Christmas Wreaths & Painted Toenails…Yes, There is a Connection
It’s a little-known fact that my toenails have not been without nail polish for more than a few minutes at a time since somewhere around 1984, at which time I was a very young child (of course), and they are only naked long enough now to change the polish or get a pedicure. I plan to continue this trend until I am old & decrepit & can no longer reach my toes. And, even then, I plan to find someone who will paint them for me. So, what in the world does this have to do with my Christmas wreaths? Everything. Because my philosophy on painting my toenails is the same as my philosophy on front door wreaths. I only like my front door to be naked just long enough to change out the wreaths. So, as soon as Thanksgiving was over, I had to get my fall wreaths down & the Christmas wreaths up. And here they are…This year, I went for square. And, like many of my projects in the past, it began with scouring the yard for sticks. Once I found them, I cut them each to the same length, which for these wreaths was 24″.I started out with a hack saw…Then, got tired & broke out the power saw…To connect them, I used 18 gauge floral wire, wrapped securely around each corner, & tightened with pliers.Then the frame was ready for the greenery. I found these great pine stems at Hobby Lobby, which were on sale for a little over $1 each. Each wreath required 12 stems.To secure them to the frame, I used a thinner, 26 gauge floral wire & just wrapped the wire around the stems & the frame, with the stems slightly overlapping each other & following a counter-clockwise direction around the frame.I snipped off the extra length of stem at the corners with wire cutters.After that, I had my plain pine wreath, but took it a step further by adding in a little more berries, holly, & pinecones from some large bunches, also found at HL. I cut them into pieces to get several “picks”, then just secured them to the wreath with more wire.And that was it! I decide to add my “Merry Christmas” banners from my last year’s wreaths as a finishing touch. Hope you like them! Special thanks to my sister who was in town when I made these & volunteered to be my photographer for this project! (Thanks, Amy!)More Christmas fun coming soon. I’m sharing these wreaths with a few of these parties!
sissie
December 2, 2011 @ 1:16 pm
I love these and what a carpenter you are! You did a wonderful job. Seeing you working makes me wish I had a power saw. Um, wonder if Santa would bring me one.
Gotta keep my toenails painted all the time too.
hugs
Sissie
Maggie @ Black and White {Side by Side}
December 2, 2011 @ 4:28 pm
These are wonderful!!! Perfect compliment to your double doors!
Jenny
December 2, 2011 @ 7:37 pm
So very pretty and they look fabulous on your double front doors (which are also gorgeous!). Double front doors just scream for wreaths, don't they? We bought our new house last year and I was so excited to have double doors – outfitted mine with wreaths too, although I'm really loving yours! 🙂
http://www.evolutionofstyleblog.blogspot.com
Shelia
December 3, 2011 @ 1:39 am
How beautiful! I love these and they look stunning on your front doors which are stunning too! 🙂
Be a sweetie,
Shelia 😉
Irene
December 3, 2011 @ 12:34 pm
Julie they look amazing! I love the double doors too. You look like a pro handling that saw!
Barbara Bussey {The Treasured Home}
December 3, 2011 @ 10:58 pm
Well done, as usual! As your wreath consultant, I'd like to see more of the red ribbon, made into fluffy red bows placed at the base of the red ties. No charge for this unsolicited advice! I'm giving you advice and I haven't even STARTED decorating!
Karen
December 4, 2011 @ 10:03 pm
Ooh! I like the idea of square wreaths. You did a lovely job. Very elegant and understated. God bless x
Jane@Cottage at the Crossroads
December 7, 2011 @ 12:58 pm
Beautiful wreaths! I have the same philosophy about my toenails, except mine haven't been bare since the 1960s! Hehe!