What better reason to get outside and enjoy your surroundings this season than with a mission to create your own holiday wreath? It’s a great way to welcome guests this busy time of year. And enlisting the help of family and friends makes it an even more pleasurable experience. Best of all, it’s free!
On your walk, look for fallen branches, leaves, pinecones and other natural embellishments. Of course, finding such treasures on your own property makes for an especially sentimental decoration. But if you’re lacking at home and need to look beyond for material for your wreath, avoid taking from nature reserves or private property—when in doubt, ask for permission. Just remember to leave plenty behind for our little furry friends, who may depend on these to get them through the winter.
What you’ll need
- Branches and natural embellishments
- Work gloves
- Garden clippers
- Wire and glue for securing pinecones and other decorations
- Gold or silver paint or glitter
- Ribbon or string for hanging the wreath at your door
- Flat thumbtacks
Step 1
To get started, gather a few nice long, bendy tree branches, about a metre (3.3 feet) in length. Evergreens make for a warm Christmasy look, while bare branches create a more rustic feel.
Step 2
Wearing work gloves and using garden clippers as needed, bend the branches into a circle, securing the ends with wire.
Alternatively, bend wire into a circle to create a stronger frame—clothes hangers work great for this. A double-wire frame is an even sturdier base for fuller wreaths. Lay the greenery over the frame and secure with wire.
Step 3
Weave extra stems into the circle, adjusting the branches and stems as necessary. Don’t worry if some twigs poke out, as this adds a charming homemade touch.
Step 4
Forage for windfall and other natural finds that can make for good embellishments, such as pinecones, holly, ivy and birchbark. For extra dazzle, dress up greenery or embellishments with gold or silver paint or glitter. Secure to the wreath using wire or glue.
Step 5
Cut a length of ribbon or string long enough to hang the wreath from the door, and secure the ribbon to the top of the door using flat thumbtacks. Just make sure that the wreath is secure enough to handle the door swinging open and shut. Alternatively, if you made your wreath using clothes hanger wire, you can simply hang it from the wire loop.
Step 6
Step back and enjoy your lovely creation!
