Time to pull the ivy out of the street tree and cut it off to the ground. Can’t totally remove it as it makes good ground cover on the verge. It is tough and green and survives with irregular watering.
The ivy, planted as ground cover, has spread up the verge tree and needs cutting and pulling out of the tree. Dusty work and frequent showers of bark when we pulled out the long, cut off pieces of ivy.
I made a pile of the thinnest most pliable lengths of ivy to use to make the wreath. The pieces need to be “strappy” so they can be formed into a circle.
Stripped the leaves from the long pieces of ivy.
Make a circle with a long piece, joining and twisting any extra length into the circle. Hold the end in place with a peg. Take another piece, tuck the end between the two pieces and then weave it in and out around the circle, tucking the end between the original pieces and holding it with a peg. It becomes stronger and more secure as more pieces are added and the pegs can be removed.
The wreath becomes a more regular shape as more pieces are woven into place. The wreath can be as thick or thin as desired but about eight long pieces are needed to make a sturdy base.
When the wreath is strong, add pieces of ivy without stripping the leaves. Start by holding the piece in the middle and weave it one way up to the end, tuck it between base pieces then twist the other half going the other way, tucking that end in, too. Just keep adding pieces until you are happy with the look of your wreath.
Keep adding lengths until the wreath looks finished.
At this stage you can hang it or add more elements to the leaves, such as baubles or bows if you want a Christmas theme. The leaves will droop and die in five days in Western Australia’s heat. Then the leaves can be pulled off or the pieces with leaves can be unraveled back to the bare wreath to add other decorations.
Leave some pieces unwoven and hanging for a really rustic looking wreath.
The hanger which I add at the end is a bent piece of craft wire. I hook it over several pieces of the wreath then squeeze the ends in to make the hanger secure.
This creates a secure way to hang the wreath. Usually it is covered by the ivy leaves.
After I’d removed the leafy ivy strands I twisted fairy lights around the wreath. They look very pretty.
The bare wreath can be stored for using later and added to if you want a sturdier circle. Just lay it flat until you need it again.
Today is EVALUATE YOUR LIFE DAY. Is it time to step back and look at your life? Are you happy, healthy and achieving your goals? Today is the day to evaluate your progress and make new plans.