Don't Prune Your Boxwoods for Boxwood Wreath Napkin Rings

2 Materials
$3
30 Minutes
Easy
It's Christmas in July and Boxwood Napkin Rings add some fresh greenery to your holiday table! It’s also a great excuse to skip pruning your boxwood shrubs now, so you can take advantage of the summer growth on your shrubs this December, using the long sprigs of greenery to make these napkin rings!
I played around with how to make these napkin rings off and on for a week. I kept the napkin rings I was working on in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator. They stayed fresh for a week while I was working on them, so you could make these napkin rings at least a week ahead, keeping them refrigerated until ready to use, during the busy holiday season.
I originally bought 2 1/2-inch metal rings that I wrapped in floral stem tape to create a base for the napkin rings. This ring has a hinge that I thought would be helpful to open up the ring as I was working and wrapping the boxwood stems.
I decided the rings were more of a hindrance than a help, but the metal hinged rings may be easier for you to work with if you want to experiment. I found the DMC rings at Michaels for $1.99 where the needlework and stitching supplies are sold.
I found it easier to use a long boxwood stem to create a loop, attaching the stem to itself with florist wire. After you make your loop, cut off the rest of the stem.
Continue adding stems, wrapping around the original loop, adding florist wire as needed.
There’s a bit of learning curve but I found the new green growth worked best, which is flexible unlike the older, woody stems.
These mini boxwood wreaths would also provide a festive way to add a placecard in the center of the wreath at your holiday table.
I  like to use boxwood sprigs to deck the halls, mixed with other evergreens for a garland for the table or mantel. You can see an example at my Natural Evergeen Table Runner for my Plaid Tidings Table.
And you can find boxwood sprigs and evergreens with a Chalkboard Runner and Plaid Tidings in the Potting Shed.
For those of you who can’t bear to think about Christmas this early, I promise I'm not rushing the season. This is just a public service announcement to not prune your boxwood shrubs in case you need those sprigs for your holiday decorating. ;)


More photos and Christmas table inspiration at my blog link below!
Suggested materials:
  • Boxwood   (yard)
  • Florist wire   (floral department of craft store)
Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Go
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  1 question
  • Rogene Anderson Rogene Anderson on Aug 05, 2017

    What a beautiful idea to finish a beautiful tablescape. What is the pattern name and brand of the silverware?

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 13 comments
Next