How to Make a Traditional Christmas Wreath

A traditional Christmas wreath makes a beautiful addition to a home during the holidays. They are timeless holiday decor. Wreaths are a stylish yet simple way to add to your home decor during the holiday season, whether it be on the front door or above the fireplace.

However, as beautiful as it is, a traditional holiday wreath can be quite expensive. So why buy one when you can make your own wreath?

The good news is that wreaths are very simple to make. All you’ll need are simple materials and greenery in your backyard to complete your DIY Christmas decorations in under an hour.

Follow along as I share with you how to create a traditional Christmas wreath this holiday season with this quick and easy step-by-step guide. 

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How to DIY Christmas Wreath

Christmas Wreath Supplies and Materials Needed

• Wreath Ring – I went with a 14″ wreath ring.
• Florist Wire 
• Greenery – A traditional winter wreath has been known to be made from evergreens such as conifers, boxwood, holly, eucalyptus, or rosemary. I used Conifer Sprigs and heavenly bamboo.
• Decorative floral accent pieces – bright colored berries, Holly, dried orange slices, or pine cones will work for this project.
• Scissors
• Optional – Ribbons

You can grab most of the craft supplies at the dollar store or local craft stores.

Step 1 – Gather your greenery. 

Wreath-like plant materials are abundant in the fall or winter, especially in your backyard. You’d be amazed at what you can find in your backyard. I found traditional evergreen branches like Conifer, heavenly bamboo, and berries. So, shop around, go foraging in your yard, and see what you can find. 

And if you’re not in an area where you can forage, you can source any of this greenery from a local tree farm, nursery, garden, or park to find what you’re looking for. Mix and match the varying foliage. If you cannot find real greenery locally or in your backyard, you can always buy faux greenery at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. It will look just as pretty. 

Step 2 – Cut your greenery. 

Cut individual pieces of greenery about 6-14″ long. Cut them into varying lengths and pieces. Allow for imperfections with your fresh-cut greens. Once done, please place them in a pile. Keeping similar pieces in various sizes grouped in piles will be helpful once you begin to construct the festive wreath.

Step 3 – Position the greenery onto the wreath ring.

Put together pieces of greenery. Begin wrapping the bare wreath ring a few times with the florist wire. This will give the florist wire a firm position on the wreath ring to begin making your homemade wreaths. Attach the greenery bunch to the base of the wreath ring using the florist wire.

You will then overlap the next piece of greenery, and lay it over the existing greenery while covering more ground of the wreath ring. Secure the base of foliage again with wire.

Continue to do this with additional foliage until the whole wreath ring is covered with greenery and securely attached with floral wire. When you get to the last piece of greenery, lift the first set of greenery back, tucking the ends of your last bunch underneath. Then, wrap the wreath a couple more times with the wire to secure it and cut the end of the wire.

Step 4 – Add your decorative accent pieces to the natural wreath.

Now it’s time to add accent pieces like berries to decorate the natural Christmas wreath. Take a small piece of wire and wrap it around the decorative foliage’s stem. Push the wired piece of foliage into the wreath, then turn it over and wire it carefully onto the existing wreath’s wire.

Continue to do this with each piece of accent foliage. Make sure each style of foliage is evenly spaced around the wreath, so it looks natural and streamlined. Continue with adding more until you are happy with the look.

Step 5 – Step back and inspect your creative wreath.

Take a look at the wreath to ensure it looks the way you want it to. If some of the branches are tucking out, use more florist wire to pull them in. You can also use scissors to cut off any excess pieces that are sticking out or are too long. This is your opportunity to add your finishing touches.

Step 6 – Hang the wreath.

I used a dollar store hook to hook to hang it over the front door. However, you can wrap a piece of ribbon through the wreath and make a loop. This will create the hook to be able to hang the traditional Christmas wreath.

How long will the wreath last?

Since this is a live greenery, this simple wreath will last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks – well beyond the holidays. Ultimately it will all depend on the weather, how you take care of it, and where it is hung (inside versus outside).

If the live greens are displayed indoors, you will need to ensure that you bring a light mist to the wreath every couple of days to prevent it from drying out. To prolong the life of any greenery, spritz it with water regularly and display it in a cool place.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this simple project. Now that you have experienced just how easy it is to make your own DIY Christmas Wreath, I’m sure this will become a new holiday tradition and staple next year.

Other posts you might like:

• How to Make a Christmas Pillow 
• How to Make a Christmas Mantel Garland
• DIY Secret Santa gift basket ideas

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!