FACES & PLACES: Making a holiday wreath

Suggested natural materials for wreaths:

Jill Pickett

Ramona Peterson, left, watches as Donna Lacaria, a Master Gardener, right, helps her son Shane Peterson, 9, use a special table that when a foot pedal is pressed moves clamps to bend over the metal bands on a wreath form to hold the greenery in place, during a holiday wreath-making class at the extension office in Elizabethtown. Bundles of greenery are placed between the tines then crimped in place, with the table or pliers, with each bundle covering up the cut-ends of the bundle before it, working around the circle, finally tucking the cut-ends of the final bundle behind the first bundle.

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Jill Pickett

A wreath created by Danielle Hethcox during a holiday wreath-making class at the extension office in Elizabethtown.

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Jill Pickett

Amy Aldenderfer, right, Hardin County Cooperative Extension agent for horticulture, helps Ann Skaggs with measuring natural greenery for a small wreath during a class at the extension office in Elizabethtown. Aldenderfer told those in the class that from the tip of the outstretched thumb to the side of the hand is about 6-inches or a good length for the greenery and if they extend their pinky and measure to that it is about 8-inches, also workable.

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Jill Pickett

Samantha Mitchell, from right, Teri Bennett and others select natural greenery for their wreaths during a class at the Extension Service office in Elizabethtown.

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Jill Pickett

Danielle Hethcox, left, helps Kathy Doty with her bow during a wreath-making class at the extension office in Elizabethtown.

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Eastern red cedar

Inkberry holly

American holly

Ornamental grasses

Pine cones

Euonymus

Virginia pine

Needled evergreens

Plants that will keep their leaves when cut

Ask first before cutting greenery from another's property.

Christmas tree farms can be a source of cuttings.

Source: Amy Aldenderfer, right, Hardin County Cooperative Extension agent for horticulture.

Most of the natural materials will last throughout the season on the wreath, if it doesn't get too hot or bumped alot, said Amy Aldenderfer, right, Hardin County Cooperative Extension agent for horticulture.