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The Wreath Recipe Book” by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo

Book cover memorial wreath design is autumn “Liquidambar Recipe 3: Wreath”

The fresh smell of a Christmas tree, a crackling fire, delightful Christmas cookies and your mid-century modern home decked with nature’s winter foliage, yes the holidays are a wonderful time of rituals. But for those who are bereaved, it can be one of the most difficult times of the year.

What to do for that friend or family member you are concerned for?

What holiday gift to give them? Have you considered making a holiday memorial or funeral wreath, swag or table arrangement? Begin an annual ritual of creating such a handmade gift each year for your bereaved friend. It establishes a beautiful reminder of the person they lost as well as extending your love and support. Add a card or special tag written with a poem or your thoughts in honor of their loved one.

Reading by holiday candlelight an autumn “Plum Recipe 3: Wall Hanging.” Simply made of a plum branch with silver, bronze and gold spray paint and tied with a rope cord.

Meet the most incredibly inspiring book of designs The Wreath Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo of Studio Choo. It’s jam-packed with amazing ideas and every page of this hard copy book has a delicious full page image. This is not a book specifically photographed and written for memorial or funeral decorations, but one would never know given the designs. It contains 272 pages of designs, each one more delightful than the next. These designs are the perfect solution for the modern or mid-century home.

Reading by holiday candlelight a spring “Quince Recipe 3: Wreath.” Made of dried honeysuckle vine, quince branch, stems of salal and branches of kumquat. For a holiday wreath, add a ribbon and use an off season non-flowering quince branch.

This book is divided into the four seasons. Within each season, the authors have selected a variety of seasonal flowers or branches they’ve created designs for: spring/forsythia, summer/eucalyptus, autumn/magnolia and winter/ilex. They call each design a “recipe.” Each branch or flower comes with three or four recipes of decorations; be it a wreath, swag, floral arrangement, wall hanging, centerpiece, place setting or garland.

Reading by holiday candlelight a winter “Camellia Recipe 2: Sway”. Made of hyacinth flower heads, camellia branch and ribbon with thread. So simple yet so sublime.

What’s brilliant about this book is not all the same branch or flower recipes use the same branches or flowers. Matchy, matchy is out of fashion and so the authors have created a family of designs (recipes) to put together a truly contemporary theme for your home or party. If you’ve selected camellia, then you wouldn’t want your wreath, swag, place setting and wall hanging to all have camellias, but it all needs to work as a family.

Reading by holiday candlelight a winter “Ilex Recipe 2 : Wall Hanging.” Made of redwood cones, holly branch and ilex branch with wide matte velvet ribbon.

This book has step-by-step instructions for every recipe. Many are so simple and sublime you could make it yourself, even if you’re unsure. Many of the branches or flowers could be found outdoors in your yard or a farmers market. Some would have to be purchased at a flower market. Note a tip: every city has a wholesale flower market and some suppliers let you pay retail for these unusual items.

A lot of books come and go through our SevenPonds library, but this is a top of the pile keeper! If you’re looking for that cool yet meaningful mid-century gift, then this book will inspire you by hitting it out of the court on all counts—a wreath handmade for the funeral. Wreath Recipe Book is a true gift of love.

You may also want to check out our book reviews from the past.