GLADSTONE, Mich. (WZMQ) – While some may think it’s a little early to decorate for Christmas, the season is already in full swing for one Gladstone craftsman.
Now a local holiday staple, family business Chenier’s Wreaths got its start 43 years ago.
“We started it at Chenier’s Greenhouse,” said Roger Chenier. “My dad was a go-getter, and he says, ‘Well, we might as well start making wreaths for the holidays.’ We started out doing maybe 200 wreaths a year. About 15 years ago, I said, ‘I’ll take it over.’ My wife, she makes all the bows, my daughter-in-law does the decorating, and I make everything.”
Every year, Roger Chenier makes roughly 700 wreaths ranging from 24 inches to 52 inches. He also makes other festive decor.
“I do a swag and a lot of candy canes, crosses,” he said. “I’ve got to start October 27, because I’ve got a bunch going to the cemeteries by November 5. I start at like 5 in the morning and then I go til like 7 at night. It’s a month and a half of hard work.”
The magic happens right in Chenier’s garage. It’s sort of a Santa’s workshop for Christmas wreaths.
“Right now, I’m working on a 45-inch wreath,” said Chenier. “I use balsam, I use white pine, and also on some I use cedar. I take a bunch of branches, space them apart. Then I put my white pine in there. Then I give them a shake, and it poofs it up. Just lay it in there nice. Then I’ve got a step. I press down, and that squeezes them together. After that, I take my scissors and I kind of trim it up.”
Chenier offers more than 50 styles of ribbon for the bows and decks each wreath with ornaments or pinecones.
“I take three pinecones, glue them together, spray them, and put a holly berry in the center,” he said. “During September, I roll the tips of the pinecones so that they stand out.”
Once they are finished, the wreaths go to customers all over the U.P. and beyond.
“Today, I’ve got to go to Manistique,” said Chenier. “The Boy Scouts, I do a fundraiser for them. Some people come all the way from Chicago just to get my stuff. I get stuff from Stephenson, Iron Mountain, all over.”
The name Chenier has become synonymous with Christmas. That’s something Roger Chenier takes seriously.
“I try to make them like I want them,” he said. “I’m not here for production. Quality before quantity. I just enjoy doing it. I meet a lot of nice people, and that’s what it’s all about.”
For his entire family, this really is the best time of the year.
“I just want to thank the community and everybody that comes out, but also, I’ve got my grandkids [Keagan and Hunter] that help out, the daughter-in-law, and my wife,” Chenier said. “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Chenier’s Wreaths only has a limited supply remaining for the rest of the year. To view product information, visit the Chenier’s Wreath Facebook page. To inquire about a purchase, call (906) 399-5473.
