The History of the Pumpkin
The Pumpkin is an ancient symbol of fertility and rebirth and, was widely used by the American settlers in the 1800s. The word pumpkin originated as Pepon from Greek. Originally Halloween-carved decorations were made from turnips but as the settlers found pumpkins in abundance in America, the idea of a Jack-O-Lantern or curved pumpkin caught on and is now a renowned worldwide symbol for Halloween.
This Halloween or Harvest why not add a pumpkin wreath to your list of desired decorations to celebrate the season? Set aside an afternoon when the children are home from school or a quiet evening after work, make steaming cups of pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate or a glass of your favorite merlot, and settle down to make your very own wreath.
There are a few ways to make a pumpkin wreath:
For the first you will need:
A wreath ring or ring made from firm twine
Old newspaper or scrap paper
Greenery from ferns or pliant branches – forage from the garden
Leaves – Choose deep yellow, burnt orange, or saffron leaves
A Hot Glue Gun
Florists Wire or twine
Decorations – anything to decorate your wreath
Wire Cutters and Pliers
Step one, arrange your items on a table large enough to work in. You might want to cover your table in an old table cloth and wear gardening gloves.
Grab handfuls of old newspaper and scrunch them around the wire ring to disguise it. This will form the base of your wreath so it can be a bit messy as it will not be visible.
Next, step out into the glorious outdoors and forage in the garden for greenery and orange-yellow leaves found in abundance this season. Choosing the best bit, arrange them onto the ring wrapped in paper and secure with florist wire.
Now to embellish your creation. Hot Glue on pumpkin decorations to complete the wreath. (Remember hot glue can still give you a nasty burn so be careful!)
Decorations may be purchased from charity shops, pound/dollar stores, or made using painted round objects. Another great idea is to dry bits of pumpkin in the oven and attach them using pipe cleaners to your wreath.
To keep your wreath refreshed, you may want to create a solution of water and a few drops of any preferred essential oils. Mist your wreath with this solution using an inexpensive spray bottle. You could use pumpkin spice or cinnamon-flavored essential oil and this would ensure that your wreath remains inviting; bringing all those warm notes into your joyous home for days.
Why not make an edible pumpkin wreath?
It is as simple as baking pumpkin-shaped cookies (Get the children involved!), remember to pierce a little hole into the cookies using a plastic straw before baking, then ice the scrumptious cookies in orange and green. Using bits of twine or pipe cleaners threaded through the cookies attach them to your wire wreath and the kids can pick them off daily to count down the days to Halloween!
To display your wreath you have many options:
Hanging your fabulous creations outside your door to welcome the season.
Showcase on your dining table to create an impressive centerpiece for your dinner party.
Place on a side table with an autumnal bouquet in the center to beautify any space.
Rope in the kiddies to make their very own wreaths:
You will need :
A Paper plate with the center cut out
Colored in pumpkins – find templates online
Dried leaves or artificial leaves
Orange tinsel or Glitter
Glue on your decorations, adding as much sparkle as you like. Hang your wreath with ribbon or stick it to the inside of windowpanes.
Conclusion
Pumpkin wreaths are fast becoming the preferred alternative to the traditional wreaths created at Christmas and are sought after by those wanting to steer clear from ghoulish Halloweens, where the spirit of magic is celebrated rather than the spooky ghostly celebration.
Alternately one may purchase a stunning ready-made wreath from discount retailers like Aldi or include one in your monthly shop. Whatever your choice pumpkin wreaths are a must-have this season .
