Come Christmastime in Colonial Williamsburg, the historic buildings of the once-bustling capital of the colony of Virginia get decked out in holiday cheer, period-style. The stars of the show are the handmade wreaths that adorn each door, showcasing materials available in colonial times, like oyster shells, dried oranges, pomegranate seeds, and pine cones (read: no plastic reindeers or synthetic ribbons). Every year, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation holds a contest to celebrate the circular works of art, and the 2024 winners are in. Beautified with everything from a model ship to a miniature whisk to strands of wheat and straw, they celebrate both artistry and a sense of place and time.
Doris Bixler—who also won last year—took top prize in the professional category. She drew her inspiration from the building where her wreath hangs, called the Taliaferro-Cole Kitchen, which she rents and lives in with her husband. Bixler wove in grapevines, flowers, bags of tea, coffee, and sugar, and one extra-special adornment. “I went to the Governor’s Palace Kitchen and asked them if they could bake an eighteenth-century biscuit that everyday people would have eaten,” she says. The resulting six flat biscuits, called tack, peek out from the greenery alongside a miniature whisk, tiny wooden spoons, and rolling pins.
Throughout the season, which runs from the week after Thanksgiving to the first of January, Bixler and the other wreath makers will keep their creations fresh and replace items as needed. “Our squirrels are in seventh heaven because of all the things that they can eat off the wreaths,” she says. “It’s a lot of work, but Christmastime is absolutely wonderful here. It’s a dream come true to live among all this history.”
Below, see six standout Williamsburg wreaths, all of which took prizes in this year’s contest.
Bixler’s winning wreath weaves bags of tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits, and kitchen tools into grapevine and greenery with flowers.
This wreath hangs on the door of the John Crump Kitchen and features grapevine, dried fruit, and embroidery.
The Russell House’s wreath is outfitted with braided rope and a model ship.
This year’s Charlton Kitchen wreath relies on wheat, dried flowers, and oyster shells.
The wreath hanging on the Wigmaker’s door sports a burning log with “flames” made from hair.
The Lightfoot Tenement’s wreath consists of straw, wheat, and dried fruit.
