January 5th marks the 12th night of Christmas and some traditions claim it's unlucky to have decorations up past this date. Which camp do fall in? All the decs are away come New Years Day, maybe even Boxing Day!? Or do you cling onto your tinsel & lights for as long as possible to brighten up the dark evenings?
Whenever you decide to let go of Christmas for another year, here are some tips on how to re-use & recycle different elements of your Christmas door wreath:
You'll need a pair of wire cutters or old scissors you don't mind getting blunt to cut through the reel wire used to hold your wreath together. If you used twine, any scissors will do.
Start by removing any ribbons, fruits or decorations. Bamboo pin can be composted, metal pins & wire, can most likely go in your household recycling along with your cans & foils but check your local council's guidance first.
Ribbon can be kept for future craft projects & if the fruit doesn't show any signs of mould, can be stored in an airtight container for next year's wreath, mixed in with potpourri or composted with your food waste if it has started to go mouldy.
You can then start simply pulling the foliage out, it should get easier once you have a couple of bundles out & there's some give in the wire/ twine. If you're finding it's really stuck, carefully cut away some of the wire.
Stems such as Eucalyptus, Limonium flower & Sea Holly could be kept & dried ready to be displayed in bud vases.
Once you've removed all the foliage stems, what you don't want to dry & keep can be composted. Next is to remove the reel wire or twine.
If your wreath was made with twine, simple cut this away and add to your compost.
If you used reel wire, you might find it easier to cut at the hanging loop then use the cut end to start unwinding the wire. Once you've removed it all as one long piece you could wind onto a reel ready to reuse. If you struggle to unwind it, very carefully with wire cutters or old scissors cut the reel wire and unwrap it from the wreath base.
Be sure to collect all the small pieces of wire and carefully dispose of in your household recycling along with your cans if appropriate.
The moss should then come away from the base ring easily. This can be composted or kept for another floristry project as a replacement to floral foam (aka Oasis).
I normally store my leftover moss in a bucket in the garage so it can easily be rehydrated with a watering can or hose pipe.
You'll then be left with your base ring. Whether you have a metal or willow base, both can be reused for a new wreath or for another craft project! Why not keep yours for a Spring Wreath.
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