Christmas Wreaths
Every year, during Christmas, people decorate the entrances of their houses with wreaths that are twined with beautiful colorful ribbons, sprigs of holly or with pinecones or twinkling battery operated lights. Some are made by twisting evergreen branches into a circular shape while others are made of plastic destined to last you for many years. But whatever their make and decoration may be, where did this holiday wreath tradition come from? And what significance does it hold today?
It is believed that the word wreath comes from the old English word, writhen which means to writhe or to twist. But the beginning of the wreath can be traced as far back to the ancient Greek and Rome days where Olympic athletes, kings, and military heroes were awarded with headdresses made from olive and evergreen leaves. Somewhere along the 15th century, the wreath became a decoration, which could be hanged over door entrances and became a sign of victory, hope and peace. In the early 1900's, when evergreen trees became less abundant in the countrysides, plastic artificial wreaths were introduced and choices of wreaths, their colors, decorations and texture became endless.
What you need to make your own pinecone wreath
To make a simple wreath to decorate your front door entrance this Christmas, you will need:
- A few pine cones
- A wire coat hanger
- Duct tape
- Sprigs of Holly
- A hot glue gun
- Ribbon
To begin, cut the wire coat hanger and twist it into a circular shape. Glue the ends together with your hot glue gun and cover it the duct tape.
After you have formed a good circular shape with the wire, glue on the pinecones. Be creative. Don't arrange them in the same order.
Once you glued all the pinecones onto the wire, paste the sprigs of holly in between the pinecones or on top of the wreath or whatever you like best. Then, take the ribbon and tie a bow at the bottom of the wreath.
When you are done, hang the wreath on your front entrance for everyone to see.
