You can make your own fun and festive grapevine wreath from grape vine trimmings. Then, you can either decorate it for festivities, or use dried herbs for a fun and accessible way to use your garden herbs, festively, into the winter. If you don’t have access to grapevines, the herbs can be tied on an existing wreath base, or use a different food-safe vine that you do have access to in your garden.
Grapes are an awesome plant to include in your garden. Grape leaves are used in many different foods, especially those of Greek origin. Traditionally, fermented grape leaves are stuffed for dolmas, while grapes are used for fresh eating, as raisins, and in making wine, vinegar, and more. A grape leaf tincture has also been made, and sometimes used as part of immune support, along with other herbal preparations.
When you trim your grape vines in autumn, the vines can be used for seasonal decorations like wreaths, napkin holders, and baskets. You can make a basket out of grapevines the same way you would make a basket out of willows.
For a great herbal gift from the garden, especially if you still have some of your summer or autumn dried herbs hanging up waiting to be stripped, you can make a herbal sprig decorated grapevine wreath. It’s a unique way to present an herbal blend, using this year’s herbal harvest, without the hassle of hunting up wreath decorations, or stripping and blending herbs for your signature garden herb blend, either.
If you’ve already pruned your grapes for the year, grab some of the grapevines and let’s get started on your wreath.
Crafting a Grapevine Wreath:
You’ll need a few lengths of grapevine to start with, I’m working with three, 3′ pieces of grapevine to make three small kitchen herb wreaths. If you wish to make larger wreaths, you can work with pieces of grapevine up to 5′ in length, if you have it available, otherwise work with multiple pieces of grapevine.
What you Need:
- 1 – 3′ piece of grapevine
- Dried sprigs of 3-6 herb types, 6-12 pieces of each herb.
- Twine
Christmas Variation: Use cinnamon sticks, dried apple pieces, and dried orange pieces as the decorations, tie on with a wrap of twine. Include instructions for the recipient to remove the decorations for a nice stove top simmer, or for use as flavoring in apple cider.
Directions:
- Tidy your grapevines up a bit, leave on curls and tendrils to add character.
- Place in warm water to soften, if the grapevines aren’t flexible, you can wrap them in a towel to hold moisture against them and wrap that in a plastic bag to avoid making a mess. I use boiling water on the towel to speed up the softening process.
- Once the vines are soft and flexible enough to work with, determine the goal diameter you want your wreath to be. I aimed for a wreath with a 3-4″ diameter, and used my hand to help shape. After making an initial circle, approximately in the middle of the vine length, I worked on alternating sides and wrapped the vine around itself multiple times to form a secure wreath shape.
- I then measured a length, about 12″ – 18″ of twine, festive Christmas twine works great and is sparkly, plain kitchen twine can also work for a rustic wreath feel. I fastened a loop at the top edge of the wreath shape, and wrapped small bunches of the herb sprigs onto the wreath. I worked in a clockwise direction around the wreath, and tried to make it balanced. Aim to tie the dried herbs quite securely, since your recipient should be able to strip the herbs from the wreath to use as spices, without the herb stem disengaging.
Once you’re satisfied with how your grapevine wreath looks, add it to a wellness basket for the holidays, or hang it in your kitchen to enjoy. You can always use your favorite festive turkey spices as part of the wreath, and plan to use it for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.
More Festive Ideas:
A small grapevine wreath, with a center about 1″ in diameter, can make a functional napkin holder. Glue on wreath decorations for a festive touch, or to customize the napkin holder for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just with a name card. Tie on with biodegradable twine for a napkin holder that can be retired to the compost bucket once you’re 100% finished with it, so it doesn’t become clutter.
Change up the herb wreath for Christmas with dried fruits, like apple slices, pear slices, orange slices, and even cranberries. Tie on or sew on with cotton thread or twine so the materials can be removed from the wreath for a festive simmer pot, or to make sure the whole unit can be tossed in the compost in the spring when it’s festive purpose is fulfilled.
A full sized grapevine wreath is possible, and here at Joybilee Farm we had a grapevine wreath that we used for more than ten years, every Christmas, as part of the seasonal decor. Once it was finally retired, and all decorations removed, the vines still got composted. Grapevines are a longer lasting wreath option than fresh conifer branches, but you can also use fresh conifer branches, cinnamon sticks, dried oranges, and more to make a natural and sweetly scented wreath to enjoy this holiday season too.
You can also change up a grapevine wreath with fresh flowers and blossoms to match the seasons, and what your garden is producing. This is a bit more time intensive, but can provide a fun way to showcase long-lasting or air-dry-able flowers like straw flower, pearly everlasting, and more.
Leave a Reply