Wreath Making for all Occasions

April 18, 2022

Decorative wreaths are an attractive way to bring seasonal greenery and flowers into our homes, and this guide provides an overview of wreath-making basics, from simple, minimalist designs to more traditional styles. Coombes (Backpacker Points and the Quest for Aunt Sheila) focuses on eco-friendly materials--you won't find any floral foam or plastic flowers here--and there are plenty of options for creative reuse highlighted throughout the book. Foraged materials, such as willow withies, driftwood, and pine cones, also feature prominently, although commercially available substitutes are suggested. Coombes begins with basic willow-based wreaths, a rustic style that can be adapted to suit a variety of tastes, moving into wreaths whose structure is provided by a wire, wooden, or cardboard base. Each project includes a full list of materials, as well as step-by-step instructions with color photographs of key steps, and there are also smaller, wreath-adjacent projects to help crafters use up leftover materials, such as a lavender bottle made from lavender stems and ribbon, and a candle ring made from foraged pinecones. VERDICT Crafters with an interest in both home d�cor and eco-friendly projects will find much to enjoy in this nicely assembled collection.--Nanette Donohue

Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2022
More than 20 rings, stars, and balls add a crafter's creative sparkle to the traditional door decor. Dedicated to environmental tenets, Danish-born author Coombes strongly recommends avoiding all things plastic, steering makers instead to natural materials like willow, moss, and straw. Every step of her projects is well photographed and explained, whether developing a heart or wreath shape as a base or finishing a string bird's nest, complete with wooden eggs and easy-to-sew birds. Access to a garden and florist would be ideal, but Coombes also offers projects using sewing leftovers (buttons and the like), beach findings, and yarn, among other materials. It's worth noting that the "booklover's valentine" uses pages of paperback books for crafting flowers, which will break some book lovers' hearts. Occasional jargon, like withies and secateurs, do somewhat hamper the flow of her narrative, and only metric measurements are included.

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