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The Underrated Pine Needle

© Vickie Ferguson

Well, I've been out on the back lot today and discovered a thick layer of pine needles. Honestly, I forget about checking for them until it's too late and they've dried up and have passed their prime.

Anyway, I picked up a nice bundle of new brown ones and found some green ones too and headed back in the house to see what I could come up with.

Now we've made wreaths here for a while using straw and grape vine bases, willow bases, moss covered and natural vines from the yard but we've never tried making one from pine needles!

Supplies needed are minimal. 1) a large bunch of pine needles. 2) roll of thin twine to secure the needles (optional, you can use very thin wire just be careful with the sharp ends once you twist the wire into place) 3) clippers 4) assorted flowers or dried fruit to decorate the wreath or broom 5) ribbon, you decide the color. This is used to embellish the item and to make a loop hanger 6) clear spray coating, 7) miniature dried flowers and/or miniature plastic fruit 8) glue gun.

Now keep in mind, the pine needle wreaths can be miniature (which is a good thing for the upcoming holiday crafts we'll be making) or you can make them approximately 4" to 5" inches in diameter.

Let's start with the miniatures. First, take a bunch of pine needles and make a loop to create a circle. Use a piece of twine to secure the ends. Keep adding needles and securing at various places around the wreath. Continue to do this until you have created a pine needle base with enough width to make a secure base. That's all there is to do! You can also interweave (braid) the needles for a different look. This is a very easy project that's great for kids to help create.

To make a larger base, follow the steps above. In addition, you will add an extension of needles to the first group. Overlap the second set several inches over the first set and bind with twine. Add the third set over the second and bind. You can adjust the size of the base until you have what you need. Continue "building" your wreath until you have a thickness of needles that will keep the base secure. Like vines, you need to keep the size of the base in proportion to how strong you can make it without it bending out of shape.