I have to note that we started writing holiday posts about wreath making before the tragic massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday morning.  It is incomprehensible for all of us to understand how that community will make it through the upcoming holiday season and beyond.  For me, senseless tragedy can rarely be fully processed.

How strange that one of the traditional emblems of our holiday season—the wreath—is also a universal symbol of mourning.  Both are traditions that seem to have grown out of ancient times and are simply variations of the never-ending ring that, on a deeper level, symbolizes the circle of life. You can find wreaths made as crowns of precious metals and gemstones, of bay leaves for athletes, of straw or stones, as daisy chains made by children, and as the rings of light that we associate with the halo.

We continue our holiday posts today, keeping the families of Newtown, Connecticut in our hearts. Over the coming days, you will find a series of wreaths that we dedicate to them.

While there is no explaining such a tragedy, sometimes the act of making (or doing) can help us overcome the despair we suffer for the senseless heartbreaking acts of this world.

ORGANIC WRAPPED WREATH

This simple wreath can be made with t-shirts recycled from your own closet, Organic Cotton Jersey scraps, or with our Cotton Jersey Pulls.

Recycle a wreath that had seen better days for your base or you can find many variations of wreath forms available in craft stores around the world.  We found a wrapped straw wreath lying in our studio that seemed the perfect size.  (I see these sorts of wreaths at yard sales all the time. Start collecting after the holidays for next year.)

Make your Cotton Jersey Pulls from t-shirts or scraps.  Once the individual pulls are complete, tie them end-to-end with a square knot to create one very long rope. You may want to roll this long rope of Cotton Jersey Pulls together into a Yarn Ball to facilitate the wrapping process as this project takes yards and yards and yards of ropes.  The wreath shown here is approximately 15” in diameter and requires approximately 100 yards of ropes.

Simply wrap your wreath base with cotton ropes and continue to wrap until the entire surface is covered.

For a hanger, add a long Cotton Jersey Pull to one side of the wreath; secure in place with a slip knot close to the outside edge of the wreath and another slip knot at the top of your rope, and hang (or gift).

You may also wrap your wreath base with cotton jersey scraps before adding your Cotton Jersey Pulls. In this case, you will use the pulls to completely lash the fabric around your wreath.  Try to keep fabric stretched and smooth as you work around the circle. You will find it easier if you lash approximately 3 inches apart and then work around the entire circle again and again.

Come back tomorrow for another DIY Wreath.