Lace, Thanksgiving and Making a Garland. November 25, 2024.

With the mellowness of age, it has become easier to listen to the Lord without the whirl of emotions that follow a woman all through her teen years on to motherhood and to the precipice of menopause. And in this new season the Lord is taking me to new places in our walk together and one of those has been a deeper inclusion of Him in my passion for the home arts and sharing it with others. My mom once told me that she could not paint without the Lord’s inspiration, something I am now beginning to understand that while I seek to be more meaningful in the home. And so daily I ask the Lord to inspire and lead me where He would have me go and what to focus on that will honor Him and bring Him glory because it is about Him.

And with all this, lace was the one item that kept coming to mind when planning our table. The old timey traditional lace that has been around since the 15th century. It sees periodic rises and falls in popularity, but stays relevant in culture worldwide, nonetheless. One upon a time lace was made painstakingly by hand, an art which has now been replaced by machines. Still, its presence in decor hearkens to the old fashioned and traditional ways of early American culture. And right now so many people are wanting tradition in an empty modern world that is draining our souls. Traditions are what anchor our families. Traditions comfort us and gives us a sense of solid ground- something we can all appreciate. And so, the old fashioned-looking lace tablecloths that remind me of yesteryear went on our table.

Which brings me to another thing I am relearning. It is that it is not necessary for every holiday meal be a themed decor. Thanksgiving decor does not have to consist of turkeys statues, pumpkins, and cornucopias filled with gourds. Just drawing on traditional finery and family heirlooms in decor is what many have done over the centuries. Having special items such as family china, a hand crocheted tablecloth or old crystal candlesticks that come out only for the holidays adds depth to our traditions and a sense of the sacred that is every bit as meaningful as a themed display. The large presence of holiday-specific decor which caters to trends is more recent and is fun, but it does not have to be the status quo. Not to mention more cost saving as trends come and go along with decor. However, both ways are lovely in their own way.

Making a Garland

But to this traditional look I added the dainty floral element of Baby’s Breath. It seemed appropriate. So, I created a garland of it to run down the middle of the table and adorned it with my favorite candle votives. Making a garland is easy; much easier than I thought. Baby’s Breath is also an inexpensive flower, but so delicate and fluffy. Below I have written out the instructions for making one. Use the same method for other florals and greens as well.

Ingredients

Baby’s breath (I used 2 bouquets from Costco)
Twine
Craft wire
Twine
Scissors
Wire cutters

Instructions

Get your materials.
Cut out a piece of twine the length you want your garland.
Trim the long parts off your Baby’s Breath.
Take one clump and place it on the beginning of the twine.
Cut a 2-inch piece of craft wire (you can eyeball this).
Wrap the wire around the lower part of the Baby’s Breath, affixing it to the twine.
Take another stem of Baby’s Breath and lay it over the part you just attached with wire, overlapping.
Affix this to the twine with craft wire.
Keep doing this until you have the length of garland you want.

Alternate Method

Lay your Baby’s Breath on the garland from beginning to end how you want it to look.
Use the craft wire to attach the flowers to the twine at the stem portions along the twine.

Have a blessed and beautiful week!

*No monies from affiliates. All opinions are my own.

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