New Year and Christmas, the most beloved and long-awaited holidays for both adults and children. New Year's Eve are days filled with a special atmosphere, good mood and faith in magic. A pleasant and interesting time when everyone buys gifts for their loved ones, thinks about how they will celebrate, prepare delicious dishes for the festive table, and most importantly, decorate their home with candles, lanterns, Christmas wreaths and decorate everyone's favorite tree.
A festive wreath is an interesting and effective decorative element.
In our article, we'll talk about New Year and Christmas wreaths that you can make with your own hands without much work and skills.
It's interesting to know! The history of the Christmas wreath
Such a popular tradition to decorate your home with Christmas and New Year wreaths made from fir branches, decorated with candles and various decorations, came from the bordering countries of the West, where Christmas is also celebrated. This idea originated among the Lutherans. The original Christmas wreath was made by a Lutheran theologian named Johann Wychern, who lived in Hamburg at the time. He made it especially for his little students. They looked forward to a great holiday with great anticipation and often asked if Christmas had come. It was at that very time that the Christmas wreath appeared, symbolizing fasting, waiting and preparations for the Nativity of Christ. Johann's wreath looked like this: a circle of fir branches attached to a wooden wheel. 4 large candles (symbolizing 4 weeks) and a number of small ones (24 pieces) were inserted into the branches. As the new day dawned, the children lit one candle at a time. Large candles were lit once at the end of each week, on Sundays. So, the children themselves counted the number of days remaining until the great celebration of the Nativity of Christ.
Well, now let's return to our present time and dive into the creative and exciting process of creating the future jewelry.
How to make a DIY Christmas wreath
To create a festive wreath you will need:
- Natural spruce or pine branches, dry ivy, oak, cypress branches are also suitable. Branches can be combined with each other, or you can take just one type, if you wish. The twigs can be painted in some color to make it more spectacular - orange, gold, silver, and so on, or left in their natural color.
- Various decorations - dried slices of citrus orange, tangerine, lemon, cinnamon sticks, decorative small apples, fresh or dry rowan (viburnum) sprigs, small Christmas balls, bells, angels, cones (which can also be dyed), satin ribbons, multi-colored bows, inflorescences of flowers and even candy.
The wreath is traditionally attached to the front door of the dwelling, decorated with a garland in addition, and placed on the festive table. In this case, the wreath is supplemented with candles.In addition to such arrangement methods, the wreath can be hung on the window, or you can make a hanging candlestick out of it, fixing it on ribbons in a horizontal position to the protruding parts.
Now we will consider in stages how to create such a wonderful decor with your own hands and what tools you will need for this.
Tools and material:
- Large scissors
- Thin wire
- Branches
- Decorations
Main steps
At the first stage, we need to build a round wire frame, and the branches will be attached to it. To make the frame stronger, you can wind the wire in a circle several times.
Next, you need to cut branches approximately 25 cm long. After the branches are cut, you need to weave them into our frame. The first circle - we weave the branches clockwise and fasten them in several places with pieces of wire, the second circle - in the same way, over the already woven branches, counterclockwise. We braid the branches until our wreath becomes lush.
The third stage is the most interesting, since now the almost finished Christmas wreath can be decorated as your imagination wishes. Usually, they start with a variety of ribbons and bows. The wreath is entwined with colored bright ribbons, then bows are attached on the sides, on top, and on the bottom as well. Further, small Christmas balls, cones, dried citruses, cinnamon sticks, flower inflorescences and everything that your heart desires and that is at hand from ornaments are used. You can fix all this with a thin fishing line, wire or liquid nails.
At the final stage, if it seems that something is missing, throw rain or artificial snow on the wreath.
And that's it, our New Year and Christmas wreath is ready!
New year wreath and feng shui
According to Feng Shui, it is recommended to hang a festive wreath on the outside of the front door of the dwelling. Such a door will surely attract positive energy, strength and well-being. In addition, such a wreath serves as a talisman that will fence off the house from evil.
