Each year The Garden Club of Newtown holds several workshops to create the many items sold at its Holiday Greens and Gifts Sale, traditionally presented the first Saturday in December.

The annual event traditionally features wreaths that are made from local, fresh greens and decorated by garden club members, as well as boxwood trees, kissing balls, unique centerpieces, and gifts.

This year's greens sale will be presented at Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street, on Saturday, December 2, from 9 am until noon.

Club members brought their creative ideas and special skills to the club's first workshop, hosted by Keri Williams at her home. Together the ladies made bows, holiday ornaments, and decorations that will be used to embellish the wreaths made in December.

They also hand painted snowman flower pots for the gift baskets and amaryllis bulbs; and painted wooden snowmen, snowflakes and stars, all for the Holiday Greens and Gifts Sale.

At other workshops in November, club members will make the 100 bows needed for the wreaths, gift baskets, and other specialty items. They will also plant amaryllis bulbs in gift pots and create Christmas terrariums to sell.

In addition to workshops, some club members work at home to create hand painted ornaments and birdhouses, while others create gift items with homemade jams and decorated cookies.

The final workshops will be held in the days just prior to the sale. Club members will create 60 wreaths, boxwood trees, kissing balls, and a dozen or so centerpieces and unique Christmas designs from the fresh greens people contributed from their yards.

Some of the most popular items, like the boxwood trees, kissing balls, and yard decor, sell out within the first hour. Shoppers have been known to arrive 30 minutes before the meeting house doors open so that they have first dibs on the handmade offerings. Last year a gentleman borrowed his neighbor's truck, and another lady pulled a child's red wagon behind her to the sale, both so that they could safely get all the wreaths, bags of greens, and other items they had purchased home safely.

The annual Holiday Greens and Gifts Sale is the major fundraiser for The Garden Club of Newtown. It enables the club to maintain the Blue Star Memorial at VFW Post 308, along with three additional gardens in town.

Proceeds from the sale also allow the club to contribute funds to FAITH Food Pantry, Newtown Scholarship Association, The Newtown Fund, and Newtown Forest Association.

For additional information send e-mail to thegardenclubofnewtown@yahoo.com or visit gardenclubofnewtown.com.

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