The Christmas and holiday season can be difficult for some people in under-served parts of our community. We’re especially thinking about nursing home residents. For some people, it may be their first Christmas in a nursing home and away from their family. And with the seasonal rise in increased health precautions, many residents may not be able to see their families at all. 

The Last Few Years Have Been Rough!

Thinking about the last couple of Covid Christmases, the holiday season has really changed for nursing home residents. It can be a really sad and lonely time. So if anyone could use a little cheer, we think it’s them. 

Despite all the challenges, experts and nursing home carers emphasize that it’s important for their residents to mark the celebration, acknowledging and celebrating it, even if it’s limited. And that’s where your beautiful handmade wreaths made with love can come in. 

A Gesture Close to Our Hearts

If you’ve been following along with Laurie for a few years, you’ll know that this is an effort close to her heart. 

A great way to make a nursing home feel more “homey” over the holidays is to make a homemade wreath or centrepiece to spread cheer and make the nursing home look more festive. 

Donating a wreath (or two or more) is such a thoughtful gesture and means the world for these residents. Giving a little of your time and effort to the people in a nursing home in your area can turn a potentially stressful and dark time into the bright and happy time it’s supposed to be. 

Put A Smile On Some Faces

Just think about how every time the residents look at your wreath it will put a smile on their face. Your time and caring can make them feel included, cared for, and remembered – and that’s exactly what the Christmas season is supposed to be all about!

If you have a parent, grandparent, or loved one in a home, you could choose to give some wreaths there, or you could find a residence in your local area. Either way, this is your chance to make the holiday season a little more special for them. Just think about the holiday cheer you could spread to don’t have any family. We promise you, any caring gesture you make over the holidays would be appreciated.

A beautiful, hand-made wreath shows those in a nursing home that they haven’t been forgotten and that someone cares about them. They’ll so appreciate the thoughtfulness and love that went into creating your homemade DIY wreath. 

One of the great things about a Christmas wreath is that it can brighten up a whole common area, becoming a point of conversation for the residents. Lots of people will be able to see what you’ve made and be cheered by it, too. 

Your creativity and effort will show you care, and it has the side benefit of getting you more into the Christmas spirit!

Think Local

If you are donating to nursing homes where you do not know anyone, but want to bring joy to everyone, check with your local nursing home to ensure they are accepting decorations. Most will be happy to hear from you but it’s always good to double check. Nursing home caretakers appreciate your efforts too, as they know how much it will mean to their residents.

This can also be an opportunity for your whole family to get crafty together and then deliver the finished wreaths as a special activity in the right holiday spirit. 

Check online for nursing homes near you that could benefit from your time and care. Canadahelps.org has additional resources to help you.

We’d Love To See Photos 📷

Please, if you do share wreaths with your local nursing home residents, we would love to see photos! Join the Unique Wreath Creators group and drop some pictures for us. It would mean so much to Laurie and all of the team here. 

Wishing you and your family all the best this holiday season,

Team Unique 

You know we love to countdown to Christmas around here and the holiday season is nearly upon us! Which means the decorating prep is already in full swing. And we’re so excited to tell you about our perfect DIY Christmas Wreath Kits!

It’s the perfect time to start decorating if you haven’t already. Before you know it, December 1st will be here so it’s a great time to start making your Christmas wreath decorations now. We know lots of people have started getting ready along with us since back in October (and even in September) because we truly believe that it’s never too early to start!

No Need to Hunt Around for Wreath & Crafting Materials

One thing about Christmas crafting and wreath making is that it can be frustrating when you you can’t find the materials you need. There’s nothing worse than when you start on a project, find most of the things you need, but can’t get one or two of the final wreath materials. And nobody should feel frustrated doing a holiday craft or when getting ready for Christmas. It should be fun and satisfying.

That’s why if you want to make sure that you have everything you need for the perfect holiday wreath, you’ve got to check out our terrific selection of DIY wreath kits for Christmas. Especially at this time of year, sometimes you can run into difficulties getting what you need on time, but with one of these holiday wreath kits, everything comes right to your door, all in one package. And with all of the items hand-picked by Laurie to go beautifully together, you can’t go wrong.

Here are a few of the wreath kits currently in stock:

These wreath kits are easy enough to make that you can create a beautiful wreath, even if you’re a beginner. On the other hand, they’re still so satisfying to make for veteran wreath makers. Even if you have made lots of wreaths before, you’ll still love working with these kits. Plus, our wreath system is so flexible, there’s a ton of room for creativity, so you can get creative with your own unique twists on the kits to make whatever you can imagine.

