greens. Shellac may be applied with brush or spray, and first to the under side of the leaf. A coat on the stem holds moisture in and helps keep leaves fresh.

The beginner will be wise to prepare evergreens in advance of actual fastening to the frame, grouping them in bunches convenient for handling. The bunches should be six inches or more in length, depending on the size of the hoop. Every third bunch on the frame may include a piece of broadleaf evergreen, such as leucothoe, box, ivy or galax.

Thin wire may be used to bind the greens to the frame, but I prefer fast-colored florists' thread, No. 6. First fasten the binding thread or wire securely to the frame. Tie on a bunch of greens by pulling the binder tightly around the lower two inches. Four or five turns are sufficient. (Drawing 2) The wrapping should cover at least an inch of the stem, or the bunch will not remain in place on the frame. The binder is carried around the frame in one continuous piece and is not cut until the christmas wreath is completed. If it is necessary to leave the work before it is finished, the wire or thread may be anchored by pulling it between the frame and the stem ends of the greens. (Drawing 2).

The bunches of greens need not be large or thick. If too much material is put into them, the wreath will be too heavy. Enough should be used so that you cannot see through the christmas wreath, but no more.

The second bunch should overlap the stems of the first. With a little care it is easy to make a continuous line. The size of the final wreath is partly determined by the arrangement of the bunches; if they are set at an angle, the christmas wreath will be larger than if they follow the contour of the frame.

Making a good joint between the last bunch of greens and the first requires care. Here the thread is cut and knotted. This finishing is more easily accomplished if the christmas wreath is turned over.

Beginners tend to pull the greens in the direction in which the binder is pulled. This can be prevented by carrying the thread or wire from inside the center of the hoop out over the top. Work the greens in counter-clockwise. (Drawing 2) The pulling is then toward you and makes for tighter wreaths, less likely to fall apart as they dry. This also insures a hole in the center of the christmas wreath. If the thread is drawn toward the center, the greens may become a solid mass.

When they are all attached, the christmas wreath is ready for decoration. It is advisable first, however, to hold it to the light or before a mirror to check for weak spots. Defects can often be detected in this way.

If the christmas wreath appears heavier or larger in one section, this should be chosen for the bottom of the finished decoration. Small white pine cones can be wired in to fill gaps or round out the circle.

Decoration of the wreath may be simple or elaborate. Fruits or nuts may be used. Good effects are possible with cellophane, candy canes, Christmas tree ornaments, magnolia leaves, ivy, herbs, bunches of artificial grapes and many other materials. (Drawing 6) Perhaps the most elaborate christmas wreath is the Delia Robbia which is decorated with shellacked fruits to resemble the ornamental borders of glazed and colored terra cotta which Luca Delia Robbia and his family made in the fifteenth century. He was an outstanding artist of the Renaissance and his craftsmanship is familiar to all artists and travelers. (Drawing 4).

For this striking wreath a variety of fruits may be used: lady apples, limes, lemons, kumquats, grapes, cranberries and cones. Each piece is wired on separately. (See Chapter 4) The cranberries round out the border and accent it with their dark red color. This type of wreath may be used on the door, in a hallway, against paneling or as a centerpiece. As a centerpiece it may be placed on a mirror to add height to the table. Tall red candles may be placed at either end. Use fairly thick ones; thin candles will not balance the weight of the christmas wreath unless several are used.

No. 4

Fresh fruits of lady apples, kumquats, limes, lemons, wired and fastened to christmas wreath. Cranberries impaled on toothpicks are wired in small bunches. Hairpin shaped piece of wire holds end of bunch of grapes in position.

No. 5

Double wire frame is used for light weight magnolia christmas wreath. Groups of three levels are wired flat and folded in half. Leaves may be wired in same direction or from top down.

No. 6

Wreath of magnolia leaves wired flat. Artificial glass fruit is separate wreath. Both on wire frames are fastened together. Artificial glass bunches of grapes are fastened to wire frame to form lower christmas wreath.

A simpler wreath may be made of mixed greens, decorated with cones, bayberry and red berries. If berries are scarce, a few red lady apples will provide color. A red bow looks well on this kind of wreath. Satin ribbon is effective if the christmas wreath is to hang under cover, but waterproof fabric is necessary for an outdoor display. Oilcloth is waterproof, but is a poor substitute for ribbon. It makes a stiff and unnatural bow and looks exactly like what it isoilcloth! (Drawing 3).

