A tradition of decorat-
“ing homes with green-

. ery for mid-winter fes-
tivities was a common
- practice in Britain in
Celtic times and one we
still practise today.

Most peopie, however,
limit their decorations to a
few attractive wreaths, swags
or table centres. There are
many ready-made arrange-
ments available but the home-
made items have more mean-

‘ ing and can be fun projects
for the whole family.

.. Christmas decorations are sur-

-Prisingly casy to construct if

grows

you have a few simple materi-
als and tools. ;

Rather than starting with a
commercial wire wreath base .
you can make your own hoop
using a variety of plant mate-
rials. Almost any long vine
such as grape, ivy, kiwi or wis-

"Protect your tr home from stormy winter weather with strong

° Insulated rolishutters. You know what North Shore winters

are like. Cold blowing winds, driving rain and eventually the | -

snow and ice, Exterior mounted TALIUS Rollshutters-.
veniently operated from. the comfort of inside your’: -

fome, prowang it from’ rain, ‘stow’ and flying debris’ in-

when you're away, and offer added"
‘floor, arid basement openines when:

NENG EPL TRE Fae TIAA ETERS EPP CEN

: th th

teria can be cut and woven
into a hoop for a base. Long
branches from weeping wil-
iow or yellow and red osier
also work well. Remember to
stagger the ends of the
branches or vine around dhe
circle as vou build up the
base.

Moss for covering the
hoop is not in short supply on
the North Shore. Rake it cut
of your lawn or strip it off a
shady section of ground.
Using a large handiul at a
time, mount the moss on the
base and tic i in place with a
mono-filament or very fine
wire. The diameter of the
moss-covered hoop should be

Our more then 25 years a asa steading manufacturer in the hoine’ enhancement industry ensure that
you'll receive not only st the best quality Products, but also the 6 reliable and Hendy. service we've buile

“SAVE i 5%.

* onthe materials price.

of all residential’
_- rollshutters purchased
by. December 23, 2000.

about six to eight centimetres.

Add a loop of wire or fila-
ment to the hoop betore vou
start adding greenery so the
wreath can be hung from a
door. This will determine the
top of the wreath and the pat-
tern of assembly.

There are two ways of
arranging the greenery on the
base. In one case you can
start at the bottom and sys-.
tematically work around the
circle. A ribbon or ornament
can be placed over the junc-
tion at the bottom of the
wreath. A second way is to
start at the top and work
down both sides meeting at_
the bottom. This second
approach works well when the

greenery you are using is less

1.38ct with
-82ct tw round
brilliant-cut diamonds.

rigid. The top junction in this
case will be more obvious and
can be covered again by a rib-
bon, wired pine cones or a
collection of nuts glued on a
cardboard base.

The choice of greenery for
the wreath is limited only by -
your imagination and what is
readily available in your arca.
The colour of the door or
wall where you intend to
hang the wreath may also be.
a factor to consider. |

Cut the leaves and side
shoots off the foliage you are
using and cut the end of the
twig at a sharp angle to make
it easier to slip it into the

damp moss and under the fil-:

ament or wire. Add only cne
type of foliage at a time to

18 kt white gold filligree band. $2,730. °

While at Trio, ask about having your old fold
and gemstones r refashioned i into new w Jewellery

Frio Diamond & Gold | |

Showroom above Bank of Montreal:

2 #26 - 1501 Lonsdale -

“986-9591.

jade wreaths —

“maintain balance and unifor-
mity and star: with the one.
you want for a background.
Then add secondary materials
or those that will highlight
the wreath with colour or tex-

ture. Variegated material and ».*:

berries can make the differ-
ence between an ordinary ©°
wreath and a striking one.
Some ef the material may"
have io be tied with more fil-'- -
ament or natural-coloured.
twine. | :
Step back from the wreath

occasionally and check the
:» shape,

balance and coverage
from different angles. The
back of the wreath will be flat
but boti sides and the front’
have to be filly covered,
bushy and uniform.
Traditional background
material for wreaths can be
short-needled Mugo pine, -
mature, bushy Douglas fir or.
western red cedar. Cedar...”
boughs tend to be’fiat and
you will need many more

> Sprigs of greenery to give the .

wreath a full took. Some of
the yew, cypress and junipers
can also be used but are hard:
er to work with. Colorado
blue spruce makes an‘excel

’ lent wreath but, unfortunat

iy, is not readily available::::

Mariegated conifers look bes’
-whea used on a dark doo

 Nariegated accent plants
and berms that look good on

“wreaths are goldheart ivy,’
-- Hlacagmus; Silver Queen:

Euonymus, holly and:
cotoneaster. If you want more