Start the holiday decorating with a wreath

A WREATH IS THE easiest way to shout "Merry Christmas" from a front door. This circle of greenery, ornaments and ribbon makes a holiday statement that spreads cheer again and again.

So, let's go there - to the everlasting decorations.

There are many ways to decorate a wreath for the holidays. We asked Gail Arnold, owner of Topiaries at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, to show us her creative design skills and to use accessories for sale in her ornament-filled shop while creating four different looks using the same faux wreath base.

AN ELEGANT WREATH

Gold adds lush richness to a green wreath base.

For this one - so easy, Arnold says - she uses one big garland: a chain of gilded ferns, berries, pomegranates, eucalyptus leaves, pears, apples and fanciful glittery sprays that bring snow to mind.

She glues in burnished magnolia leaves to add another shade of gold and gold bay leaves for oomph.

The final touch is a wide, wired, beaded and embroidered ribbon looped into a bow with trailing ends.

Arnold's version is $275.

A PEACOCK WREATH

The trick in this textured and extravagant creation is ready-made garland. Arnold lays it on the wreath and fastens it with the twist-tie technique. Then she adds a bow of wired silk ribbon in two colors; one makes the other pop.

She tucks in ball sprays, curling the stems so they extend out of the wreath, giving it depth and side interest. She places bronze leaves under blue to make it more visible since blue tends to blend into green.

She adds another beaded garland, three large green and four blue ball ornaments. Broken ones are perfect, since they can be turned to hide the damage. Then she accents the bow area with feathers fixed to wire stems.

Arnold's version is $225.

A TRADITIONAL WREATH

Green and red always says "Christmas." Creating this look is easy, Arnold says.

Using a green wreath base of faux pine, she tucks in red berry sprigs and uses the pine twigs like twist ties to fasten them tight.

Next, she glues or wires on clumps of glitter-frosted pine cones, adding one or two singles.

Finally, she loops a length of wide wired ribbon into the wreath, poking it in and out of the cones and berries, again tying it in place with the wreath's pine twigs. There's no bow, making this a snap for a novice to put together.

"It's so simple that kids could do it," Arnold says. Her version is $165.

THE WHIMSICAL WREATH

The ornament that makes this lavish wreath sing is the large collectible fairy by Mark Roberts. The figure also takes the place of a bow. The colors in his little outfit set the apple-green, purple and fuchsia color scheme.

Arnold adds two ball garlands and fills in with ball sprays to match. Then she adds a variety of large ornaments, including an ice cream cone, slice of cake and candy house, and tucks in velvety, apple-green holly leaves.

The fairy retails for $129, making this wreath total $329.

WREATH TIPS

GENERAL TIPS
-Keep these guidelines in mind when making your own wreath decoration:

-Work large so your wreath has impact from the street.

-Set a color scheme using three to five colors.

-Play off the color of your door. On a red door, for example, lime green pops.

-Avoid purples. They fade in the distance and look like empty spots.

-To speed things along, buy garland to fasten on a wreath, then add accents

-Lay out odd numbers of ornaments - 3, 5, 7 - to please the eye, then cluster them.

-Include shiny and matte objects for texture.

-Use wide ribbon with a different color on each side. It adds dimension.

-For night-time sparkle to the street, add strings of tiny, battery-operated LED lights shaped like grapevines with narrow stems and bud lights. They come in glitzy gold or natural brown.

-After Christmas, store your wreath in a large, clear bag under a bed or in a closet, anywhere air-cooled. Never store it in the attic or garage, where heat and critters can damage it.

DON'T STOP WITH THE WREATH
-Frame your entryway with a garland and lights. Add bows or pinecones for more decorative detail.

-Place pots or urns planted with seasonal greenery, poinsettias and lights on either side of the doorway

-Put out a welcome mat designed with holiday accents.

-Add new brass or nickel accents such as a kick plate, porch lights and a door knocker to dress up your door.

-If it's not yet too cold to paint outdoors, brighten up your door with a fresh coat of red paint or a strong color that provides contrast to your current color scheme.

-When decorating, be careful to protect your door. Avoid putting a nail in the face of the door, as this can lead to damage in the future. Instead, use a door hanger to hang the wreath from the door knocker, or place a tack on the top of the door frame and use clear fishing line to hang the wreath.

These tips from door manufacturer Therma-Tru Corp.

OUR HOLIDAY HELPER
Tips are provided by Gail Arnold of Topiaries Inc., 301 25th St., Virginia Beach, (757) 437-1183 or www.topiaries.biz.

Krys Stefansky, (757) 446-2043, krys.stefansky@pilotonline.com

Photos Steve Earley, The Virginian-Pilot