Have you noticed how popular hanging a wreath of flowers or foliage on our front doors has become? A renewed tradition that is seeing us hang seasonal flowers and foliage in attractive circular form to our doors in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
A beautifully crafted wreath sporting seasonal foliage, tasteful ribbons and bows is a welcoming sight as you stand on a doorstep to be greeted and invited inside.
Wreaths, especially those made during the Christmas season are more than just decorative items, they embody a rich tapestry of traditions, symbolism, and creativity that brings the festive spirit into our homes.
During winter, they are often seen as circular garlands made of evergreens and adorned with various embellishments, we are now seeing them, not only on the doors of country cottages and farms, stately homes and Manor Houses, they are decorating the doors of our streets in villages, towns and city centres.
A Christmas wreath is typically a circular arrangement of flowers, leaves, fruits, or twigs that is often used as a decorative piece during the Christmas season.
Traditionally wreaths are formed using evergreen branches in circular form to symbolize the continuity of life, the ever renewing circle of the seasons, joy, protection and hope.
Wreaths vary in size and style, from neat and compact with consideration to mirroring or repeating patterns of foliage, pine cones, berries and leaves to looser, more wild circular arrangements with large wispy foliage leaves cascading from their outer shape.
A Brief History of Wreaths
The history of wreaths dates back to ancient times, well before their association with Christmas. In ancient Greece and Rome, wreaths were symbols of victory and honor, often made of laurel leaves to crown winners of athletic contests.
As Christianity spread, the circular form of the wreath began to take on new meanings, symbolizing eternal life, hope, and the endless cycle of seasons.
The use of evergreens particularly became a popular choice, as these plants remain vibrant throughout winter, representing resilience and everlasting life. By the medieval period, wreaths became a common decoration during the holiday season, eventually evolving into the Christmas wreaths we know today and see on so many front doors as we go about our days during advent.
Workshops to learn how to construct a beautiful wreath with gathered foliage, cones and bows have become so popular, making a unique and beautiful wreath is now part of the festive calendar for many.
A joyful way to gather with friends in a warm space, to use our creativity, learn new skills and to perhaps enjoy a seasonal mulled wine and mince pie as we mindfully construct eternal circles of greenery and berries, enjoy laughter and merriment, taking a break from the busyness and pressures of preparing for festivities.
Painting Winter Wreaths on our Wellness Retreat in Wiltshire
I love to draw wreaths, often featuring repeating patterns of foliage and sometimes keeping to the traditional circular form but randomly placing drawings of woodland gatherings as I go.
Drawing in black ink pen, I construct my wreath one leaf, one nut, one berry at a time, working around a circle slowly and mindfully making selections and observations of collected items as I go.
The beautiful thing about drawing in line is the eagerness I find it creates in me to colour and paint, knowing the sheer joy and relaxation it creates within me is soon to come. Relaxing music, warm cosy clothes, a nice hot drink and my art supplies and I could hide away from the busyness of Christmas in a softly lit corner of my home for hours.
Upon our recent Wiltshire Retreat, we got creative and made illustrated wreaths on watercolour paper. On Saturday, we had been out on a walk, guided by Paul where we walked across the fields following the ancient pathway across the fields towards the magnificent stone circle ‘Stonehenge’ in awe of its magic and majesty.
We stopped at the Henge, each of us with a little clipboard and an A5 bit of watercolour paper. Everyone with a sepia tone fine line brush tip pen, I encouraged everyone to relax, to drop their shoulders, to breathe in the fresh, crisp air and to start to draw. We chose either to draw all of the stones within our view or to choose a section of the ancient arrangement to represent on our paper.
Onlookers passed curiously checking out what we were involved in and I felt that lovely lift as everyone got immersed in their little line drawings.
By evening, we returned to painting our winter wreaths and adding, if chosen to, our own little representation of StoneHenge to the centre of our Art piece.
With the gentlest of guiding and encouragement, everyone embraced fully the mindful, calming, steady experience of painting and adding layers of colour.
The lounge at Fairlawn House lends itself beautifully to a cosy, serene, winters evening Art. The pride that comes to a person who has completed a piece of painterly art for what can be the first time in months, years or even since childhood is a joyous one to be recognised and is something I feel extremely passionate about bringing out in as many people as I am able.
On the Sunday morning of our gentle wellness retreat in Wiltshire I led a gentle winter warming stretch. In the cosy lounge of Fairlawn House, we lay down our yoga mats and in warm, fluffy socks, we enjoyed a gentle Yoga Nidra flow that helped to open up our bodies, prep our joints and prompt our circulation ready for the coming days walking adventure.
At the end of our lovely stretch, I invited our guests to lay down on their mats and completely relax into savasana whilst I gently and slowly read to them the poem I had written especially for their retreat and also for this article for you to enjoy.
A poem about giving ourselves permission to slow down during winter, permission to opt out of the crazy busy, hustle and bustle of the Festive season and instead to focus ourselves upon rest, protection, gratitude and renewal.
A Winter Wreath Poem
Settle Now, paints a visual picture in the mind of creating a festive wreath made from collected foliage and hanging it on your door, incorporating Spindle and Holly berries, honesty coin flowers, scented pine cones and leaves and acorns fallen from trees.
Although we didn’t craft a winter wreath from foliage on our retreat, everyone created a beautiful painted wreath using watercolour and gouache paint techniques, pro-marker pens and Windsor and Newton watercolour pencils.
A piece of Art mounted with a crisp white card and ready to frame and to be brought out year after year at Christmas as a memory of a wonderfully restorative weekend.
Here is my poem for you to enjoy, make a winter brew, light a seasonal candle and enjoy a moment just for you as you read.
Winters Wreaths
Settle now
Hang Christmas Wreath
And Holly CrownEvergreen eternal circle preen
Symbol of renewing life
Hope
And never ending seasons cycleSettle now
Huddle down
Light fire warm
Watch flickering light of candle glowGather berry bright and holly green
Craft a circle treasure chest
Of honesty leafs translucent sheenSettle now and slowly breath
Take time to rest
In Winter’s nestThe scent of pine
Spruce and cedar kindAdd eucalyptus leaves to heal your mind
Gather sage bouquet and protected feel
Smell cinnamon scent
Feel the love and renewed prosperitySettle now
Gather Spindle Berry
Smell scented pineSettle now
Lay down low
Like Winter sun
With softened glowFeel bitter sting of colds embrace
By warm wood fire
Huddle up
Huddle downNeath Winter’s cloud
Settle now
A Christmas Gift for You
You can print off this downloadable picture of my Squirrel leaf design and enjoy taking mindful moments over the festive period, adding colour in paint or pen, working alone for some ‘me time’ or take some quiet shared time with children, or someone you care for.
The Squirrel was drawn from a beautiful photograph that Paul took in the Eden Valley, Cumbria some years ago. It is a gorgeous shot of a cheeky little fellow gathering nuts left by visitors to a quiet little spot.
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