Tis the Season

As we approach fall and winter, I ponder all the beauty of these seasons. The fall foliage paints a colorful image in my mind’s eye as I drive along the highways and through parks commuting through the city. Change is coming. It mirrors all that is happening and all that will happen in the world. There is beauty in change. Though the leaves are dying and falling to the ground, they fertilize the soil as mulch that will give strength and new life to the roots of the tree as it blooms next spring.

What are you doing as the seasons change? Are you enjoying the view as you travel on your journey through life? If not, take a moment to stop and breathe in all the sights and sounds surrounding you. It might inspire you to create something beautiful. Or it may just relieve your stress a little bit. I know it has inspired me to always have hope for the future. It has also inspired me to get back to creating some beautiful seasonal things.

For the past two weeks, my mom and I have been making fall and Christmas wreaths—one for her door and one for mine. We collected an assortment of fake florals from inexpensive stores. These autumn colored array of flowers were placed at the bottom of wooden craft wreath rings and hot glued onto the beaded wreath to form a symmetrical bouquet. At the top, we placed an autumn colored ribbon to finish our first projects off. These took only a few minutes to create and dry off. This idea came from my research on YouTube. What a great idea it was, too. Each time we enter the house we feel the joy of the season when seeing the wreaths we made on our doors.

Later, I gathered the materials to make our Christmas wreaths. Again, I shopped at an inexpensive store to buy these round Christmas tree balls in various colors. However, I used some old metal coat hangers to create the round base of the wreath. Here’s a tip: If you use the coat hangers for this craft, make sure to use hangers that bend easily. I had a tough time bending our hangers into a circular shape. It was also difficult to twist the ends back together after placing the ornaments on the hangers. I had to use a plier to finish both or wreaths off. Yet, our Christmas wreaths turned out to be beautiful as well. We won’t display them until December, though.

Little things like creating crafts together can lead to wonderful conversations as you beautify your home or even make something unique to give away as gifts. My mom and I talked about quilts she helped her grandmother make when she was a little girl as we worked on making our wreaths. Here’s to hoping you get to enjoy the season with someone you love. Until next time, take some time to enjoy life.