Posted on Mar 12, 2010 under wreaths |
Christmas Tree Fundraising ProgramWith the situationof our economy the McKenzie Village Christmas Tree Fundraising Program is perfect. Many schools, youth groups and sports teams can benefit from having Mckenzie Village fundraiser. Everybodywill be buying a Christmas Tree and and they can now benefit school and various programs, every person wins. The program is Simple with no risk and with great profits. McKenzie Village is one of the largest suppliers of “Fresh Cut Christmas Trees”. it arranges for pre sold trees to be delivered to your location. The key is to start planning early. Using a portion of a parking lot, playground, etc., saves having to rent space to distributeyour trees. Having teachers and students know your program in advanceis paramount to your success. Also, remember to make the deliver an event and look appealing with holiday décor like twinkle lights or holiday yard décor. The programn is Turnkey and simple. Chula Vista High School is only doing two Mckenzie Village fundraisers a year now to meet there funding requirements. Remember to include the information on all signs and advertising: ‘The purchase goes to a good cause!’ Tell your prospective customers that you are raising money for new youth choir robes, that their purchase goes toward new sporting or playground equipment, etc! Who can resist that? When all the work is finished, host a hot cocoa party at the tree lot for all of your valuable volunteers. Any remaining trees can be given to retirement homes, homeless shelters, or to people who would like to have a tree but for whatever reason is unable to get one. Sing some carols and provide some greatcheer! This is Simple, easy, with no risk. Go to Mckenzie Village and sign up now.
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Posted on Mar 09, 2010 under wreaths |
Whenever most people start decorating for the coming Christmas, they typically set up with the Christmas tree and adorn it with lights and other fancy embellishments. It’s true that conventional Christmas ornaments almost constantly seem to focus round the jovial evergreen, with its broad range of adornment choices and unique pine scent.
However, there are ample more potential to help you adorn your home with multicolored touches inspired by Mother Nature and the winter period. The dark green color often linked with the Christmas ornaments are an amazing background for red, gold and silver accents. The twigs of trees such as the Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir or Scotch Pines which can be made to beautify mantelpieces, shape a foundation for center table arrangements or offer a lovely setting for Christmas wreaths.
Here are a few ideas for Christmas decorations to draw out a cheerful look into your home, both inside and out:
1. Centerpiece decoration for the merry table: Do you have a set of petite wicker baskets stored in your kitchen or lying around in your garage? You can make use one of these baskets to shape the foundation of a table ornament for a unique holiday lunch or dinner. Make use of some floral foam or oasis to secure pieces of fir, holly or pine — then put in some accents to set off the design such as berries, pinecones, even tree embellishments.
2. Beautify a doorway or arch by making use of a garland of pine rope. Add some nice touch ups by frilling it with matching colors and shapes such as bows or ribbons, pinecones, dried fruits and full spices.
3. Hang a Christmas wreath on your front door or front porch to greet Christmas carolers and your holiday guests. You can find a broad assortment of designs and types to go well with your taste and match the rest of your holiday decors. If you prefer to make some alterations, search out for extra unique stuff like boxwood as a substitute to the most common holly or pine. You can customize your wreath with natural or painted pinecones or berries — and, of course, jazz it up with a very lovely ribbon to add more elegance and compare its colors!
Should you opt to purchase a standard Christmas wreath, garland or swag, you have all sorts of potential for garnishing it in your own special way. One better feature of these added extras is that you may be capable to disengage them when it’s time to get Christmas ornaments down and store them up for use again for next season. The next Christmas season, you can just take them out from the attic and make a new one.
Wonderful ornaments such as Christmas wreaths, door garlands and swags sets off your Christmas tree and lengthen the winter evergreen theme to other areas of your home, both inside and out. Using some imagination and ingenuity, you can customize store-bought stuff to give them an exceptional look and appeal.
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Posted on Mar 08, 2010 under wreaths |
Christmas wreath can be used as fantastic source of fundraising activity for non-profit groups. Instead of the traditional selling of cookies, children’s candy bars, or cookie dough, selling Christmas wreaths can be a bestseller which would brings in more money and helps draw out a cheerful mood into your locality at the same time.
