Decorating With Wreaths – Not Just For Christmas

Spring has sprung, fall has fell…well, fall is coming, and I’ve been dragging up my fall decor from the basement. One thing I really love is my fall wreaths. I have fall-in-general wreaths, Halloween wreaths, Thanksgiving wreaths, and of course, Christmas wreaths – oh wait, that would be a winter wreath, not a fall wreath!

A Fall Wreath

What is a Wreath?

That may seem like a silly question, but wreaths actually have a history and a meaning. According to wikipedia.com: “A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that are constructed to resemble a ring.” A wreath, like a wedding ring, is seen as a symbol of the eternal – the never-ending circle of life. A wreath made of evergreen symbolizes strength, as the evergreen lives year-round.

Wreath made of Fall Leaves

The ancient Etruscan civilization of southern Europe made extensive use of wreaths as jewelry, as bands around their heads, and embossed onto medallions. Recently, wreaths worn around the head have become popular with brides, replacing the usual wedding veil.

Simple Head Wreath

In ancient Greece and Rome, a person’s occupation, rank, social status, and achievements could be shown by the wreaths they wore.

Head Wreath

Harvest wreaths (like our fall modern-day fall wreaths) were hung on the door by farmers in ancient Greece and Rome, thinking that they would protect against crop failure and plagues.

Today, we use wreaths mainly as decorations. There are so many ways to use wreaths, other than the usual wreath hanging on the front door. Here are some ideas for decorating with wreaths.

Wreaths for Outdoors

Wreaths hung on the front door or the front gate are common places for wreaths. But I’ve also seen them hung on lamp posts, on fence posts, on the front of a truck, over the garage, on outside windows, on the doors of a shed (a fixed-up-cute shed), and even one on a doghouse.

Wreaths on the Gates

Wreaths for Inside

You can hang wreaths on your walls, or hang them on an object, like on the backs of these chairs. I’ve also seen wreaths hung on windows, on mirrors, on Christmas trees (usually smallish ones), on the kitchen cabinets, hung around a picture frame, and on or over a bedroom headboard. The possibilities are endless!

Wreaths hung on chairs

Wreaths as Centerpieces

There are so many things you can add to a wreath used as a centerpiece – candles of all shapes and sizes, a candelabra, stuffed animals (I have a cute turkey I use at Thanksgiving), Christmas decorations, small lanterns, and string lights. Set a bowl of dip or the rolls or candy in a wreath centerpiece.  A favorite of mine is a tall, 3-inch candle with un-hulled nuts surrounding it in the center of a wreath made of greenery. So many ideas!

Wreath Centerpiece

Funeral Wreaths

Yeah, it’s kind of depressing, but wreaths are commonly used to decorate grave sites and funeral processions. Here again, they represent the circle of life, which in this case, also includes death as part of that circle. Flowers are historically used in the wreaths to represent life and resurrection.

Funeral Wreath

Wreaths for the Holidays

And not just Christmas wreaths! Although that is probably the most commonly used, there are wreaths for Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, and more.

Holiday Wreaths

Wreaths for the Seasons

There are fall wreaths, spring wreaths, summer wreaths, and winter wreaths. Whether you make them yourself or buy them ready-made, simple, or elaborate, wreaths can be used to decorate in many ways and help make your house a home.

 

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