Nothing Says ‘Christmas’ Like A Christmas Wreath – Make Your Own!

Christmas Wreath – Photo Courtesy: Brad Fults

During the festive period, everybody should have a Christmas wreath on their front door! It’s an age-old tradition – traditionally they were hung on doors to indicate importance and wealth. It has moved from Pagan traditions through to Christian traditions and it is still very much a part of the Christmas spirit.

Many people buy a wreath to hang on their door, but if you have an artistic side and access to plenty of foliage then how about making one yourself? It’s really easy – we’ll show you how!

Get a ring

You’ll need to buy a wreath ring – and these are available everywhere from craft fairs and shops to DIY stores and florists. They are available in all sorts of sizes, so pick one that will look great on your front door. It doesn’t even have to be a circle – you can find other shapes such as stars and squares if you’d prefer.

A fine Star Shaped Red Tinsel Christmas Wreath – The tinsel is covered in hundreds of tiny red stars making it very unique. This is a very lightweight wreath which is on a polystyrene base finished off with a fine red organza bow printed with gold snowflakes and a gold button – so easy to hang on the smallest of hooks. Image Courtesy: Christmas All Year

Go For a Walk!

What better excuse is there to get out and about than looking for foliage for your wreath?! Take a walk in your garden, out in the country, in a forest – anywhere that is local to you – and start picking nice-looking foliage. Evergreen plants, ivy and laurel are perfect for wreaths. If you’re lucky, you’ll also find some holly and if you are even luckier, there might be some juicy red berries on it!

Red and green go beautifully together, especially at Christmas, so if you can find some, grab it! You might also like to have a look for some mistletoe which is also very Christmassy, and the white berries add a beautiful effect to any wreath. Pinecones, seedpods and poppies can also look great.

Get Artistic!

Grab a can of silver spray paint and transform pinecones and other dried pieces for some extra sparkle. Wait for a while before you start making the wreath so it has time to dry. You’ll need to get some foliage wire – this will help you train the foliage around the wreath.

Working on a flat surface, twist and wrap all the bits you have found onto the wreath ring and it will start to take shape. The more you put on, the more solid it will feel, so don’t worry if it feels a little flimsy at first. Try and make all the stems lie in the same direction – it will help it look a little less haphazard.

The Finishing Touches

Trim any loose bits of foliage off with a pair of scissors. Add little bits of tinsel or sequins for an extra bit of glitter, and if you really want it to shine, how about attaching some fairy lights to it? Pull any features such as berries back through that have been lost.

When you are perfectly happy with it, hang it up on your front door and wait for all the compliments from admiring visitors! Don’t be surprised if you get more carol singers than in previous years – your house will let everyone know that you are in the festive spirit!

Right: Kirsten of Evansville, Indiana, United States adds glitter to a pinecone – Photo Courtesy: Kirsten Skiles

Roger Smith is a sales executive at Christmas All Year, a Christmas decorative items store based in Vermont. He is an avid reader and shares his views on a variety of topics in his spare time.