Christmas wreath fundraising activity is a brilliant way to lend a hand to your neighborhood and assist your group raise funds simultaneously. Sometimes the wreaths that are prepared by non-profit groups have a very viable price and are of first-rate quality. There is an exceptional thing that a Christmas wreath brings with when you learn that the buying has lend a helping hand of a group you would like to support.
There are quite a few companies that recommend a Christmas wreath fundraiser plan, most are accessible online using a simple browsing. These companies permit you to buy wreaths in volumes getting a considerable discount and then put them up for sale at a marked up rate. Many are offering wreaths as affordable as $6 that you can later sell for $24. This is much better than the forty cents that you acquire from a candy bar sale.
There are closing dates and not everybody thinks of their Christmas fundraisers in or before the month of October. For those of you who are getting a bit late getting on track don’t worry, there is still hope. Instead of buying their wreaths out on Thanksgiving Day or through the last week of November more than a few people choose to wait until days closer to Christmas. There are also companies that provide deliveries as late as the week before Christmas.
However, if this still doesn’t work for you, then it is time to take matters in your very hands. To propose a Christmas wreath fund raiser you can opt to make the wreaths yourself. They are fairly easy and all of the supplies except the evergreen branches are available in almost all craft stores all year round.
The finest way to organize a Christmas wreath fundraiser is to secure orders from people before you actually make them. Prior to purchasing your supplies you should have a list of placed orders by customers ready. Collect for these sales as soon as the order is placed, this will keep your group from all the hassle when the people who placed their orders are unexpectedly not home at the time of delivery and have actually moved without leaving a forwarding address from costing you the capital you considered making. Have the outstanding balance due a few days prior to your plan of purchase so those final stragglers can get their as well.
After receiving your orders you can acquire your materials or your pre-made wreaths. You can regularly make a few more sales at the last minute so you might want to consider picking up a few extra ones to sell as you are delivering the ordered wreaths.
Christmas wreaths hanged on front doors of homes around the community always draw out a cheerful mood to the area. Fundraisers can have some inconveniences, so make sure to set up a scheduled time for them and you are guaranteed a better result. Good planning is the answer to making your Christmas wreath fund raising activity a success.
Technorati Tags: christmas, fundraisers, Organizing, Wreath
Posted on Mar 07, 2010 under wreaths |
Christmas wreaths are considered an age-old Christmas custom that is used to adorn the outside of the house, usually on the front door, to welcome with a festive greeting.
Preparing the needed materials
To create a Christmas wreath you will need a wreath ring, a florist wire which can be bought from your local florist and some plants.
Collect interesting plants around the local park, on the countryside, or even in your own garden. Gather some evergreens, ivy, green and silvery grey leaves, and conifers.
In addition look out for some holly or other undergrowth that bear berries or berry-like fruits. Berries add color and elegance to the wreath. Look for some dried seedpods like poppies, and pinecones. Spray on some silver and gold paint on your collected seedpods to add attention to the wreath. Should you decide to use spray paint on any of these pieces, do it a few days to give the paint some time to dry. When using spray paint, always remember to follow strictly the instructions on its use found at the back of the can.
Making the wreath
To put together pieces of shrubs to the wreath ring, you need to cut a piece of wire and bind it around the lower end of the shrubs, then twist the wire around the wreath ring with one more piece of wire. Go over the same process until you reach an inch or two down the stem.
At the first encircling of the wreath, the shrubs will fall off a little bit, but the more shrubs you put on, the more it will become steady. Keep working on a flat tabletop to put off further movements.
However there are specific rules that you should always remember.
Use the interior and external rings as split ’rounds’, stuffing both rings makes a full lush wreath.
You will come across later on, that you can actually make rounds appear following a direction. This happens when all the stems lay on the same direction. Wreaths look finest if a round pattern follows the similar direction. However, the two rings on the wreath ring don’t essentially have to go in the equivalent direction.
Put aside the ‘feature’ or fancier items lastly, so that they stand out on the topmost layer of the Christmas wreath where they can be easily spot on.
