Saturday, March 1, 2008

How to make a Christmas Wreath

Christmas wreaths are an old Christmas tradition that is used to decorate the outside of the house, typically on the front door, to give Christmas time visitors a festive greeting.

To make a Christmas wreath you will need a wreath ring, florist wire (you can get these cheaply from our local florist) and some vegetation.

Take a walk around your local park, your garden or in the countryside. Take a bag and some scissors with you and collect interesting vegetation to make a Christmas wreath. Under no circumstances should you pick plants from other people's gardens unless you have their permission to do so.

Collect evergreens, ivy and loral leave are good. Some leaves are a silvery grey; these add a frosty feeling to the wreath. Conifers are popular in people's gardens. Do you have a conifer in your garden? Conifers don't have overly interesting foliage but they make a great base to the wreath.

Also look out for holly or other shrubs that bear berries. Berries add colour to the wreath. Look out for dried seedpods such as poppies, teasels and pinecones. Seedpods can be spray painted silver or gold and used to add interest to the wreath. If you do intend to use spray paint any pieces do this well in advance of the day you intend to make the wreath to give the paint enough time to dry. When using spray paint always closely follow the direction of use printed on the back of the tin.

To make the wreath

To attach pieces of foliage to the wreath ring you cut to piece to length and wrap the wire around the lower end of the foliage and then twist the wire around the wreath ring with another piece of wire. Repeat this procedure an inch or two further down the stem.

During the first round of the wreath the foliage will slide around a little bit but the more you put on the more stable it will become. Keep your work flat on a tabletop to prevent movement.

Much of building the wreath is to place your foliage to make something pleasing to the eye, with interest around the whole of the wreath.

However there are some general rules of the thumb.

Use the inner and outer rings as separate 'rounds' filling both rings makes a full plush wreath.

You will find that you can make rounds appear to have a direction. This is when the stems all lay the same way. Wreaths look best if a round follows the same direction. However, the two rings on the wreath ring don't necessarily have to go in the same direction.

The more you add, the better it looks.

Save the 'feature' or fancier pieces until last so that they sit on the top layer of the wreath where they can be seen.

To add pine cones, wrap some wore around the bottom layer of the cone seeds, and twist the two wire stems firmly together and push the wire into the wreath and twist them together at the back of the wreath. You could also wire on Christmas baubles.

When the wreath is finished hang it on your front door for all to see and appreciate.

S. Roberts writes for http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk where Santa writes FREE personalised emails and children can write and tell Father Christmas their Christmas wish list. For images of the Christmas wreath visit http://www.santaspostbag.co.uk/how-to-make-a-christmas-wreath.html SantasPostbag is in association with http://www.bigboystoyz.com.

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Worst Songs to Have Stuck in Your Head


There are good songs. There are bad songs. Then, there are ear worms, songs that get stuck in your head and stay there: no amount of amnesia will remove them. These kinds of songs aren't necessarily bad, but they aren't something you want sharing your brain space for 24 hours a day. Yet, there they remain, fermented in the crevices of your mind like the frosting of a sticky bun.

With some sticking more than others, the following is our list of top five worst songs to have stuck in your head, ear worms that no amount of digging with a Q-tip will remove.

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles): By far the best well known song from The Proclaimers, "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" is a song with a lot of miles under its belt, miles spent in your memory. Released in 1988, this song is one you don't need to know the words to, all you need to know is that you would, in fact, walk 500 miles. You should also know that the second set of "Da-da-da's" sounds just like Michael J. Fox. Listen, I swear it's him.

Cupid's Chokehold: More commonly known as "Take a Look at My Girlfriend," "Cupid's Chokehold" was originally release by Gym Glass Heroes in 2004 and re-released in 2006. True to its title, this song has the ability to pierce our brains with the sharpness of Cupid's arrow. Still, we can't really put too much blame on the song itself, the invasive "Ba da da da" line is originally from the Supertramp song, "Breakfast in America." Supertramp is where our fingers should really be pointed.

Copacabana: This 1978 hit introduced us to Lola (she was a showgirl), Rico (he wore a diamond), and Tony (he always tended bar). A staple of disco parties everywhere, Barry Manilow knew how to put a Copacabana in our Cabeza. This song, close to thirty years old, isn't on too frequently, but when it is, look out: its music and passion is always the fashion. Though not a bad song in itself, having "Copacabana" stuck in your head is enough to make you want to patronize someplace else.

The Rhythm is Gonna Get You: Gloria Estefan, the Miami Sound Machine, and their songs just won't go away. Released in 1987, "The Rhythm is Gonna Get You" was a huge hit for all involved. Reaching number 5 on the pop charts, this song - with huge dance beats and unique tempos -is, unfortunately, unforgettable. Having it inside your head for hours is enough to make anyone wish the rhythm would in fact get them, and just get it over with.

Chili's Baby Back Ribs Song: Okay, so this isn't really a song - and the "I want my baby back baby back baby back" doesn't exactly qualify as musical genius - but this Chili's theme song is the epitome of an ear worm, a grilled to order ear worm. Hearing this jingle is enough to ruin your day: there's a song about ribs in your head.. and now you're hungry.

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://www.turbocellcharge.com. Possessing an infatuation with pop culture and a gift for stalking she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.

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