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December 8, 2008
Making wreaths from island’s cedar trees is an Ocracoke tradition By SUNDAE HORN  Four women stand ankle deep in twigs and needles and discarded bits of branches. They’re making Christmas wreaths out of fresh Ocracoke cedar, and after a few minutes of cutting, snipping, stuffing, shaping, and crimping the first wreath is done and ready for its red velvet bow. That’s one down and 35 to go. The large fresh cedar wreaths adorn homes, shops, and even the front ends of pickup trucks. They are an Ocracoke tradition that goes back more than 20 years, or as Cindy Fiore puts it, “since time began.” Cindy credits former Ocracoke resident Shelly Wynn for getting the business started, but soon after, Cindy, Dee Keel and Hettie Johnson took it over. Although Hettie passed away in June, 2007, after a five-year battle with cancer, Cindy and Dee keep her memory alive during the annual wreath-making. They use Hettie’s old greenhouse, where she had her Sandfiddler Nursery business, and tell Hettie stories while they work. Hettie’s daughter, Heather Johnson, approached Cindy last year and asked if she could help make the wreaths. “We’re so happy to have Heather with us,” Cindy said. “We’re passing the torch on to her.” Heather’s friend, Sara Batchelor, joined the crew this year and is learning the ropes. She was working on the second wreath of her career during this interview and she already looked like a pro at the wreath-making machine. The machine parts for the three wreath-making machines came from a Christmas supply company in Maine, and Cindy’s partner, Tim Fields, built the wooden frames to hold them. Making a wreath involves gathering a bunch of cedar boughs, cutting them to the right length, placing them in a metal wreath frame on the machine and stepping hard on the foot pedal to crimp the frame around the greenery. Then you turn the wreath frame and do it again, all the way around the circle. It’s hard work, especially on the larger wreaths, but the laughter and camaraderie lets you know that the wreath-makers are having a good time while creating something beautiful. And the greenhouse smells like heaven itself, with all the cedar trimmings underfoot.  Dee stands at the bow-making machine, winding red velvet ribbon around the spokes. She gets to add the final festive touch to the wreaths, making them even more festive. She claims that when they first started making wreaths, she didn’t weigh enough to push the pedal down on the machine, so she made bows instead, and it has become her specialty. Cindy says they start working on the wreaths the day after Thanksgiving. First they have to cut all the cedar. “We have different people on the island who let us cut in their yards,” she said. “Some people let us come back year after year.” “It’s good for the trees,” said Dee. “It makes them grow more and get fuller.” “Larry Simpson always lets us cut in his yard,” Cindy agreed. “And now his trees are beautiful.” This year’s cedar crop is full of blue berries – even more than usual, lending another color to the many shades of green. The women usually cut in the mornings and assemble wreaths in the afternoon. So far this year, they’ve got orders for 24 small wreaths, 36 medium, and 15 large. They also offer a jumbo size, which takes at least two huge buckets of cedar boughs to complete. Every year is different, Cindy said, but they often make as many as 150 in a season. Part of the business requires spending a day doing “telemarketing” – calling past customers and asking if they want to place an order. They get a lot of repeat business. East Carolina Bank is always one of the first places to display their wreaths. The wreath-makers welcome visitors to the greenhouse and offer up a bit of holiday cheer to everyone who drops by. A makeshift bar, which shares the space with garden tools and WD-40, holds their supply of butterscotch schnapps, Cuervo Gold, and Irish cream.  “That’s the nip bar,” Cindy explains. “When people stop by, they have a little nip with us.” The wreath-makers have even more than the nip bar to look forward to. Tim, who’s a renowned chef on the island, brings them meals (“He sustains us,” says Cindy.), and other folks have pitched in to help them make wreaths over the years. A neighborhood cat visits every season and gets plenty of love, attention, and food. The wreath-makers are also generous with their Christmas spirit in another way. When Hettie was sick and couldn’t help them anymore, Cindy and Dee would give her a big chunk of their proceeds for some extra Christmas money. Now they continue that tradition by giving part of their profit away each year to someone in need. Eden Honeycutt lives close to the greenhouse and loves to visit the wreath-makers. “I first met Hettie years ago when she came into my yard to hang a wreath on my house, just because we were new to the community,” Eden says, smiling at the memory. “Now I’m their mascot,” she said. “I can hear them laughing from my house, and I just have to come over. Let me tell you, they have entirely too much fun doing this.” Wreaths range in price from $25 to $50. Please call Cindy Fiore at 928-5801 to place an order. |
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