To add some pine cones, bind some wire at the base part of the cone seeds, and entwine the two wire stems together tightly. Push the wire into the wreath and entwine them as one at the back of the wreath. You could also add some Christmas baubles by wiring them on or use other ornaments to add more glamour and beauty to you Christmas wreath.
When your Christmas wreath is finally finished, hang it on your front door for all the guests to see and appreciate. Remember, you need not to spend a lot of money just to make a beautiful Christmas wreath. All it takes is some skills and imagination and you’ll surely have pretty one hanging on your door or lying on top of your table.
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Posted on Mar 07, 2010 under wreaths |
Christmas wreaths are a common sight on doors, above fireplaces, in homes during Christmas season. The use of Christmas wreaths dates back hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. A lot of historians think that the very first wreaths came from the Persian Empire, when the royal family and members of the superior class wore headdresses, or cloth headbands laden with precious jewels. Soon, other cultures became captivated with this practice and later on adopted it for themselves.
Around 800 B.C., the Greeks began to distinguish the champions of their Olympic tournament by crowning them with wreaths made from laurel tree branches and leaves. After several years, when the tournament were held from city to city, branches and leaves from local trees were utilized to create these victory wreaths for the champions. At the time of Roman Empire, military leaders and politicians wore crowns of leaves and other greeneries. For example, Julius Caesar wears a crown of a wreath made from fresh laurel branches and leaves. The evolution of the wreath from a headdress to a wall ornament is believed to have transpired when athletes or conquering military leaders arrived home, and they would hang up their headdresses on their walls, as a cup of their success.
Other cultures such as the Egyptian, Chinese, and Hebrew were also famous to have used wreaths made of evergreen branches to symbolize of eternal life, as the conifer trees stayed green all the way through the winter months. After the birth of Jesus Christ, the wreath made from evergreen twigs and leaves came to represent the conquest of life from the long winter months.
The Advent wreath as well grows to be a famous holiday custom after the birth of Christ. This piece of ornament was generally placed flat on a table and was used to count down the four weeks before Christmas. Customarily the wreath was built with four candles in a circle and one candle in the middle of it. The four outside candles were either purple or violet, and the center candle white. Four weeks before Christmas, the first purple or violet candle would be lit. The following week, another candle would be lit, and so on, until the white candle in the center is finally lit on Christmas Eve or day, suggestive of Christ birth. A brief prayer was said every time a candle is lit. The principle behind lighting the last candle in the middle of the wreath is to remind us that we should keep Christ at the center of our lives and the core of the Christmas celebration.
It is also assumed that Europeans hang wreaths on their doors to characterize their family identity, more like a family crest. The wreaths were made from garden produce in their own gardens, like grapevines, flowers, and many others. The constructing of these wreaths was a family custom that go after the similar common pattern every year.
These days, wreaths are still commonly used around the globe. In the U.S., wreaths are a conventional ornament for Christmas, as well as other events all throughout the year. Wreaths now beautify doors for Halloween, Easter, and Valentine’s Day. What’s more, wreaths are no longer restricted to using evergreen twigs and leaves. Nowadays, we can check out craft stores, books, and television shows featuring some of the most unique wreaths made from a selection of remarkable materials.
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Posted on Mar 06, 2010 under wreaths |
Whenever we think of wreaths, most of us naturally visualize a conventional wreath made of greenery and twigs. This usually comes with a bow of some sort and maybe pinecones. While these conventional Christmas wreath will always be a resolute preference, there are more than one ways to adorn and utilize wreaths. By taking a new approach to an age-old ornament, you can make something definitely exceptional and special that will be a showpiece in your home for coming years ahead. Here are a small number of things to think about when you alter your idea of wreaths:
Setting
This will probably have the major impact on the formation and material of your wreath. Apparently if the setting is outdoors, the wreath must be made of durable materials. Indoor wreaths are mainly considered by their setting in the home, as their structure and ornaments will likely mirror their surroundings.
