While We Wait …

This time of year when nature is in abundance, the inspiration to create with it isn’t hard to find. Last fall I started making wreaths from the wild grapevines that were choking out the evergreen trees nearby. Wild grapevines are beautiful but also very invasive so they’re a perfect material to forage since their loss is a benefit to the existing canopy. You can find wild grapevines all over the place once you start looking for them, even in city backyards.

While I formed the wreaths, I tasked my children with finding the adornments. My little boy has probably taken to this task with the most enthusiasm and his triumphant expression as he proudly marched down the street holding a fluffy cattail above his head made my heart swell. My daughter turned some small wreaths into crowns and proclaimed herself a nature witch, and I am so here for it.

Here are instructions on how to make your own grapevine wreaths. They tell you to soak the grapevines to make them more pliable, but I’ve never bothered because I’ve never had any trouble finding vines that bend well. These wreaths will last many years and you can change their adornments based on the season.