The holiday season is officially here and soon everyone will be knocking at your door. Whether you live in a house or an apartment I have a strong opinion: hang a wreath! It can be either real or artificial, store-bought or hand-made (or embellished!), but nothing else marks your home as “ready for holiday guests” as a wreath.
Our response to them is hard-wired into our human consciousness, but not just from Christmas. Wreaths have existed in various forms since the time of the ancient Romans, and types of wreaths show up in any cultures. One of the earliest decorative uses of wreaths was as a way to identify families and houses – different styles and motifs were used the way we use house numbers today.
It’s no surprise that this ancient, woven shape of greenery became imbued with Christmas symbolism, and thus incorporated into Christmas decorations. The shape of a circle has no beginning and no ending; so a wreath can represent the eternal nature of a god’s love, or the circle of life. Evergreens are early symbols of immortality, and during the winter they further symbolize triumph over lifelessness. Wreaths have a long tradition of meaning behind them, and it’s no wonder that they are now a permanent fixture in the festive season.
Over the years I have done how-to demos and workshops on creating wreaths; when you make your own or add to a store-bought one they become personalized and more than just a decorative touch for our wall or door.
If your door isn’t complete, are you ready to get creative? One of my fan-favorite articles is “Holiday Wreaths,“ how to embellish a store-bought wreath to make it your own – so to help you make the most of your time I’ve re-posted the article on my homepage. It’s not complicated at all and you get a MARvelous result every time.
Have fun, and make sure you send me photos of your creations as I would love to see what you have come up with.
