Looking for a fun project to keep little hands occupied during holiday decorating season? Give the vine wreath a try!
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A wreath handmade by eight-year-old Zoe |
Zoe pounced upon this book practically the moment it came in the house. After a suspiciously quiet hour this afternoon, I found her doing this.
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Zoe at work |
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Tying the wreath |
“I had nothing else to do. I looked at the book and I decided to do the Vine Wreath because it’s the only one that I had the materials for. And then I went outside and did it. I used old plant stems and dead flowers and a few leaves and string. I also like the God’s Eye, the Chess Set and the Woodland Basket and the Moss and Cornhusk House.” —Susie Chang (mom) and Zoe te Velde (8)
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Zoe alongside her creation |
Here’s how your little ones can make their own vine wreaths at home:
Vine Wreath
Difficulty level: easyA huge number of plants can be woven to make items that are useful or pretty, or both. When you collect vines, choose ones that are thin enough to bend and tie easily, such as Virginia creeper, honeysuckle, kudzu, and wisteria — or anything else without thorns or briars.
You will need:
- old sheet or towel
- several lengths of bendable vine (for example, honeysuckle, wisteria, Virginia creeper, vinca)
- 1 jar or can at least 2½ inches in diameter (the size of the can determines the size of the wreath)
- small twistie ties, if needed
- craft glue, if needed
- narrow ribbon, sheet moss, cones, and other decorative items
How to do it:
1. Cover your work area with a sheet or towel. Hold one end of a vine against the jar and wrap the vine around it twice, forming a double circle.
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Step 1 |
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Step 2 |
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Step 3 |
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Step 4 |
Photos courtesy of T. Susan Chang. Project excerpted from Nature’s Art Box. Text © 2003 by Laura C. Martin. Drawings © 2003 by David Cain. All rights reserved.
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