Reviving the art of handmade, local wreaths

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
MENTOR AND FRIEND — Maxine Todd of Hodgdon, left, gave Tammy Tompkins a refresher course on making the full wreaths she had made as a young girl.
Houlton self-starter revives wreath making tradition
By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Tis the season for holiday decorating and Tammy Tompkins has capitalized on that with traditional wreaths that are lush, plush and popular. She has been selling and delivering them from Houlton to Presque Isle. At the St. Mary’s craft fair in Houlton on Nov. 13, Tompkins sold several of her round wreaths and candy cane shaped wreaths to very willing and contented customers.
    Peter Foster-Kinney and his wife Ashley, both of Houlton, paid $25 each for two of the round wreaths. “They’re the fullest ones I’ve seen and they’re beautiful. They’re not flat and they’re not skimpy on the decorations,” he said about his purchases.
Handcrafted artistry
    Tompkins bills them as 12-inch wreaths. But, that’s only the size of the metal ring she uses as a base for  wrapping the balsam fir tips. The size of the wreaths is actually between 24-26 inches in diameter. Her candy cane shaped wreaths are about 36 inches long by some 20 inches wide. The wreaths are so full and thick on both sides, it may take a moment to find the wire hanger.
    Tompkins uses tips of balsam fir trees from local woods. She said she takes an average of four tips, fans them out, wire wraps them three times on both sides and fluffs them out as she works her way around the metal ring base. “It’s the only kind I make. They’re traditional wreaths because they are so full. It’s going really good because everything sells faster than I can make it.”
    Adding to the popularity of the wreaths is the meticulous attention to detail. “I hand make all of my bows. Once in a while my husband will make a few bows. We pick the cones from the woods and bake them in the oven on cookie sheets for about 15-20 minutes at about 150-200 degrees so they stay out and keep their shape. If we don’t do that, the cones close up. But, we have to make sure they don’t catch fire because the pitch can burn. So you have to keep an eye on them.”
    Then, Tompkins dabs on regular white stencil paint so the cones look snow frosted. For a finishing touch, each wreath has store bought bells, balls and Christmas ornaments.
Back to the future
    Although she and her mother had made wreaths when she was a child, they were not decorated and sold for a fraction of today’s prices. “We got a buck apiece for them,” said Tammy. Her husband said: “It’s a lost art. I’ve seen a lot of wreaths and they’re either flat or one sided. These are more traditional than I grew up with.”
    To re-start her wreath-making odyssey, Tammy called her dear friend Maxine Todd of Hodgdon for a refresher course. “William and Maxine are my inspectors. They make the decision if it looks good,” explained Tammy. Todd praised her student’s artful designs. “She makes them so beautiful and thick. Most of the wreaths you see are only about 2-3 inches thick. And, Tammy’s are at least a good six inches thick.” Tammy said it takes her about 30 minutes to make the canes and about 30-45 minutes for each wreath.
    The couple, parents of five and grandparents of seven, are childhood sweethearts who recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Both are back in school and have carved out ways to make a living while supporting their education.
Self-starters carved out businesses
    “When you’re born and raised in Aroostook County, you learn to adapt. A lot of people here in Aroostook County learn to do multiple things. They’re basically a jack of all trades,” said William who is studying at NMCC in Presque Isle. “I hope if everything goes right and my grades stay up, I’ll graduate in May with an associate’s degree in auto tech.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
ARTISTRY IN ACTION — Tammy Tompkins wraps balsam fir tips from local woods to make wreaths 5-6 inches thick and 24-26 inches in diameter.
    Tammy, is studying liberal arts and will resume work on an EMS degree at NMCC. She said she had to create her own businesses. “In spring I pick, clean, sell and deliver fiddleheads. About 2,000-2,500 pounds every spring. The first of August, I rake blueberries in Lubec. When you’re in college full time like we are you have to have your own hours since a lot of places don’t want to work around your class hours.” The campus has been a good selling ground to sell her wreaths. She said she usually has a few in the back of her truck and they sell very fast.
    The Tompkins said they are waiting to see if they can get a slot at the Rec Center’s craft fair over the Thanksgiving weekend. Displays may be up in a few localities unless they get scooped up by managers and owners. The son of one owner liked the candy cane wreath intended for display so much he said it was going on his front door.
    To find out more about the wreaths, contact the Tompkins at 538-1330 or  694-1820. Tammy said she is on Facebook and will eventually have them on display at 532 B Road in Houlton.