With our kits, we’ve taken our unique wreath making system (which already makes wreath making a million times easier and more fun than traditional methods) and we’ve made it even more of accessible by including everything you need to make a perfect wreath all in one convenient kit.

How It Works

1. Start with a UITC™ board. (The board is included with the kit.)

2. Choose your materials; mesh, ribbon & more. (All the materials are included with the kit.)

3. Use zipties to attach your materials to the board. (Yep, zipties are included too!)

4. Add accessories, wreath signs & finishing touches. (All the perfect accessories in the kit is hand-picked by Laurie.)

5. Beautiful results every time! Just follow along with our YouTube tutorials and live rep.

The process looks something like this:

Prepare your wreath board:

Use zipties to attach your mesh and materials:

Add the finishing touches:

Absolutely beautiful results every time!

Not Just For Doors

One of the things that we love here at Unique in the Creek is how these wreaths are perfect for decorating all around the house. They aren’t just for hanging on doors. They’re great for adding a bit of cheery Christmas decor to hang on walls, banisters, columns, and all sorts of different places.

You can hang a beautiful Christmas wreath above your mantel, on closet doors, against a window, or even on the backs of dining room chairs. You can also use a holiday wreath as centerpiece decoration for a dessert table or on your dining table for Christmas dinner. They’re a great way to add a personal touch to your Christmas decorating.

You’re also going to love that these holiday wreaths are simple to hang. They make an easy way to decorate an area that sometimes doesn’t get decorated, and they don’t take up floor space, so they’re good for small rooms.

Christmas Tree Wreath Kits

In our Christmas Tree wreath kits, you get everything you need sent right to your door, which is so convenient! Just jump right in and get started. You get one of our sturdy patented triangle shaped UITC Wreath Boards and all of the mesh, ribbon, zipties, and other pieces you need to make a stunning finished product.

We actually have eleven different wreath boards, but the triangle shape is perfect for Christmas trees and holiday gnomes.

When Laurie came up with the concept for these boards, she designed them to be strong enough to handle the elements outdoors, so you don’t have to worry about outdoor placements. And the holes are perfectly situated for attaching your mesh, ribbons, and other materials.

The wreath kits also include full rolls of mesh for the ‘body’ of your wreath, so there’s enough to follow the tutorial (all available on YouTube), or do your own thing and get creative with your wreath. Laurie hand picks perfect ribbons to go with the mesh rolls. For example, for our 2022 Elegant Christmas Tree Wreath, she hand selected Sage Winter Foliage to complement the Sage Foil Mesh, and for modern 2022 Modern Christmas Tree Wreath, she picked Black/Red/White/Gold tree ribbon to contrast with the White Snowdrift mesh.

Cute little signs come in these kits as well, perfect for finishing off your wreath. You don’t have to use these signs, the wreaths look beautiful plain, too, but the signs do add a little extra jolly cheer.

More Christmas Wreath Kit Designs

If you prefer a traditional round wreath, there are more DIY wreath kits to choose from. We have a beautiful poinsettia wreath kit that also has everything you need for a perfect Red Poinsettia Wreath.

You also get all the little practical things you need in the wreath kits, including the zip ties to hold everything on to your board, so you really don’t need anything of your own except scissors.

Using these zipties to attach your mesh, ribbons, and materials right onto the board, instead of the old fashioned method of wrapping everything around a frame, saves on the amount of materials you actually use, so there’s less waste.

We also have some fun and quirky holiday wreath kits. Be sure to check what’s in stock for this year, but at the time of writing this we can’t resist also mentioning the Santa Spy Cam Wreath Kit! Santa is spying on you to see if you’re naughty or nice. 😆

Christmas Gift Ideas

These kits also make a great gift. Why not give a wreath kit to a friend or loved one for a fun DIY activity and a beautiful finished wreath made with their own two hands. You could also make the wreath yourself nd give the finished product as a gift, fully completed. A handmade wreath is a perfect gift for some of those hard-to-buy-for people.

This is such a special time of year, and getting ready for the holiday season with handmade crafts like these wreaths is a great way to build anticipation and get into the spirit. Which wreath kit will you choose? Click here to see what’s currently in stock!

Hi Wreath Lovers! We’re so glad you’ve stopped by to read this blog post in which we’re going to dish the dirt on one of our favourite topics: how to choose the best wreath materials and crafting supplies. This is such an important topic and it includes some of the juiciest stuff that any crafter or wreath maker will definitely want to pay attention to!

