Handmade Christmas Wreaths Have Poignant Genesis

The Christmas wreaths, cemetery arrangements, sprays and crosses for sale glittering in the sunlight at 668 Wadsworth Street have a rather unusual provenance.

Every year Maria Waz, 63, places a cross in St. Sebastian Cemetery on the grave of her older brother who died 17 years ago. Four years her senior, Steve was her best friend.

This year, the arrangement went missing. So Waz replaced with with another handmade floral cross — and beside it staked a note to any would-be pilferers: “Please don’t take this. If you want one, I’ll make it very inexpensive for you.”

It worked. Waz happily reports the cross is still there.

Sometimes, from utility springs creativity.

“I don’t like the plastic stuff they sell at the store for $25,” Waz says. So she made her own wreaths, with pine and other greenery she finds around the year, fabric bows, lace, colorful glass ball ornaments, silk flowers, tinsel, white-tipped pine cones and more.

In years past, Waz, who used to own the New Star Market, convenience store, formerly located next to Hillside Laundry near Stop & Shop, dabbled in art.

"Somebody died and gave my mother an oil set. I worked in pencil, oil, pastels, but I haven't oil painted in a while,” Waz says. She would paint, "Christ, religious scenes, the ocean, still-life mostly."

Her father passed away a few months ago, which means she has another grave to dress, but her mother, now 85, lives with her. They get along famously.

Self-taught, Waz has an eye for color, evidenced by her use of purple, yellow and gold in one wreath and varying shades of brown in another.

Her arrangements begin at $22.50 and she offers a 25 percent discount to veterans, police officers and firefighters, all who carry a special place in her heart.

“The fire department ate here every day,” Waz says about her former deli. “They gave me business for five years.”

It's time to repay some of that goodwill.

For information or to place an order, call (860) 347-3753.