Arrangement
Customarily, wreaths are hung above hearths and on front doors. On the other hand, it is entirely up to you where the wreath must go. Here are a few special ideas you might want to consider:
Windowpanes: Use a double-sided wreath hanger, like ribbons, chains, or nice rope and hang it facing outside or inside.
On the mirror: The dimension of your mirror will determine the size of your wreath.
On a lighted wall: Anyplace in the house.
Dining chairs: Little wreaths can be used to decorate the back of a dining chair by tying a bright ribbon.
Dining Table: Set it on a table and add candles or a bowl of fruit in the center of it.
C
hristmas tree: Wreaths made from different materials can be utilized to adorn a Christmas tree for an extra touch of sophistication.
Gift Packages: Use a tiny wreath tied with a ribbon to a special gift.
Dimension
The setting of your wreath will typically establish its size. Wreath sizes may differ a lot; but, most indoor wreaths ranges from 6 to 48 inches. An outdoor wreath utilized as a main point on a home’s peripheral might be as big as 70 inches in diameter.
Material Used
The material used on your wreath will significantly have an impact on its general design and look. While the choices are boundless, below are a few ideas you can start with:
Fresh or Synthetic
Natural materials may include pinecones, straw, wheat, grapevines, nuts, fresh or dried leaves, leaves, fresh or dried flowers, shells, and many others.
Synthetic materials may include Christmas balls, cloth, ribbons, art papers, styrofoam, or metal.
Ornaments
At last the fun stuff! Imagination is the limit when we talk about a wreath’s decoration. In embellishing your wreath, it’s necessary to think about the place where you are going to place the wreath (for instance, an outdoor wreath should have resilient embellishments), and who will be benefiting from it. Here are a few ideas you might want to consider.
Family room: You may use the same color and maybe the same decorations on your tree.
The Kitchen: Make an effort to decorate using cookie cutters, and other kitchen utensils
Kid’s Room: Hand made decorations, children’s toys, candy canes, etc.
No matter what your choices are, always keep in mind to have fun and use your imagination!
Your completed wreath will definitely be special, and you will want to keep it so that you can still use it in the following year. Make sure to think about this when you store it away by using products that are heavy-duty and handy. There are lots of wreath storage boxes available on the market today and will keep your wreaths cosseted while in storage. By selecting an ideal storage container, it is a guarantee that your wreath can be used and enjoyed for the many years to ahead.
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Posted on Mar 05, 2010 under dried foliage |
Festive arrangements with dried and preserved materials always look especially lovely at Christmas and other holiday times. We all make more effort for special occasions and want our houses to look particularly warm and welcoming. As there are many presents given and parties to go to during this festive season, this is a good opportunity to give something just a little out of the ordinary.
Dried herbs blend in very well with more traditional Christmas decorations such as pine cones, nuts and cinnamon sticks. Gilded poppy heads mixed with bunches of roses, purple marjoram, gilded cones and dark burgundy tartan ribbons look amazing. In many cases, reasonably-sized clusters of an herb look much more powerful than individual sprays, which give a much weaker effect.
Ivory or natural beeswax candles blend in with most color schemes and give an elegant, traditional feel to an arrangement. Welcoming flowers and scents are a sure way to make guests feel at home and comfortable. One note of caution, however: by their very nature, dried materials are a fire hazard and, if you are arranging them with candles that will be lit, they must not be left unattended. Make sure the candles are well above the arrangement and blow them out and replace them once they burn down too near the foliage. Dried flower arrangements must also not be placed too near open fires where sparks can set light to them. Apart from this problem with fire, the only other hazard seems to be cats, who love dried flowers and foliage at the best of times. Include plenty of dried herbs, especially catmint, in an arrangement and you can probably guarantee a good cabaret while the cat races around ripping the arrangement to pieces!
Herbs on the Christmas Tree
There are several spots on the Christmas tree where you could tuck an herbal arrangement or tiny wreaths of herbal flowers and foliage to add to the natural pine scent of the tree. Decorated pine cones with clusters of herbs and ribbons to hang on the tree, and miniature baskets of dried herbs tied with a festive gold cord add an unusual touch and fragrance. As there are so many family gatherings at this time of year, why not make some decorations for the tree as a family present?