If you’ve ever watched any of Laurie’s videos and live replays (there are hundreds on our YouTube channel) then you know that we’re very REAL around here. There are no smoke and mirrors, just honesty from one crafter to another. Laurie likes to tell it exactly like it is, and that includes giving advice on how to save money with clever hacks like the tips we provided in this blog post: How to Wreath on a Budget Using Upcycled Materials.

However, though it’s important to know when and how to save money, it’s equally important to know when NOT to scrimp and save. As savvy crafters, it’s critical to know exactly when to spend just a tiny bit more to get authentic and QUALITY materials and supplies.

We promise that the tips we share in this blog post will still result in beautiful wreaths made with fewer materials than traditional wreathing methods, and that your finished wreaths will be able to stand up to the elements. Because who wants to make a wreath that ends up in the garbage after two weeks? No thanks!

The Best Wreath Materials

Here at Unique in the Creek, we’re obsessed with making wreaths! It’s our very favourite thing in the world — right after family, Disney, and the colour bright pink! And it’s our passion to create and source the very best wreath materials you’ll find anywhere, whether that be in a brick-and-mortar store, or in an online retail space!

First things first, let’s talk about the foundation for every sturdy and beautiful wreath. This is your base. Your anchor. Your structure. This is the foundation you’ll build on, so it needs to be strong, tested, and foolproof. That’s right, it all starts with your wreath board!

We now make 11 different kinds of patented wreath boards for all of your wreath and home decor projects:

The wreath board is the main supply you need to take especially seriously to ensure that your wreath will survive the first rainfall of the season or big gust of wind.

Ever since Laurie invented the patented UITC™ Wreath Boards, DIY wreath making has never been easier or more reliable. Our Wreath Making Boards are designed with you, our makers, in mind. Now wreath making takes less time, fewer materials, and you get gorgeous results every time!

Our boards are made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. They’re light-weight but completely durable. These are boards you can rely on. Best of all, they’re easy to use and perfectly suited to any skill level.

The full board design and “Unique” streamlined system means no more twisting materials or pipe cleaners around your wreath base, no more gaps or holes in your design, and a tidy back that also won’t rust or damage doors. If you can imagine it, UITC™ Wreath Boards can help you create it easily and beautifully! And yes, we’re on Amazon!

Beware of Imitation Wreath Supplies

There’s nothing sadder than when someone reaches out to us because they’ve accidentally purchased an imitation wreath board and inevitably, it always results in all sorts of problems.

First of all, UITC™ designs don’t work on imitation boards because the holes aren’t in the right positions. That means you won’t be able to use any of our extensive resources, like our video replays and tutorials, to create consistently beautiful finished wreaths.

Second, the quality of these knock-offs is terrible, and your finished work just ends up in the trash within a few weeks because the board isn’t designed to withstand the elements.

So, even though it may have seemed like a “deal” to save just a few cents to get this imitation product, you end up spending more money because the whole wreath has to be disposed of. It’s such a shame!

You can avoid this headache by ensuring you always choosing items trademarked UNIQUE IN THE CREEK™ or UITC™.

Mesh, Ribbon, Wreath Signs & More Crafting Materials

At the time we’re writing this, you’ll probably be aware that there have been some supply chain issues as a result of global events. Hopefully if you come across this blog several months down the road this will be a thing of the past and the supply chain will have corrected itself.

But even with these supply issues, you can be sure that you won’t find a better selection of the best quality wreath materials at the best possible prices than here at uniqueinthecreek.com.

Let’s take a quick look at just a few of the items you’ll find in our shop.

Mesh

This is just a small selection of our mesh. The product list will default to show you the most recent additions of mesh to our shop:

Ribbon

This is just a small selection of our ribbon. The product list will default to show you the most recent additions of ribbon to our shop:

Wreath Signs

This is just a small selection of our wreath signs. The product list will default to show you the most recent additions of wreath signs to our shop:

Vinyl Centres & Decals

This is just a small selection of our vinyl decals, for use on our Character and Rail Wreath Boards. The product list will default to show you the most recent additions of vinyl decals to our shop:

Accessories

We also carry a variety of wreath and crafting accessories, all handpicked by Laurie who is an avid crafter herself. She’s picked these to complement a variety of seasonal wreath and crafting designs. Check back regularly, you never know what goodies you’ll find!

The Best Wreath Materials Are Here!

Ultimately, when you’re looking for the very best wreath materials, you need to look no further than right here at Unique in the Creek! We’ve got it all, personally selected with love by Laurie. We’re a family business that genuinely cares about our wreath community. If you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service team at info@uniqueinthecreek.com. Happy shopping and wreathing!