Instead of shopping like a crazed person on Black Friday, a few friends and I decided to continue the tradition of cruising up Saddle Road to pick greenery for holiday wreaths. The day before, Thanksgiving, was a beautiful day. Today, not so much. It was a very wet, rainy, chilly, downright miserable day to be doing this, but we forged ahead anyway. Troopers. Miraculously, I managed to take a couple of shots in between downpours. NOTE: To be able to pick in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park you need a permit. These can be obtained for free through the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wild Life. The permit is good for two days, not necessarily consecutive, and you can pick any time of the year in the park.

The array of flora I collected. Enough to make two wreaths and one small vase arrangement.

To begin, gather your tools: Straw wreath, an abundance of long U-shaped push pins, scissors, wood picks (optional), ribbons, ornaments, pine cones, and anything you desire to make your wreath unique. I like to wrap my straw wreaths first, that way they have a clean looking back and I don't use as much foliage this way. I choose large very green ti leaves from my yard and cut each side away from the center stem. Then I wrap the wreath and pin each leaf in place.

Grab small sections of the flora of your choice and group together. Cut the length to fit if needed. Attach group to face of wreath with one or two pins. Hide pins as you go. Over lap flora to create a full effect and continue all the way around the wreath.

When you've gone all the way around placing sections of flora, you may want to fill in some gaps. When you are happy with the way it looks, you can add some moss to fill in even more gaps and give the piece a little more character.

You could stop here fro a natural look or place a single bow.

Adding pine cones add more texture and create a cozy look. You could stop here as well.

I pressed onward and included gold sparkly wire ribbons I looped together in groups of three then wrapped them with wired floral sticks. For a finishing touch I added a small brass horn with red tassels for a Christmasy look. I gave it to a deserving friend... she got chicken skin (goose bumps). My job there was done! LOL

I had penty more trimmings to make another wreath, so I chose a red toned theme. These wreaths can be used as pretty center pieces too. Just lay flat on a dish and place on dining table. Place a large candle in the center and enjoy the warmth of the season. Remember to spray through the month to keep fresh and sometimes, depending on materials picked, they can last for years and still look good. Dryer looking, yes, but still good.

I decided to use a large very romantic ornament of two candy canes dancing on this one. A friend gave it to me years ago. I love it, but it's really heavy so I usually lean it up somewhere in my home because it's just too large for the tree. I think it worked out great here and I complemented it with red velvet wire ribbon that molds to perfection.

I also wanted to show you how I hang them. Lastly, after I place the ribbons and I am completely finished, I make a jute loop in the back of the wreath secured by two push pins for hanging. I wait to do this because I need to know exactly how the front of the wreath looks in the end. I spin it around to determine the top then I add the hanger so that it looks balanced. TIP: Push pins in at an angle going upwards in order for them to stay secured in the wreath. I hope this helps you to kick off the holidays with a DIY project that includes nature and inspires you to create your own beautiful designs using flora from your own hometown. Happy wreathing!