Miniature Sacks
A miniature sack of herbs can be made from a piece of hessian or burlap 6×2 inches. Fold it in half along the longer edge and stitch together to two side seams. Turn it right sides out, fill with strong-smelling dried herbs and tie with an elastic band. Then decorate the sack with a red or green ribbon, miniature pine cones and some holly.
Stockings Filled with Herbs
Small socks or stockings can be cut from any cotton material with a festive color scheme or pattern. Cut out two identical pieces and sew round the edges, leaving the top open. If you sew with a contrasting thread, say holly green on red material, it doesn’t matter if the stitches show as they can be part of the design. Alternatively, you can place the two pieces of material with right sides together and sew with a matching cotton, then very carefully turn the stocking inside out. This is more difficult but looks neater. Then fill the stocking with scented dried herbs and stitch across the top. The stocking can then be decorated with festive bits and pieces, such as gold-sprayed miniature cones and holly berries.
Little Balls of Herbs
Small polystyrene spheres, 1 inch in diameter, can be made into herbal Christmas tree decorations. Cover them in a solution of latex adhesive, watered down slightly so it is easier to apply. Dip these balls in dried lavender or stick herbal flower heads, such as oregano or marjoram, all over the balls and trim with tiny ribbons. A set of balls in shades of misty lavender and greeny-grey, trimmed with narrow pale pink ribbons, looks very dainty and unusual.
Christmas Swags and Garlands
A swag of dried herbs and flowers hung across a mantelpiece or round a doorway is a lovely way of welcoming your guests. If you have the time and patience, you could make one for a friend and give it as a wonderful pre-Christmas surprise. Placing unusual herbal foliage or flowers in a festive garland provides extra points of interest. Cones and berries are a must for a traditional look, whether left in their natural shades or gilded. Small kumquats could be included because they are daintier than oranges. Tartan ribbons and bunches of lavender, bay, holly, rosemary and sage are complemented by sprays of brilliant red roses, cream peonies and pink carnations. Dried flowers can look just as lovely as fresh arrangements and last far longer.
However, another warning note must be sounded regarding mantelpiece arrangements. Do take care to fix the swag very firmly across the mantelpiece, as open fires and dried flowers do not mix and it only takes seconds for an arrangement to fall into the dying embers of a fire and go up in smoke.
Making a Swag or Garland
Although somewhat time-consuming, swags or garlands are not too difficult to make. Measure the length of decoration required and cut a piece of rope or colored cord to that measurement, plus 4 inches for loops at each end. Choose your combination of ingredients (you will need more than you think), including some ribbons, something bulky like pine cones and a selection of foliage such as spruce or holly to form the basis of the swag.
Wire all the ingredients into small bunches approximately 3 inches long using fine floristry wire. Make plenty of bunches of each type of ingredient. Pine cones are wired by inserting the end of a medium strength wire into the scales and then wrapping it around the cone, leaving a stem to wire on to the garland.
Taking the piece of cord, bend 2 inches over at each end and wire on to the main cord to make a strong loop. Start with a feathery piece of foliage and, using a fine to medium strength piece of wire, attach it to the cord. trim off the excess wire once the bunch is attached. Continue along the cord wiring with a new piece of wire for each bunch and trimming any unnecessary wire each time. When you reach the middle of the length of cord, turn the bunches so that they face the opposite direction. You may have to wire extra very short bunches into the middle to pad it out a little, or alternatively you can get out that glue gun again!
