Posted by Suzanne McMinn @ 1:05 am | Permalink
Primitive Crafts & Country Style
Wild grapevine is an invasive plant, often called a nuisance since it can actually kill trees. If you live in a wooded area, you’ve probably got some right outside your house and plenty of it! I think it’s beautiful and it’s perfect for crafting wreaths and other home decor. I also love how it lends an enchanted, storybook atmosphere to the woods. I can see Snow White running through the forest, grapevines reaching out to grab her- Oh, yeah, back to the wreaths…. We’ve got grapevines all over our farm, so making wreaths out of them is unbearably enticing. By the way, one more side note, wild grapes are edible, and did you know you can even get water out of the vines by cutting them at the bottom and draining them into a container? Just a handy tip for the next time you’re lost in the woods. If I ever get lost in the woods, I’m planning to sit down and cry. But you. You! You can cut down a grapevine and drain out the water and eat grapes.
To get grapevine down, some muscle is handy. 52 helped me drag these vines down. Okay, he dragged them down while I picked out which ones I wanted. I really wanted this one because it still had grapes attached. I called them berries, which drove him crazy. So I called them berries some more.
Then we wandered on down to the meadow bottom so I could look for things to put on the wreaths, at least temporarily, just for fun, because I like to play with stuff. The dogs came along, of course. You can’t walk a step on a farm without being shadowed by dogs. Which is nice, because dogs make any walk into an adventure, especially if one of them is a Giant Puppy and the other one is Mr. Crankypants.
I grabbed some moss and ferns and wildflowers to take home and play with my wreaths.
And Coco ran up and down the meadow 200 times because she was excited.
Then she noticed the creek.
She stopped for a drink-
-then abruptly wheeled around-
-because she had just remembered her new power over water.
So she ran up and down the creekbed 200 times to reinforce her dominion over it.
Dookie: “It’s not my fault this time. I told you the Giant Puppy was trouble.”
Then we hauled the grapevines we’d cut back up the hill to the farmhouse in the truck.
And I proceeded to make a huge mess on the porch while pruning off leaves and stray branches from the vines.
Right after this picture was taken….
….in which, to answer the question, I was not wearing any pants….I stomped my foot and said, “This is too hard! I can’t get it untangled!” (This is why I wouldn’t make it if I was lost in the woods. I’m such a whiner.) And I promised 52 that I would call them grapes from now on, not berries, if he would help me.
We fashioned half a dozen wreaths out of the bounty we’d hauled out of the trees.
I love, love, love the little curly doohickies on the vines.
Coco, back on the job with her goats, enjoyed snacking along with them on the fresh grape leaves we threw over the side of the porch. She thinks she’s a goat, too.
Then I played around a bit, decorating with the fresh things I gathered in the meadow bottom.
I really love the berries that came with the vines.
Berries. Grapes. What’s the difference? 
How to make a Wild Grapevine Wreath:
If you’re using fresh grapevine, the vines will be pliable and easy to shape. If the grapevine has been cut for awhile, you may need to soak it overnight in water to restore flexibility. Using sharp pruning shears, cut off extra branches and leaves, leaving the curls that will add charm to your wreath. If there are grapes hanging off your vine, leave those, too! Start with the biggest end of the vine and form a circle in the size you want for your wreath. Wrap the vine around and around several times then wrap the smaller end to help hold your shape. You can use wire to help hold things together, if necessary. Place centerpieces or candles inside smaller wreaths for table decorations or make straight wreaths to hang over doorways or windows. Let your wreaths dry for a few weeks before final decorating. (They may shrink slightly when dried.) Decorate with dried herbs, flowers, ribbons, or other seasonal items using craft/floral wire or a hot glue gun.
In the coming weeks, after the wreaths dry, I’ll be decorating them permanently in seasonal frivolity for autumn and Christmas. Some will be to keep, others to give away as gifts. (I’ll post pics of the finished wreaths as I get them done.) Grapevine wreaths are fun! You ever made one?
