Saturday, January 4, 2014

How To Make A Aromatic Herb and Spice Wreath?


To make this wreath, growing your own herbs will make it more personally.

These are the items that I will need to make this wreath.

Materials

Pruning shears, scissors, wire cutters, fine spool wire, garden  string, double-ring wire, wreath frame, fresh herbs, dried seed heads, chillies, spices, dry sphagnum moss, florist pins.

1. Get all the materials together. Using pruning shears are handy to cut woody stems, but I can also use my strong scissors. I will use wire cutters to cut short lengths of spool wire to tie up bunches of herbs. Then make a hanging loop from string and knot to the wire wreath frame.

2. Take each kind of herbs that I have and put them in separate piles. I will look over all of my herbs that I have and removed any damaged parts and cut the stems to a uniform length. Place all the delicate leaves, such as sage, in a small amount of water to prevent them from wilting. Leave all the rest of the herbs in separate piles.

3. To cover the wreath frames, I will cut a long piece of string and knot one and to the outer ring of the frame. Then I will take a large  handful  of moss, and I will need to roll it into a firm sausage shape. Place it on the frame then firmly bind the moss with either wire or string to secure it.

4. Keep repeating this until the frame is completely covered, knot the end of the string or wire to the frame to finish off. It is time to mixed the bunches of herbs with using five to seven sprigs in each one., use the wire to bind the stems of each bunch together. The ends of the stems has to be trim to level to neaten.

5. The next step, I have to do is to attach the bunches of herbs to the frame. I will hold one bunch against the inner edge, and I will used my other hand and push a florist's pin through the stems of the bunch and into the moss. Then put the next bunch with the leaves and overlap the stems of the first, and pin like you did before. Keep working the same way all in the same directions.

6. When all the inner edge is completely covered, now secure bunches of herbs to the outer edge in the same way. After I have the outer edge is covered, I will attach the spices and dried herbs to the frame, I will take a florist's pins to put star anise, chillies, seed heads, stick of licorice, and cinnamon in different areas of the wreath.

Summary

This type of wreath have several good reasons to make them. By me growing my own herbs or either buy them this mean I like herbs. I can make one for my kitchen to decorate my kitchen and also put a lot of scents in there too. I have a friend who would like one of these wreaths then I will make  one for my friend and give it to her.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

How To Covering A Basket?


I can get me a plain wicker basket and turn it into a totally different basket by covering it with fabric. There are a few different ways to put fabric on my basket.

Materials

wicker basket, fabric probably large size, pins, needle, scissors, thread to match the material, glue, thick card pencils,

1. Getting started

I will cut a piece of fabric large enough to wrap over the whole basket, and have it reach down to the base inside. After this I will lay my fabric wrong side up and put the basket in the center.

2. Wrapping the basket.

Fold the fabric over my basket sides, making sure that it is arrange into even folds, and pin the folds on the outside of the basket to hold them secure. Put the fabric inside the basket and pin it in the same way. Cut away all the extra fabric round all the edges. I will get my needle threader with matching thread and sew to secure the folds as close to the basket base as possible. Remove the pins.

3. Making a base.

Place my basket on the card and draw round it. Cut the card out and trim off all excess area so it will fit into the base of my basket. Take the card to use as a guide on how much fabric that is needed including a cutting the fabric 3/8 inches larger than I will need. Lay one side of the card with fabric adhesive and I place this side in the centrally on to the wrong side of my fabric. Cut the fabric edge up to the card for ease. Now turn this over the card and glue dries, I will then push the base down into my basket.

Another way that I can dress up my basket is to only put fabric on the handles and another way is to add a real pretty bow to my basket.

How To Make Different Ivy Wreaths?


I  love many different types of wreaths that I can make out of ivy. As far as for me, I love to make many different types of wreaths. I will need to have several different items to be able to make this ivy wreaths.

The items are spring, three long strands of ivy, five branches of twigs, five twiggy branches, three yards of rope, berried holly, and red and green ribbon.

I am going to use the freshest, most supple twigs, and branches to make my ivy wreath, because if the branches and twigs are not fresh, they will be very hard to bend them in a circle.


In step one, I will take each branch and I will twist the branches around each other to form a long, thick piece, and I will bind with string to keep it sturdy and in place. I will bend branches into a circle and I will bind lightly again. Continue on to form the wreath into shape,  and I will snip off all of the messy pieces to make the wreath look nice.

In step two, I will take my ivy and wind the ivy in and around my wreath. I will then put the string on my wreath, and I will cover the string with a gold rope around it, and I like to leave a decorative strand of the rope on my wreath. I use the gold rope on my wreath to give my ivy wreath a contemporary elegance.

I am making this one for a Christmas wreath. I like to add holly berries throughout my wreath and I will used red and green ribbon to make into a big bow that I put on the top of my ivy and holly berries wreath.

Sometimes I add different items to my wreath, it is always according to what season that I am working on, whether, it is autumn, summer, spring, and winter. Summer wreath, I will put flowers on them and the spring wreath. I add different flowers also. I also use different color of ribbons to make a bow for the top of each wreath. There are so many different types of wreaths that I can make for myself, or for gifts for family and friends. When I am making wreaths for the fall season, I like to add pumpkins, some fall leaves, and used a ribbon that has fall leaves on it, or pumpkins, and so much more. Now for winter, I like to make several wreaths that goes along the lines of winter season and then make some that pertains to Christmas. The winter ones I will put different ribbons, and many more items. For the Christmas seasons ones, I like to put presents, pinecone like I do on the winter ones, bells, red and green ribbon, Santa Claus, angels, and so much more.