Better Homes and Gardens® Best of Christmas Ideas

Excerpt

Ribbon Wreath
MATERIALS
* Velvet, satin, and taffeta ribbon in shades of green
* Florist's wire
* Florist's picks
* Plastic-foam wreath form
* White ornaments
* Glue gun and hotmelt adhesive
INSTRUCTIONS
Cut lengths of velvet, satin, and taffeta ribbons. Fold the
ribbon into loops, and wire several loops onto a florist's
pick. Cover the surface of the plastic-foam wreath form
with the ribbons, alternating ribbon types, shades, and
heights for optimal interest. Nestle pearly white ornaments
between the loops, and hot-glue them in place. Make the finishing
bow by layering velvet ribbon loops onto a longer piece of ribbon
and hot-gluing them in place. Wire the bow to a pick, and anchor it to the wreath bottom.

Lily Grass Wreath
MATERIALS
* Florist's-foam wreath form
* Chicken wire
* Lily grass
* Silver florist's wire
* Florist's pins
* Silver ornaments
* Banana leaf
INSTRUCTIONS
Soak a florist's-foam wreath form in water overnight; then
wrap it with chicken wire. Wrap thin silver wire around bunches
of lily grass. Stick one end of each bundle into the wet foam
and wind the grass around the wreath, securing as needed
with florist's pins. Twist and overlap the bundles for a loosely
braided effect. Wire small silver ornaments in place; then
shape a billowy bow from loops of lily grass cinched with a
banana leaf. Wire the bow to the wreath bottom.

Candy-Cane Wreath
MATERIALS
* Plastic-foam wreath form
* White satin ribbon
* Glue gun and hotmelt adhesive
* Mini candy canes
* Small red ornaments
* Red and red-and-white striped ribbon
INSTRUCTIONS
Wrap a plastic-foam wreath form with white
satin ribbon. Layer on the candy canes every which way,
hot-gluing them in place. Hot-glue red ornaments atop the candy
canes. Fashion a bow from three lengths of ribbon shaped into
progressively smaller circles. Stack the ribbon circles, staple
them at the center, wrap with another piece of ribbon around all
three, and hot-glue a pair of tails to the back before affixing them
to the bottom of the wreath with hot glue.