Back in the Midwest, wild grapevines grew all around us. You could see them twining up the fence posts and wrapping around tree trunks along the road side. Every year I would say, “I should cut some and make wreaths and garlands and spays and whatever!” And never did. Here in New England, guess what’s growing in my backyard? Grapevines! So this year, instead of waiting for everything to be in place and all my ideas and supplies to be exactly just so, I decided we would take advantage of the resources God provided to bring the changing of the season from outdoors into our home.
First thing, I sent the kids out with the kitchen shears – pruning shears probably work better, but like I said, this project is about doing something and making do with what we have, not about doing it all perfectly. They cut several strips from the tangle of vines out back.
My thinking was to make a wreath and adorn it with some fall(ish) ribbon and a few dried flowers hiding away in a bin in the basement. Weeellll, a nuisance of a head cold made an appearance and we had a much-anticipated visit from far away grandchildren (and their parents!) and, well, life happened. So the freshly cut strips of vine were no longer so fresh. While still willing to bend, they were resistant to the whole circle-up idea.
Plan B here we come! Maybe a garland instead? Because these vines are what we harvested, these vines are what we will use. Yes, I can be determined like that. Sometimes.
I trimmed the excess and long ends. Then I staggered and intertwined them one at a time.
I thought about using twine to secure them together. If I had young green lengths of the vine, they would have worked nicely. Maybe next year.
Instead, I decided to use a wired garland of fall silks and some flowers on wire stems to wrap and pull it all together.
The overall length of my grapevine garland turned out to be just right for the top of the hutch in my dining room – YES! Almost as if I’d planned it that way, y’know? So I set it up top and stepped back to admire.
I tucked a strip of autumn colored ribbon along the swag of vines, leaves and flowers for some extra seasonal color. This little project only took minutes, cost nothing, and makes me smile. I call that Seasonal Decor at its best! By taking action, looking around and making use of what I have available, I can add a touch of beauty to our everyday life.
Simple touches of the season are right at our fingertips if only we’ll look and think outside the box can enhance our lives if we’ll only try. I am sharing this seasonal post as a part of a group effort with several lovely blogging friends. Each one is sharing something that invokes the feeling of “Falling for Autumn” – I just know you’ll be encouraged and uplifted as your days grow shorter and cooler. Won’t you join us in celebrating the season?!
- Michelle V. is enjoying fall on her New England homestead while counting down the days until her book–Sweet Maple–is in print. In the meantime, she’s giving away a maple SUGAR eBook over on SoulyRested.
- Kathi and her husband are racing against the first frost in central Oklahoma. She encourages and inspires your homesteading dreams through her blog Oak Hill Homestead.
- Michelle C. lives with her husband in an empty nest on their rural homestead in the Missouri Ozarks. She writes over at Mid-Life Blogger about homesteading, gardening and homeschooling. She’s out digging in her garden and prepping for next year.
- Angela is The Inquisitive Farmwife and she loves learning new skills and sharing knowledge about the crazy journeys that life takes her on!
- Danielle of Spring Lake Homestead is from N.E. Wisconsin where she and her family have been enjoying an unseasonably warm autumn while preparing their home and homestead for the upcoming cooler weather.
- Terri Steffes lives with her husband in a New Urban neighborhood in historic Saint Charles, Missouri. She writes about food, recipes, good books, travel and gardening, and decorating their craftsman style home. Our Good Life features many aspects for quality living.
- And then there’s me, Linda from Apron Strings & other things, who spends her days homeschooling her youngest four children, nurturing a heart for homesteading while living on the edge of urban New England.
#FallingForAutumn
Alisa says
The garland looks lovely! I went even simpler. I have a huge store-bought grapevine wreath that hangs outside by the front door year around. I picked up some beautiful oak leaf bunches that had blown off trees in the park and tucked them into the grapevines to make it into fall decor!
Linda says
thank you π Love the idea of a year round wreath idea! Enjoy this day and this season!
Danielle says
I bet you could soak the grapevines in a bathtub full of water if you wanted them to be more flexible… That’s what you do with reeds for basket making. I’m sure you couldn’t do that if they were fully dried, but for some like yours. Good idea π
Linda says
that’s a good idea, Danielle. There are still plenty more vines out there, and we are getting a good amount of rain this week so maybe we’ll give it one more try!
Michelle says
I love bringing nature inside, and that you used what you had, spending nothing. That’s something anyone could do, even if they were tight on money. You’ve inspired me to look around my yard. That’s very pretty!
Linda says
thank you, Michelle, for your sweet comment π and you are right – anyone can do this!
Sue says
I love what you did with the garland and will remember this for my future projects if I do one. Plus, your gardland looks perfect where you hung it.
Linda says
aww, thank you Sue! It really did only take minutes. I hope you find ways to add a little quick and easy personal touch to your own home.
Kathi says
There are wild grapevines growing up one of the trees behind our house and I’ve never even thought about using them in decor projects. Thank you for this idea and instructions! Your garland is beautiful.
Linda says
If you are wanting a wreath, Kathi, I recommend winding them as you cut if at all possible! There are so many ways to use them, indoors and out – I am sure you’ll find plenty of ways to use them. Enjoy!
Cheryl says
I applaud your perseverance, Linda! And see . . . you were rewarded with a lovely seasonal decoration! It looks fabulous in the place you chose.
Linda says
thank you, Cheryl! Perseverance pays off, eh? I hope you are enjoying a touch of autumn yourself these days π
Laura Ingalls Gunn says
What a beautiful garland for the fall season. It brought back happy memories when my mother and I used to make wreaths from our old grapevine.
Linda says
What a wonderful memory to relive, Laura! I glad my garland helped bring that back to you π Thank you you so much for visiting this weekend – Autumn Blessings!
Destiny says
Good for you! I most likely would have trashed them, when my original idea didn’t pan out.
Linda says
haha π I am glad I stuck with it. I still have not made a wreath to my liking, but I can find them at nearby shops, so still I’m happy!