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News Flash!
News Flash!
Ah yes, another year has passed and the hectic Holidays are here again. With all the shopping, cooking, prepping, and hustle and bustle of the Holidays, instead of worrying about fixing something I thought maybe we'd make something fun and beautiful.
If you recall in a past year's Holiday Connections Special Issue I taught you how to make a festive autumn wreath for your door with things you can find right in your own back yard, or a on a nature hike in one of our many beautiful state parks.
Instead of a wreath, this year let's try a decorative Holiday Garland to hang over a door or mantle. Once again, there are no steadfast rules to follow. There are several ways to make a garland so I will just show you a few. The best part is that this can be a family affair, especially when it comes to gathering the natural materials that you may want to include in your garland. Grab the family and go on a treasure hunt for interesting pine cones, nuts, birch bark, twigs, and of course various types of evergreens.
Once you have gathered all of your ingredients its time to decide on what type of core or base you will use. Where you will put the garland, how long it will be, and how much material you will use will help you decide on the strength of the base you will need. The base will be hidden and your decorative items will attach to it. For the core or base of the garland you can use thick or thin gauge wire, tightly rolled paper, twine, cord or rope.
Heavier woody garlands with lots of evergreen branches, fruits and nuts may need a wire mesh rolled around absorbent foam. It is best to shape the core to your needs prior to loading it up with materials. You should also make sure the base colors match the materials you are using. Get some sphagnum moss to fill in and cover any of the base that may show through. Handfuls of the covering material bound on with well-camouflaged green twine will thicken the base and give it more body.
