Bluebird and Red Berry Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• dogwood branches of assorted lengths 

• 3 clip-on bluejays and 3 tiny bluebirds

• birdhouse ornament

• spool of blue satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your store bought wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length)

Take some white craft paint and dry brushed "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Removed the rope hanger from a little cardboard birdhouse ornament, poke a hole in the bottom and inserted a florist's pic. Add a dab of hot glue to secure the pic onto the birdhouse. 

Then insert the birdhouse pic into the wreath and allowed it to catch in the evergreen mix.

 Clip 3 bluejays and 3 little bluebirds onto the dogwood and berry branches. 

(Keeping it real- these little birds are not meant for high winds and rain. Your wreath will need to be hung indoors or in a sheltered location like a porch or on the inside of a screen door.)

Make a bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut hanging your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Fruit and Berries Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red and faux orange berry branches (I used one large branch of each)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• faux mini red and yellow mini-apples (found at Michaels craft store)

• spool of red satin ribbon (4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length)

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow and red mini-apples (I found mini-apples at Michaels craft store). 

Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it for a minute or so until the glue sets.

Insert the finished apple pics into the wreath. 

Make a bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Red Berries & White Roses Evergreen Wreath

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• faux stem of white forsythia (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of white silk roses (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of pearl berries (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of glittery gold eucalyptus (found at Michaels craft store)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length

• 6 pinecones

• spool of white satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Insert some boxwood sprigs and red berries sprigs into the wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

I bought one large stem of white silk roses and a stem of white forsythia at Michaels. I cut the large stem into a number of shorter branches and inserted these branches into my wreath. 

I did the same for a stem of pearl berries and glittery gold eucalyptus- cutting one large stem into several smaller branches.

Finally, I fastened a white bow with some florist's wire. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Red Ladybug Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• Faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• gold glitter branches of assorted lengths 

• ladybugs (I got mine at the Dollar Store.)

• spool of plaid ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

Insert some boxwood sprigs and gold glitter branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length) Add them into the wreath.

Finally, take a single large stem of glittery eucalyptus (Michaels craft store) and cut it into a number of shorter branches. Insert them into your wreath. 

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Take a ladybug and apply a dab of hot glue onto the back. Place the ladybug on one of the gold branches. Hold it for a few seconds until the hot glue has set. Continue to add more ladybugs around the circumference of the wreath.

Make a plaid bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. I also tied in a few in bells.

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Partridge and Pear Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• feathers

• clip-on partridge or similar type bird (Michaels)

• mini faux pears

• spool of red satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length.) Add them to the wreath.

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow mini-pears. Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it in place for a minute or so until the glue sets. 

Insert the finished pears pics into the wreath. 

Take some white craft paint and dry brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to attach the pinecones to the wreath.

Clip your partridge onto your wreath.

Gather two or three feathers together in your fingers. 

Hold them at the top of a florist's pic and wrap the fine wire around and around to create a feather pic. 

Insert several feather pics around the circumference of the wreath. 

Make a red bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire on your bow with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

A few Highlights from Christie Classic Antique Show

Summer is a time for outdoor flea markets and antique shows. Here in Ontario, the season for bargain hunting always begins here with the Christie Classic Antique Show in mid-May.

The setting for the show is the lakefront at the Christie Conservation Area north of Hamilton. 

Lucky for all attending this spring's show, the weather was picture perfect!

Here are just a few highlights:

I wonder what he is going to do with all those frames?

Tiny shoes too small to register on an antique scale.

A vintage fan.

There were cheerful pansies everywhere.

This naked mannequin looked so bizarre standing high on a table and over looking the crowd.

Hey, you have to try it out before you buy it!

Buttons in a glass jug.

A painting of a reclining figure being carried away.

 I bought a watering can (as if I need another one) 

and a pretty oak plant stand. 

All in all, we had a wonderful afternoon!