October 11: Samhain Siren's Saturday Craft-Tacular - Remembrance Wreath

Welcome to the Samhain Siren's Saturday Craft-Tacular.  Each week we'll bring you a fantastic craft that will help bring in the haunting Halloween spirit.  Our crafts will range in age and complexity and we would really love to get your feedback on them.

Today's craft is an excellent family craft.   Little fingers can get involved with either application or in just searching for the items that bring back wonderful memories of those past.

Please enjoy this wonderful craft from Robyn Chausse

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Remembrance Wreath

by Robyn Chausse

For the past few months I've been helping a cousin, whom I just met, research my maternal grandfather’s genealogy. As other relatives came forward with old letters and family lore, what began as simply names on a page began to form into personalities. I began to see some traits passed down through the ages. I noticed how those people, even though we may not have known them, have influenced our lives. The images of a Family Tree and The Tree of Life merged in my mind and became this Remembrance Wreath.

Creating this wreath has helped me feel closer to those who have passed. I believe that the focused, meditative act of decorating each memorial leaf sends out a vibration of love and an invitation to come visit. Samhain is the perfect time to make a remembrance wreath, but you can leave it out all year!

 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Materials:

• Your family tree or a list of people (or pets) you would like to honor
• Scissors or Craft Knife
• Pencil
• Glue for paper and cardboard
• Sealer (such as Modge Podge)
• 12” Straw Wreath
• 2 sheets of cardboard or chipboard—chipboard is sturdier but you can use any leftover cardboard such as the stiffening sheet packaged with a calendar or even a box lid
• Awl, or Nail, and Hammer for punching holes in cardboard
• Scraps of Material—a variety of colors and textures is fine but include some muslin or other cotton.
• Greening Pins—found with the floral crafting supplies
• Wire Cutters for trimming the greening pins
• Fine Line Fabric Pen—found in the quilting aisle at most fabric stores or with the fabric paints
• Optional: Fabric Paints, Fabric Markers, Paper or paint for decorating your tree trunk, a ribbon for hanging, or other embellishments

Creating the Tree

You will be cutting out two tree shapes that overlap on both the trunk and main branches, but the second tree will have extra branches. The extra branches will look like they are on the far side of the tree, in the shadow.

Begin by tracing the inside diameter of your wreath onto the two sheets of cardboard or chipboard. This will give you the dimensions of your tree.

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Choose one of these sheets and draw the outline of a tree with three or four branches. This will be the front of your tree. Cut out this tree.

Trace this first/front tree onto the second sheet of cardboard but include a few more branches. These other branches will be in the shadow on the back side of the tree. Cut out this tree.

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Decorate the first/front tree with paint, paper, etc. (I traced mine onto a page from an old calendar and glued the cut out onto the trunk.)

Color the second/back tree in a dark brown, grey, or black shade using paints, markers, blending chalks, or whatever you have on hand.

Glue the first/front tree onto the front side of your second/back tree. Be sure to line up the trunk and matching branches. Once the glue has dried you can apply your sealer and set this aside to dry. 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Making the Leaves

You’ll be cutting out two types of leaves, some just for decorative color and some for honoring your loved ones—those you will be writing on. I cut my leaves free-hand but feel free to trace a real leaf if you need a template or even make heart shapes instead of leaves. You can use any scraps of lightweight material for your decorative leaves including ribbon. For the leaves you plan to write on I suggest light colored cotton. I used muslin and a fabric pen from Dritz Quilting; I found the muslin took the ink well without bleeding. 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

From your cotton fabric cut out one leaf for each person you would like to honor. Using your fabric pen, write the person’s name, birth/death dates, or any other information you would like to include. These are your remembrance leaves.

Once you have written your loved ones’ information on their leaves, decorate your remembrance leaves with fabric paints, etc… 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Cut out at least a few decorative leaves to get started; you can cut more of these as you need them.

Assembling the Wreath

Begin with the straw wreath. If you want to wrap fabric around the wreath or plan on tying a hanging ribbon around the top do so now.

Check the fit of your tree inside the middle of the wreath. You’ll be attaching it to the mid-section of the interior, not at the back as if the wreath is framing it. Trim your tree as needed to get a good fit. 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Using a nail (or awl) and hammer, punch a small whole at the end of your tree trunk and two or three main branches. 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Holding your tree in place in the middle of the wreath, thread a greening pin through each hole and push the pins into the straw wreath. This can be tricky to do; you may want to trim the pins to a shorter length to make them more manageable. 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

You are now ready to pin on the leaves. Begin by choosing a decorative leaf for placement at the end of each of your cardboard branches.

Take your first leaf and pull the center material together just a bit at the base. Just a slight overlap of the material will give the leaf some shape and make it lay nicely. Poke one end of your greening pin through this tiny tuck to hold the material. Pull the leaf up to the center part of the pin and insert the pin into the wreath. 

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Once you have placed your first few decorative leaves you can begin adding your remembrance leaves. Remember to fill in here and there with more decorative leaves to add interest. Sometimes the greening wires will poke all the way through your wreath and out the other side. This is fine; just trim any ends that are showing.

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Photo Credit - Robyn Chausse

Finish your wreath by adding any other items you may have. Pin on small pictures or military badges, or include a few pieces of jewelry.

Thanks!
Robyn

Remembrance Wreath Kit

Robyn has put together a starter kit to help you make your own Remembrance Wreath!

Kit Includes:

 Two cardboard tree shapes
 One sample muslin leaf
 Muslin and other cotton fabrics for additional leaves
 One package of greening pins
 One fabric pen

All in a hand painted keepsake box!


(You add the wreath form and paints or markers to decorate your leaves.)

Remember your loved ones as you create this wreath to honor them.
Share this time with your children as you decorate leaves together and tell family stories. Create a beautiful decoration for your home.

Rules: (READ CAREFULLY)

YOU MUST PROVIDE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS. If you choose not to share it in the comments, please use the contact form at the top of the page to provide your email address. You must provide your email address once per giveaway.

Drawing is held by random number generation and winner will be notified in email (that's why you have to have an email address listed). Announcement will be made in tomorrow's post.

Note: These giveaways are open to the U.S., Canada and where allowable. Void where prohibited.
Canadian residents, please pay close attention as by law, you have to use a different set of rules. Not to worry, we have you covered :)


CANADIANS READ HERE: You will be given X number of entries for answering the following (remember, we STILL NEED YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS):

What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?

U.S. Citizens, and others- READ HERE:

1. Go to A Ponderance of Things  follow the blog and let us know you did in comments,

EXTRA ENTRIES: (USE SEPARATE COMMENTS. If you throw them all into one comment, it counts as one entry only)

2. Be a follower of this blog. Comment that you are following us.

3. Like the Sirens FB page (come let us know you did in comments)

4. Follow Robyn's other blog as well! Museiddity http://museiddity.com/ . Let us know you did in comments!

5. Blog about this giveaway (comment with the url for your blog entry)

6. Tweet about this giveaway (come back and give us the url for your tweet)

So, all in all, you get 6 entries for this giveaway! The deadline for entries is midnight eastern time (11 Central, 10 Mountain, 9 Pacific) Sunday night. Announcement Monday, same time, same bat channel ;)


Thanks so much to Robyn for that wonderful craft.  Be sure to check tune into the Sunday Stew over at Imramma tomorrow and back here for more festivities and the giveaway results!