Fine art meets crafting in "Crown Yourself" workshop

By Sheon Wilson
Publications Coordinator

Come join us for a class where crafting meets fine art and creates a beautiful takeaway.

In one afternoon, “Crown Yourself: The Dolci Experience in Flowers and Art” will show you how to create art from everyday materials.

During this three-hour workshop on Dec. 16, co-hosted by Duke Gardens and the Nasher Museum of Art, participants will visit the Nasher’s Carlo Dolci exhibition and then head to Duke Gardens to craft their own crowns, wreaths or centerpieces.

Using botanical materials sourced at Duke Gardens, such as evergreen branches, holly and berries, our instructor will demonstrate how to craft your piece and then provide individual guidance and suggestions as needed. Basic materials will be included, but participants are invited to bring lights or other embellishments.

Nasher Museum of Art staff will give the class a guided tour of “The Medici’s Painter: Carlo Dolci and 17th Century Florence,” which showcases the Italian art master’s eye for color, light and texture.

A celebrated artist of his day, Dolci often painted crowns of foliage on his subjects. That inspired “Crown Yourself.”

“We thought a class that requires slowing down would relate to Dolci, because he was known for his meticulous attention to detail,” said Jan Little, director of education and public programs at Duke Gardens. Dolci was known for spending a decade or more on one painting, resulting in incredible depictions of minute detail.

At Duke Gardens, you'll learn how to use different colors, textures and types of botanicals, and how to manipulate scale, form and light. Dolci’s artistic process should prove inspiring as you craft your own creation, Little said.

“Painters mix their color to their exact goals to illustrate light and shadow, but people who craft with natural materials fashion those materials to respond to existing light and shadow,” she said. “We look forward to exploring the contrasts and similarities between fine art and craft.”

Workshop details: Saturday, Dec. 16, 2 to 5 p.m. To register, please call 919-668-1707 or email gardenseducation@duke.edu. For more information about this or our winter "Crown Yourself" workshop, please see the event page on our website.

Garden Guild Holiday Craft Sale

For most of the year, Duke Gardens' talented volunteer Garden Guild has been busy crafting unique new items to make your home more festive for the holidays, or for your gift-giving needs.

This year's Garden Guild Craft Sale is Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free, and parking is free until 1 p.m. All proceeds from this popular annual sale go toward the upkeep of Duke Gardens, so if you buy a gift, you'll get twice the gift-giving satisfaction. You can even buy Gardens memberships as gifts. Just ask at the front desk for information.

The Guild has been making some popular items from previous sales, and they've come up with many new products. Many items have a garden theme, incorporating natural elements, sometimes even from the Gardens. Everything is handmade and inexpensive.


One new batch of items is “gourdaments.” Happy creatures and elegant Santa Clauses can grace your Christmas tree or holiday decor. Mix and match from several different varieties. Each of these unique pieces will be sure to inspire you and get folks asking about your ornament.


For those who have been collecting the tobacco stick angel over the last several years, we have a new addition that you'll want to add. She is holding a sea basket filled with seashells. At the top of this post are some angels with a tobacco stick Santa.

Also available are Caprice shells, each embellished with dried flowers from the Gardens. What a wonderful way to bring in some summer color during the colder months. Use hand-decorated greeting cards to drop a dear friend a special note or to send holiday greetings. Snail-mail was never so pretty.

Gift wrapping can be easy this year. One-of-a-kind origami gift boxes in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors -- many upcycled from Duke Gardens calendars and other colorful publications -- can serve double duty as gift-wrapping and gift display or storage. Most boxes are 2-5 inches, so these boxes are perfect for jewelry or other smaller gifts.


A favorite from past years, and just as adorable this year, are these handmade headbands. These are perfect for stocking stuffers, or just for fun.

Here are some other items we'll have out for browsing at the sale.

Quilted star trivets help preserve table-tops during delicious dinners...

Garden Veggie Ornaments beautifully remind us to eat our veggies all year long.

Knitted Hats, some with fruit and vegetable themes, keep little heads toasty!

Decorative Storage - Beautiful and useful!

These hand-made chickens can keep you company all year long...

Keep recipes, newspaper clippings, and thoughts tidy in these embellished journals.

We'll also have jewelry, clothing, eye masks, soaps and plenty of other goodies. So please mark your calendars and bring a friend out with you. We look forward to seeing you Saturday at the Gardens.
Here are some more teaser pictures!