Here's Looking At You...........

Yesterday, I told you about the difficult time I had getting the things I needed to decorate my Lamp Post.  Today I want to share the problem solving techniques I used to actually decorate the lamppost.

      The weather didn't cooperate.....  It was raining, er perhaps drizzling was a better description of the  morning.  Since I didn't want to track dirt or mud into the villa, I made another pot of tea and sat down, hoping to wait out the weather.
     Around noon, the sun made a peek a boo entrance to the day.  I grabbed my tools, my decorations, and went out the door.  The first thing I had to do was wrap the pole with the garland.   That went really easy.  Now to figure how to attach the pine branches with red berries and pine cones to the crossbar.  Every way I tried to hold, wire, grab another, hold both, bend over for tools....   one both or everything slipped and went all over,   I felt like I needed to be a spider with lots of appendages to hold on to everything.   Plan 1.....   not good
Plan 2:  back into the house.   Wire the 2 branches together with bonsai wire at the bonsai table.   Each branch was tightly  taped during manufacturing.  Therefore I had to carefully weave the wire around and through the needles, berries and cones.  With the help of my small bonsai tools this part of the task went well.  The 2 branches were secure.
     Plan 3:  How to attach to the pole?   I first thought to create a hanging wire but that was to flimsy and wiggly.  Modify?  how?  hmmmmmmm
I shortened the hanging wire, a lot.  Then I took some used bonsai wire and secured each end of the branch to the cross post.  With the aid of the small tools, I kept tightening each end until the branches were as secure as the post.    Yeah!!!!!!   I was getting some where's!!!
     Santas hat was easy.  It easily tucked up under the lid on the top.  The HO Ho Ho was visible to the street while the tassel was hung by the side, with care!    I finished off with the red bows.  They came with their own wires and easily attached to the needles.
      What you see in the post is the front of my villa, the porch handrail has a wreath and 2 window  displays.  After all the problem solving was done I stood back and got the picture, and rather proud of the fact that I managed to get all this done without any accidents, using what I had in my home for tools and wire, and made something that is seasonal, bright, and showing my seasonal spirit!    Not the best, but my villa looks very festive.   And....  I did it, all by myself!