Solstice Blessings!!

The Christmas wreath we've had on our door each year is at least twelve years old.  The glitter on the festive picks is sun-bleached and worn.  I made it ages ago to match the interior decor of our apartment.  I finally decided to let it go this year, but wanted to create a new wreath to take its place.  I've worked really hard these past few years to accept and step more fully into my Pagan beliefs, so I wanted to create a festive Yule wreath to celebrate the season.

This post isn't a full tutorial, but I wanted to share just the same (and not put so much pressure on myself in the process).

Some elements of the wreath are part of my current craft stash, and some I have been collecting until I decided on the look I wanted.  Then I just let everything speak to me as I started working on the wreath itself.  I was also very excited that a majority of the wreath is adhered with twine instead of the usual hot glue.  I'm so grateful for the couple of afternoons I had to craft it and zone out while listening to music and podcasts.

Inspired by Yule, nature, and my ancestral heritage, I decided to go with that warm and more traditional look with natural elements and sparkle.  I'm so proud of how it turned out!

Aside from the twine, hot glue and glue gun, scissors, wire, and some glitter paint I already had in my collection, I wanted to go over some sources of supplies should you wish to make your own:

• Wreath - Michaels
• I decided on a 24-inch wreath to ensure it was the right proportions for the front door.
• Ribbon - Craft Warehouse (wintery pine) and Michaels (plaid)
• My ribbon-making skills from working at Michaels decades ago came back to me!
• Layering the ribbon definitely adds more interest and pizzazz!
• Cinnamon sticks, frosted berries, orange slices, and bells - Amazon
• I had them all already for other projects I've made.  I secured the cinnamon, oranges, and berries together in clusters with twine and a little hot glue before tying them to the wreath.  I made sure to do similar clusters opposite each other, mixing those with pinecones I already had.
• The bells were secured with looped wire so they had plenty of room for movement and jingling.
• Brown eucalyptus - Michaels 
• Adds a nice movement and texture to the wreath.  
• I cut longer sprigs from the larger cluster I bought and went back in with glitter glue to sparkle the tips of the leaves.
• Antlers - Michaels
• Pinecones - Foraged and bought
• I went back over them all with glitter glue to accent the tips of everything.
• Wooden Pentagram - Etsy
• There are a variety of sizes to choose from.  
• I ended up painting it gold and green, then went over it with glitter glue.