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12/09/2020 06:00 AMWreath-decorating parties have been a thing for many years, but what better year than this to host one?
It’s outdoors, it’s fun and easy to do even with a mask on, and it’s perfect for the season.
I recently attended a wreath-decorating party and loved my wreath when it was laying flat on the table, but when I hung it, I still loved it, but something seemed off.
So I called my friend Schuyler Beeman, who has helped me plant my bird- and pollinator-friendly garden. Beeman, in addition to being the proprietor of Lodestar Gardening, among his many endeavors, this season started up a new holiday decorating and installation enterprise called Welcoming with Cheer. After a free consultation, he comes up with a plan for outdoor holiday decorations, including garlands, wreaths, pots, and trees. And then he installs it to withstand the winter months ahead.
For years, he’s been a wreath decorator for The Tree Stand, across the street from Big Y, in the parking lot of The Place, 901 Boston Post Road, Guilford.
I sent him a picture of my wreath, hanging on my door, he gave me a few tips to improve it, and we talked about the best way to hold a wreath-decorating party, and the best way to decorate wreaths.
For the party, ask your guests to BYOWreath. They can be purchased at supermarkets, Christmas tree stands, and some farm stands. I got my wreath at Barberry Hill Farm, 353 Boston Post Road, Madison. Others at the party got theirs at Bishops, in Guilford, and at Stop & Shop.
Then pick a date and a rain/snow date, and send out invites to a small group of people. Food and drink is an option, but to keep it super safe, you can also offer food and drink to go, so people can keep their masks on at all times.
Be sure to stock up on decorations, Beeman recommends Michaels art and hobby store, 1919 Boston Post Road Suite 300, Guilford.
Then set up enough tables so that everyone can have enough space to do their work. If people will be sharing tools, provide a package of wipes so that they can be wiped down in between uses.
Here are five tips on wreath decorating from Beeman.
1. Use anything. “Go on an adventure to find what speaks to you, inside and outside of your house. Just go for it. Whatever you think is cool, you can put it on a wreath.”
2. Consider spacing everything so that it’s pleasing to the eye. If you think about a the face of a clock, Beeman recommends focusing on 2 o’clock, 4, 8, and 10 o’clock. “And the bow does not have to be at the top center. It can be at the bottom, or the side. Just throw a bow on it.”
3. Try your best to cover the stem ends of whatever decor you use. You can usually cover it with the greenery of the wreath. “Make sure the decor is nestled in the wreath, rather than just sticking it on top. If you do stick it on top, pull some of the greenery over it.”
4. Supplies. First, consider using a hot glue and a glue gun. “A little hot glue goes a long way. Sometimes you just have got to hot glue it. There’s no shame in it. I hot glue all the time. It may not be the most eco-friendly thing, but sometimes you need it to get stuff to stick on.” He also recommends green floral wire to attach items. Also make sure you have sharp hand pruners to snip the wire, or a very sharp pair of scissors.
5. “Break all the rules. And know that intentional originality that makes you as the creator happy is what will make your creation sing. That’s the biggest thing. Find things that make you happy. Spray a little glitter on it and call it a day. It’s all stuff that will make you happy. And it’s the thing that welcomes you into your home.”
That sentiment was the starting point for his new business idea, Welcoming with Cheer.
Wreaths long have been a tradition associated with welcoming people during the holiday months. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, it is a tradition that hearkens back to the earliest civilizations. “The circle is a symbol of immortality and throughout history wreaths have been associated with life, rejuvenation, and renewal,” the Almanac says. So what better than that to hang on your door to welcome people?
“When you walk into the door, you want to be looking at something that will make you happy,” Beeman says.
He also has another idea, for the end of the season, one he arrived at when he went to a craft store to find wreath rings sold out.
“I am doing a wreath drop-off at the end of the season. Instead of people throwing them in the garbage, I’ll dismantle them, and will be able to re-purpose and re-utilize stuff,” including the wreath rings. “People throw those out all the time, and the metal rings on the inside are perfectly good. It just takes a few snips to make it all fall apart.”
For more information about Beeman’s business and his work, or his wreath recycling, call 203-640-3278, email schuyler.beeman@gmail.com, or visit myway-sky.blogspot.com.