“It’s as easy as pull, puff and pinch,” decorator Shelley Levis says with a quick grab of another piece of 21-inch-wide sparkly green Sinamay ribbon.
Making a stunning wreath is easy with this loosely woven wide ribbon, says Levis, and more satisfying than buying a posh ready-made one. Technically, Sinamay is a lightweight poly mesh material professional decorators like Levis use regularly.
But expressively, Levis adds, the avid local home and garden blogger believes when it comes to wreath-building, Sinamay is “where the bling comes in.”
Sinamay creations prove these wide rolls of ribbon are perfect for increasing scale and glamor, and Levis has been busy for a couple of years, showing people that they are easy to work.
At the Saturday holiday decorating tutorials now a regular part of the 2013 Milner Village Market, Levis shows shoppers how these eye-catching wreaths come together.
Starting with the regular green artificial branches of a plain wreath, she pulls a piece of the wide ribbon, puffs it up in a nice flowing arc, pinches it together, and wraps the wiry branches around to secure the ribbon. That’s the technique. Dedicate a couple relaxing hours to this, Levis says, and the result is really something.
“Awesome bling” describes it perfectly.
Not to worry, Levis assures first-time wreath makers not accustomed to awesome bling. Deco mesh wreath-making adds flare without being hard to work with, there are plenty of Sinamay tutorials online including Levis’, and a wide selection of ribbon size and colour are available wherever decorating supplies are sold.
Levis is strong on the larger sizes, and almost always uses the 21-inch roll. With something that size, “you are more liberated to do what you want.”
Registration is open for the Nov. 16 Saturday afternoon tutorial at Milner Village Market. The session will work with green, copper and gold, while using painted sticks, ball ornaments and trim for high voltage sparkle.
With step-by-step patience, Levis inches along the outside of the wreath adding the first layer of ribbon.
“All it is, is going around in circles,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Add a few key elements, and what we have at the end is spectacular.”
Where: Milner Village Winter Market Inside the historic red barn at 6690 216 St. Langley
When: Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until Dec. 14
Wreath Building Tutorial Nov. 16 1 p.m.
Register online: here
Check out How To Make A Deco Mesh Wreath here