Steel Magnolias

Is it just me or is anyone else shocked that Christmas is next week? I’m not really sure where the past month went but ready or not, here comes Santa.

As I mentioned in my last post, I decided to tackle wreath making. I read an article in Southern Living on how to make a magnolia wreath and thought it would be the perfect Southern touch to my Manhattan abode. Plus, the ones at Pottery Barn were going for $100 and I have better things to spend my money on - like shoes, er, Christmas presents.

My mom shipped magnolia leaves up from NC, so I had that part covered. Now I just needed an oasis wreath. How hard could it be to find? Well, I called over six florists and none had oasis wreaths. Fortunately, I learned that NYC has a flower district (28th and 7th Ave), who knew? So off I went. Here’s a little tidbit for ya’ll – styrofoam and oasis are not the same thing, even if the styrofoam is green (this is probably obvious to most people, but it wasn't to me. Go ahead, you can laugh). The next day I went back and finally found my oasis wreath. My low-cost project was quickly becoming pricey.

So here we go. Let’s make a wreath. These steps are from the December 09 issue of Southern Living:

* Start with a 15-inch florist foam wreath that has been soaked in water. I used an 8.5 one.
* Set the florist foam wreath on an empty 3-gallon nursery pot. I used a bucket.
* Insert individual leaves directly into the foam so they are perpendicular to the form. No need for wire or glue. Four concentric rings of leaves will cover the wreath. I did five or six.

And check out mine below. Not so bad eh?

The leaves have started to brown a bit, but it doesn't bother me too much - gives it a little more charm dontcha think?