A Festive Wreath

Since moving to the country this summer (OK it's only zone 2 but I do have a garden) I've had grand ideas about growing vegetables, table tennis on the lawn and brick built barbecues: needless to say they have all come to nought. But my new garden has finally paid off.

As well as having some outside space we also have a proper front door with its own little porch so this year I was determined to have a Christmas wreath. I had a look online but decided I wanted a fresh wreath rather than one of the - admittedly very good - fake ones. Also, much as I love modern, abstract, designer wreaths, what I had set my heart on was a good old-fashioned bit of festive cheer. Having failed to find anything online I had a look in the numerous florists and garden centres in the area but when I saw that the going rate for a large wreath was in the region of £45 I decided I'd have a go at making my own.

Typically, once I'd made up my mind I wanted to do it immediately. This meant that rather than sourcing a cheap wreath ring online I paid (a frankly silly) £8.95 for a vine one from my local garden centre. But to soften the blow they did round-up my entire haul - which included dried oranges, cinnamon sticks, pine cones and dried lotus seed pods - to £10.50. I then purchased 3 packs of florist wire and a pretty deep-pink wired ribbon bringing my total spend to about £15.

And that was the end of the costs as everything else came from my garden. I collected a whole bunch of stuff but in the end just used some sort of pine-type stuff (I never said I was a gardener) to cover the vine wreath and then overlaid some pretty green and white holly which was hanging into my garden from next door (thanks neighbours!). Then it was just a matter of glueing the cinammon sticks together and tying them with some gold ribbon I had already, and then wiring everything to the foliage covered ring. The finishing touch was to make a bow from ribbon and that was it - my very own festive wreath.

I have to admit to being rather pleased with it: in fact I didn't see anything in the shops I liked better - and I'm including some that were in excess of £50. And the beauty is that next year I can re-use the ring and maybe even some of the dried stuff so it will cost me next to nothing. I'd be feeling like a proper Christmas queen if it wasn't for the fact that I haven't yet bought a single present or written any cards. Still, one step at a time.

Industrious in the Kitchen

 

I love those little coincidences that the blogosphere throws up. A few months ago one of the Berlin blogs that I like to read posted about the Pomeranza Design Ranch which happens to be co-owned by a friend of mine. As well as being pleased that she was getting a positive write-up about her venture, I was also interested to find out about one of their products I hadn't spotted before: Grubentücher. These cotton/linen towels were apparently used by miners in Germany's industrial Ruhr area to clean themselves up after a hard day down't pit. Their absorbency and robust design means they are now finding a new popularity in the kitchen. I made a mental note to check them out next time I went into the shop and then promptly forgot all about them.

Fast forward four months to last Friday where I find myself clutching a beautifully wrapped birthday present from my Pomeranza friend & her partner, and when I open it what do I find but a lovely Grubentuch. Now if that isn't the universe telling me I needed one of these babies in my life then I don't know what's going on.

Certainly, anything that makes drying up more fun (and I'm reliably informed they do that job remarkably well) is just fine by me. Hurrah for beautiful fabrics with a bit of history thrown in (and industrial history too, my favourite), and hurrah for thoughtful friends who know just the right presents to get you for your birthday.