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Posted on Mar 02, 2010 under wreaths |
Christmas wreaths are one of the most important Christmas decorations that we put up during the holiday season. Wreaths have had a long past and they are one of the first decorations until now. However, have you considered its past and why it is important?The significance of Christmas WreathsWreaths were taken to symbolize a person’s divine favor, back in the day. It was taken to mean that the person wearing it was important in the eyes of god. In the wreath, the circle signified eternity since there was no beginning and no end in a circle. Romans looked at the wreath, as a sign that the god Apollo was bestowing a good favor to the wearer. On the other hand, the Druids believed that the circle and the wreath meant that humans had surpassed the normal human timeline. As time kept pressing, all of these beliefs were mixed and integrated. Thus, it gave birth to the kind of belief we have today. Christianity became a major influence all over the world and it influenced the meaning of the wreaths as well. Many people today look at the wreath and believe that it symbolizes the Lord’s undying love. Today, the red holly as well as the scarlet ribbon, usually found in wreaths, came to symbolize the blood that Jesus shed for us. On the other hand, the Christmas wreaths also came to mean the crown of thorns that the Lord wore during crucifixion.You can also check out more info on..Christmas Tree Ornaments
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Posted on Mar 02, 2010 under how to dry flowers |
In your calendar, December 25 is marked as Christmas day. For the coming of this event, we often have a month long preparation. We decorate our houses with lots of Christmas ornaments and play loud music of Christmas carols. In this holiday season, flowers and plants have played a particular role. They come from varying kinds, colors, and designs. The colorful flowers add the festival atmosphere for the Christmas holiday. And people usually take the flowers as the Christmas gifts for their friends.
The most famous flowers used during this season are poinsettia and winter rose. Sometimes we are confused of which would best fit our taste, having the real ones or the fake one. The different kinds of flowers have the different effects.
Despite that the real Christmas flowers are subjected to getting dried and will not last long a period of time, having real Christmas flowers is most recommendable during the big day – the Christmas day itself. On the other hand, ornamental Christmas flowers provide you a lasting beauty. They’re not prone to dry and very cost effective.
Real Christmas flowers have the natural scent which adds to their beauty while fake Christmas flowers has to be given scents just for it to smell good.
Real flowers needs a lot of time for maintenance while fake Christmas flowers do not require such high maintenance.
You should have the knowledge of how to take good care of Christmas flowers. If you can take care of the real flower well, you will have a happy holiday. And you will save a lot of money if you take care of the fake flowers well since you can use it next year.
Christmas flowers need not to be expensive. Creating your own design is more beneficial and is a good family activity. Vast your imagination and create a craft that you could somehow be proud of.
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Posted on Mar 01, 2010 under wreaths |
The Christmas wreath is as popular today as it was when it was first introduced to the world. People take great pains to make these beautiful Christmas decorations but most people have no idea just how far back the tradition of the wreath really goes. It goes back to Pagan times and the ancient culture of the Persian Empire. The wreath that was hung on the doors of the family homes during this time was actually a symbol of wealth and importance. Granted, the wreaths of the Persian Empire were smaller than the ones that hang on doors today. As a matter of fact, they were worn on the head and were encrusted with jewels. The Greeks made wreaths of laurel that were placed on the heads of winning athletes during the Olympic Games.
This tradition was continued by the Romans and they were worn on the heads of leaders, such as Julius Caesar. Eventually they moved from headgear to wall and door decorations, possibly as a souvenir of the athlete’s victory. It is believed that this is how the tradition of hanging them on the wall was born. From here the tradition of hanging a wreath made of evergreen was started and it moved into Eastern Europe. The wreath was decorated with candles and lit during the cold winter evening in order to help rush in spring and the good weather.
The Christmas wreath tradition moved from pagan traditions to a Christian tradition, typically used by the Catholics. The wreath was hung up during Advent and they usually had four candles in the middle of the evergreen circle. The wreath today is a circle, signifying that it had no beginning and no end and is considered in the Christian religion a symbol of God and eternity. The candles in the wreath were traditionally white or three violets and one rose. Each candle was lit everyday with the exception of the middle candle which was not lit until Christmas Eve. They were usually lit right before dinner.
The Christmas wreath is quite often made of evergreen boughs of holly and they can be real or artificial. While an artificial wreath will last considerably longer, they don’t have the same smell as a fresh wreath when made of real pine and other items. It can be decorated today with traditional items, such as pine cones, fruits, berries, lace and ribbon or it can be made with more modern materials for a different look.
Whether you hand make a Christmas wreath or buy one from the store it is important to remember how the wreath got its start and to reflect upon what it means to you and your family. These holiday decorations are a joy to behold on every door and make your home look warm and inviting no matter how you decorate it.
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