Artificial fruit with remarkable resemblance to the real article may occasionally be found in stores. Some people object to artificial material, but I see nothing wrong with it if shapes and colors are true. After all, it is the form and coloring, not the flavor, which is important in creating decorations. Artificial fruits can be wired to the frames in the same way as the real product. If it is in bunches, these can be cut apart and the individual pieces placed according to the decorator's discretion. A striking effect can be secured by making on separate frames one christmas wreath of fruit and another of magnolia leaves and then wiring them together. (Drawing 6, top).

Magnolia leaves, commercially prepared and supplied by florists, are a reddish brown in color, easy to work with when damp, though very brittle when dry. The amateur can prepare leaves that will last for one season, though not indefinitely, as the commercial ones do. The leaves of the swamp magnolia (Magnolia glauca) are gathered when they turn brown and drop, and are then dipped in melted paraffin and ironed between sheets of newspaper.

For a flat christmas wreath leaves are wired in threes, spread out like a fan. (Drawing 5, center) A 12-inch piece of No. 20 wire is inserted through the lower ends of the leaves and twisted around the stems several times. The remainder of the wire suffices to fasten them to the frame. The three leaves should be overlapped or assembled in the same pattern in each group so that the christmas wreath will be uniform all around.

An effective magnolia christmas wreath is made by starting in opposite directions on the frame and working groups of leaves down each side. Decoration is used only at the bottom, where the stem ends meet. The junction may be rounded out with smaller leaves. A little gilt paint on the tips of the lowest leaves gives a pleasing effect. Gilded acorns, love apples, bittersweet or artificial fruits may be similarly applied. Kumquats are suitable in size and color. (Drawing 5).

A permanent christmas wreath may be stored safely if it is dusted, wrapped in waxed paper and packed in a box. If a change is desired when Christmas comes around again, the gilt can be painted over with aluminum paint. Sprays of bayberry may be used in place of the fruits. Illustrations of magnolia wreaths appear in Drawing 5. In these, the leaves were wired in groups of three. Then each leaf was folded forward in half. A 12-inch length of wire was inserted through the base of the leaves and around the stems as shown at top of Drawing 5.

No. 7

Nuts, cones and acorns are wired individually, then fastened to wire frame to make permanent nut christmas wreath.

The nut christmas wreath takes the most time to make, but the result is worth it. My original one made over ten years ago is still my favorite. For the first year of storing it was necessary to put dichloride crystals in the box, in order to prevent weevils. Now the nuts are thoroughly dry and the christmas wreath keeps as well from season to season as an artificial one.

There is great variety possible in the making of nut christmas wreath. Acorns, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, litchi nuts, almonds, buttonball seed pods, sweet gum fruits, cones and bayberry provide a wide choice of forms and colors (Drawing 7) Sometimes unity gives a better effect than variety. A very handsome christmas wreath can be made of small cones in different sizes some face up and others in reverse, either in natural colors or gilded.

Many of the sweet herbs may be used in christmas wreath, among them rosemary, gray artemisias, lavender, mullein and santolina. Some add the charm of a subtle fragrance.

A christmas wreath of English holly with full berry clusters would need no other decoration, unless it were a red bow. And nothing else is required if a christmas wreath is constructed mainly of dark-colored greens, with pieces of golden arborvitae, blue spruce or gray-foliaged plants worked in for occasional accents or contrast.

Simple, but quite effective, is a christmas wreath of blue spruce, decorated with the brown buds (not the seed pods) of the Chinese empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa). Variegated holly and osmanthus leaves, decorated with limes and lemons, produce a beautiful and unusual effect in yellow-green. A more striking combination results when the flat silvery-white seed cases of honesty (Lunaria annua) are fashioned into a christmas wreath and hung against red velvet. Other dramatic possibilities will occur to the imaginative and ingenious decorator. A christmas wreath of golden arborvitae, with an inside circle of gilded ivy leaves, may serve as frame for a round picture of the Madonna, to be hung against old gold brocade.

After conventional forms and materials become familiar, there is opportunity for experiment. It is exciting to discover, for example, what can be done with mahonia leaves and white grapes, or with shellacked ivy leaves and tiny white onions. Possible diversities of color and effect are astonishing and unlimited. Anyone with a keen eye and an alert imagination may create a christmas wreath of outstanding beauty from roadside materials. Every meadow and hedgerow has something of beauty and use to offer. The more commonplace the material, the greater the satisfaction in using it in distinctive and effective fashion.