Did you have an exceptionally good yield from your garden this year? Do you have enough spices stored away for cooking?
Why not take your excess herbs and craft beautiful wreaths for yourself, and friends and family? They are easy to do, both useful and beautiful, and a homemade gift that is sure to be appreciated!
Following, you will find easy instructions for drying your herbs and arranging them into a variety of decorative wreaths. Why not give it a try?
To dry the herbs:
Cut fresh herbs and stems at least 6 inches long.
Tie the herbs in bundles with string and hang them upside down to dry for about two weeks.
Or, if you prefer, you can dry them in a single layer in a food dehydrator for 3-4 hours.
To make a wreath, you will need the following:
9 inch white willow wreath
8 small bundles of various dried herbs (try for example, basil, bay leaves, chive flower heads, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme)
30 dried red chili peppers
24-gauge green wire
Fishing line (6 pound test or stronger is best)
4 strands of natural raffia
Cut two 12 inch lengths of wire. String the red chili peppers onto each length. Bunch the wired peppers together, and wrap them onto the willow wreath using additional wire.
Cut a 2 yard length of fishing line and tie the end onto the back of the wreath.
Place one bundle of herbs on the front of the wreath, besides the peppers. Wrap the fishing line around the bundle and the wreath once or twice to hold them in place.
Place the leafy portion of the next bundle over the stems of the previous bundle. Secure with fishing line, and repeat until the ring is complete (try to keep the look of the wreath balanced by alternating bright and bushy herbs as you go around the circle).
Tie the end of the fishing line onto the back of the wreath and trim off the excess.
Tie the strands of natural raffia into a bow and place it at the top of the wreath.
Hang an attractive pair of small scissors from the wreath, so you can easily snip off what you need when you are cooking.
NOTE: To best preserve the look of your wreath and the flavor of the herbs, avoid hanging it in direct sunlight, or in areas of excessive moisture.
You might also want to create a wreath centered around a theme.
Does your family love homemade pizza? Make an Italian wreath with basil, oregano, garlic, and red peppers.
Are you crazy for Mexican food or homemade fresh salsa? Try designing a wreath with a variety of peppers, fresh cilantro, garlic, and onion chives.
For those of you who enjoy sipping herbal teas, try making a wreath with anise, chamomile, cloves, dandelion, lemongrass, mint, raspberry leaves and sassafras.
To make a lovely, fragrant wreath to scent your home, use fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary, and thyme.
Try decorating the wreaths with nice extra touches. For your pizza wreath, adorn it with a red and white checkered bow, reminiscent of the tablecloths you see in Italian restaurants. Add a little sombrero or dangle a pair of castanets from your Mexican wreath. Hang a tea infuser from your herbal tea wreath. Add a nice lace and ribbon sachet pillow to your fragrance wreath. The possibilities are endless — just use your imagination!
To find more beautiful herbal and garden crafts, check out the Garden Crafts Special Issue published by Crafts magazine.
Or visit their website at http://craftsmag.com.
Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com
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