A natural Christmas wreath made from scratch is a lovely decoration or gift during the holiday season.
Christmas wreaths make great gifts, and of course we have a large one hanging on our front door for the holiday season.
Wreath making is also a great family activity that we like to do in December. They are easy to make once you have the right materials and a little practice.
What do you need to make a Christmas wreath?
What equipment do you need?
- Scissors
- Secateurs
- Twine or floral wire
- Black cotton
- Stems or twigs to make the wreath frame
- Fir branches
- Decorations (pine cones, dried seed heads, cinnamon sticks)
What to use to make the wreath frame?
You need a length of flexible twig or stems that will go round your circle once, plus around 6 inches overlap.
Birch twigs are an excellent choice, but so is willow, grapevine, or any other pliable twig, stem or vine.
Ideally gather then from your garden or local area, but you can source some from your local florist if you can’t find anything suitable.
What to use for foliage
A bare stem or grapevine wreath with a few ornaments is a lovely and minimalist design. However if you want to make a more traditional holiday wreath with leaves then evergreen conifers are you best choice. Try:
- Pine
- Fir
- Spruce
- Juniper
- Cedar
- Cypress
Other options include broad-leaved evergreens like ivy, laurel, or bay.
What to use for ornaments?
Natural materials that you can use to decorate a Christmas wreath include:
- pine cones
- berry sprigs (always choose non-toxic berries)
- seed pods
- dried grass stems
- holly sprigs
- dried orange slices
- cinnamon sticks
- Note that using any fresh materials like berry sprigs will mean that the wreath does not last as long as only using dried materials.
Tie any decorations to the wreath using black cotton thread as this will be less visible than using twine.
Step-by-step guide to make a Christmas wreath from scratch
- To make the wreath frame bend the twigs around to form a hoop with around 6 inches of overlap and secure tightly with twine. Tie additional twine around the overlapping area until it feels secure. Trim any lengths that remain.
- Tie the fir branches onto the frame using twine, and overlapping them so that each branch hides the twine securing the previous branch, and they all point in the same direction.
- As you start to add leaves to the frame, you can also add ornaments as you go, or add the all once you have the full wreath form. To add ornaments, tie them on securely using the black cotton thread. Add them evenly around the frame to create a balanced effect.
- Once you have finished adding pine branches and decorations, take a look at the wreath to make sure it is symmetrical and feels secure. Use black cotton to tie up any loose or lopsided parts.
