[craft & craft] thanksgiving, somewhere between a wreath and a pumpkin
[craft & craft] is a segment featuring a crafty project – with a craft beer pairing of course! Look forward to a variety of projects from lumber to thread.
Other traditions use wreaths more regularly, displaying them nearly year-round. I fall somewhere in between.
On Thanksgiving night I made a wreath out of fabric and some burlap my friend Anthony gave me. To keep warm and toasty, I enjoyed the Pumpkin Patch Ale from the Chatoe Rogue collection.
In our family pumpkin lasts much longer than October, something I have always appreciated. The first person to buy a pumpkin muffin in the city on Minneapolis annually is probably me or my mom, and we have been known to eat pumpkin pie on New Years or later.
For me, the same goes for pumpkin beer. Unfortunately, if you went to the liquor store right now, you could probably only find one, max. But I am prepared (speaking of prepared, are those wrapped Christmas gifts in the background? Yes. Yes they are).
So, wreath form, bottle opener, glue gun…and we’re off.
In addition to the season and my Thanksgiving night in, I was inspired by several factors, not the least of which were “how do I still have this burlap in my sewing closet?” and “Wow, I haven’t used the glue gun in a long time!” I was also guided by this tutorial and several similar wreaths on the brilliant Brit + Co, which in my book is like a much cooler, curated Pinterest.
First of all, burlap is perfect for fall or spring, so depending on how you need this to function, just adjust your embellishments. I designed it to look somewhat unfinished by letting the burlap fray and adjusting the rosettes in a random way.
You’ll need a foam wreath form – mine was round and small – glue (regular or hot glue), fabric, pushpins, and something to hang it with. I suggest Rick-Rack but yarn or ribbon also works, or if you don’t want it to show use fishing line.
While the glue gun was heating up, I tried the Rogue Pumpkin Patch. It pours a dark amber-brown with a significant spice smell akin to many pumpkin beers. The medium-bodied beer is quite sweet and spicy with a pleasant caramel / brulee undertone. It does taste a lot like pumpkin pie, actually, without being too sweet.
The medium body and moderate carbonation are appropriate to underscore the flavor and the finish is a pleasant lingering spice. It is an excellent beer on its own for after a Thankgsgiving meal but could also be appropriate with tangy cheese or pecan pie.
Once you’ve had a few sips, simply cut long strips of burlap about 4″ wide and wrap them irregularly around the form, in a barber-shop like spiral, overlapping slightly. Glue as you go but do so sparingly – depending on the weave of your burlap, some may leak through (also, don’t put your thumb where you just placed burlap over glue).
Once the form is covered, trim and hide the end of the strip on the backside of the wreath.
Add the rosettes, leaves, or other embellishments – I like the combination of seersucker, polka dot and houndstooth – using glue but also pushpins as needed.
Here I’ll clue you in on a small stroke of genius. To attach whatever it is you plan to hang the wreath with, don’t use glue, wrap it around the wreath and use pins to secure. That way, if you use a big Christmas ribbon you can always change it for Easter. Also, the wreath may not hang very straight if the rosettes are asymmetrical. To correct this, add some wight on the other side or hang it like an A-frame as shown.
And you’re done! How easy. Consume what is left of your pumpkin beer, hang the wreath, watch Home Alone and call it an evening well spent.