Burlap Ribbon Wreath

I fell in love with this wreath when I discovered it on Stonegable's blog last year, and finally got around to making it for fall this year.

It is so simple to make and can be used year round by just changing the embellishments added to the burlap wreath base.

Materials Needed:

• Wire wreath form (three slat type)
• Burlap ribbon (20 yards of 4" wide)
• Fall embellisments
• Wire to assemble embellishments on wreath

First start by folding your burlap ribbon in thirds and weaving through the wire form.

Pull a loop up throuth each gap in the wire wreath form, and I like to do either 3" or 4" loops.  

It helps tremendously when Chance, our laborador retriever, helps with the assembling.

After each row of three loops, twist the burlap two times and then weave the loops going the opposite direction.  Continue to weave the loops back and forth and make as full or loose as you would like, depending on how full you want for the final look.

The more full you want your wreath, the more burlap material you will need.  Make sure to plan ahead, as I initially started to pack the loop rows tightly for a fuller look and I ran out of burlap. Since I had purchased my ribbon last year, I could not go back and buy more ribbon, so I had to undo all my loops and start over.  My final wreath used two 10-yard spools of 4" ribbon. 

Tuck the end of the ribbon inside the wire form, and secure with wire. After you're done, twist each loop until you get the desired messy look and to cover any wire wreath form that is showing through loop gaps.

I adhered seasonal embellishments with wire (I used pine cones, leaves and fall berries).  That way, you can easily change out these additional decorations for each holiday or season. 

 

 Happy Fall!

Garden Box for Herbs & Vegetables

We recently cleaned up our backyard planters and I have always wanted to do a vegetable and herb garden. Our dirt is tough and strewn with nearby tree roots, so I made a raised planter box.

First I had to measure the size garden box I wanted for my limited space and determine exact location. Next I had to consider the water source for this area. We have an existing drip system, so I added some drip lines that would exclusively water this garden box.

Materials needed:

• Wood planks, cut to size (5'x20" was my box area size)
• L-shape hardware brackets (8 - 2 each x 4 corners)
• Screw driver (electric tool makes it easy)

Redwood is the preferable wood for outdoor garden boxes. Redwood can be more expensive but the box frame will endure, lasting much longer by withstanding the outdoor elements better over time. However, my local lumber store did not have 12" wide redwood strips in stock at the time.  I wanted a taller box out of one width of wood, plus I wanted to purchase materials and build my garden box the same day, so I settled for using pine wood to achieve my 12" garden box height.  Please note that pine will erode over time, but I only need this garden for one or two summer seasons, as we will eventually re-landscape the back yard.  So pine will suffice for my short-term gardening project. 

 

Home Depot cut the wood to my desired length at no charge (such a deal), resulting in two 12" wide strips of both 20" and 5' lengths.  This will give me a 20"W x 5'L x 12"H finished box.

You will need 8 braces total to secure the garden box corners with 2 braces per corner.  I purchased 2 packages of L-shape corner braces (4 per bracket).  You can use wider braces, but I do not need this box to endure more than 1-2 summer seasons, so I went the cheap route. Any width brace will work, depending on how long you want your garden box to last.

Secure the brace on the end of one plank by screwing it approximately 3" from the edge of your wood's width.  Repeat approximately 3" from the opposite width's end, so there are two braces on the end as pictured below.  Repeat this on both interior ends of each 5' plank. Note: once you fill the finished planter box with dirt, these braces will be covered by the dirt.

Next you need to connect the 5' piece to the 20" end by drilling screws into existing L-shape brace onto the 20" end.  Make sure to connect so that ends are even, but they still look good if they're not perfect.

Repeat on all inside corners until you have created your 4-sided box.

Here is the end view.

Next you're ready to put the garden box in your yard.

Make sure to place the drip lines under the box, so the lines will be hidden in the soil and not drape over the garden box exterior.

Fill the garden box with soil and compost and you're ready to plant your herbs and vegetables.

I added the the ends of my drip line once my herbs were planted, to specifically direct water spray to each plant.  I also planted some seeds amidst the started herbs, so my garden will bloom in stages over the summer.

 

Looking forward to cooking with these herbs and vegetables all summer.