Grave Decorating Tips

Memorial Day falls on May 26th this year.  Be it a loved one or a fallen soldier, nearly everyone has a grave in mind to decorate.  Read on for some tips to make your bouquets and decorations especially beautiful this year.

     Notes: Be sure to check your cemetery's decorating rules before you start any of these projects.  Also, if you want any of your items back, check to see how long the cemetery allows the decorations to stay up.

DECORATING IDEAS:

• Flower Wreath that Fits around the Gravestone.  Measure the perimeter of the tombstone (minus the bottom), then use pliers to cut off a piece of wire 8 inches longer than than the tombstone's length.  Next, cut off the stems of several flowers (they can be real or artificial).  You will need enough flowers to cover the entire wire, except for the extra 8 inches.  Then, string the bottoms (receptacles) of the flowers through the wire, keeping the flower heads on top.  When you are finished, arrange the blooms to where there is 4 inches of bare wire on either side of the line of flowers.  After that, bend your beflowered wire into the shape of the gravestone.  Finally, put the decoration about your gravestone, using the 4 inches of bare wire on either side of the decoration as stakes.
• Candles.  Place a couple of flameless candles on either side of the headstone for an attractive glow at night.  You can find these candles at most stores, including Walmart.
• Ribbon.  For a simple, yet pretty touch on a gravestone, wrap a ribbon around the stone and tie it into a big bow.
• Flower Heart Wreath.  Use pliers to cut off a 2-foot piece of wire (3 feet for a larger heart wreath).  Next, string the flowers onto the wire as directed in Project 1, leaving an inch of bare wire on either side.  Once you've finished stringing the flowers, twist the bare ends of the wire together, forming a circle.  Finally, bend your wreath into the shape of a heart.  If desired, tie in a string for hanging.  For a visual guide for making this project, check out this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljHmJ1F1v_o.
• Poems.  Write a poem to your loved one in Heaven, saying why you love him, and, in the case of a fallen soldier, why you admire his bravery.  Laminate the paper.  If there are no holes in the laminate, use a hole puncher to add a hole on either side of the paper (be careful not to punch a hole through any of your words).  Finally, thread a string through the holes for hanging it or tying it around the gravestone.
• Flags and Pinwheels.  Place some flags and/or pinwheels in the ground next to the grave.
• Have a blessed and safe Memorial Day.

Anny Hiestand, Teen Blogger