How to Make a Christmas Wreath You'll Keep Up After the Holidays

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues

From House Beautiful

Making a Christmas wreath is one of the best ways to get in the holiday spirit—and we've seen some some crazy Christmas wreaths in the past few years: colorful ones, ornament wreaths, and even crafty takes with cotton balls. If you want to make your own Christmas wreath at home, you'll need a strong base. Evergreens are a universal wreath option that can handle any theme you decide for you Christmas decorations. We break it down so you can build it up...or keep a simple wreath your neighbors won't judge you for leaving up long into the New Year.

Materials:

  • Grapevine twig base

  • Green floral wire

  • Evergreens

  • Pruning shears

  • Wired ribbon or Christmas bow

Build a Strong Foundation

Trim the evergreen branches into smaller pieces, winding them around the grapevine wreath form. As you build out the sections, take floral wire and wrap the needles to bind their shape to the wreath form. Continue adding evergreens until the base is no longer visible.

Attach the floral wire between branches to allow the evergreen bundles to mask the wire. If some wire shows at this stage it's okay! The second layer can help any green wire.

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues

Add Volume

Once your wreath form is disguised with a layer of evergreen, trim a few floral wire pieces so they will attach to one section at a time instead of wrapping around several. Place sprigs of evergreen around the wreath form in a spiral-like fashion to build volume. Bind the new pieces by weaving the floral wire around the needles and securing to the first layers many wrapped wires.

Add smaller bunches of evergreen needles to fill any gaps in the wreath. You can test for gaps by lifting the wreath up from your work table and seeing how the bundles fall. Adjust the shape by tightening or loosening the floral wire.

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues

It's All in the Details

As your wreath takes shape, continue lifting to check how the needles fall or lay. If the wreath feels too bushy, use the pruning shears to shapes the branches, trimming away the stray needles and shaping the wreath circle.

Once your wreath begins to form a good shape, take the wire ribbon and make a bow (or use a pre-made Christmas bow). Attach the bow with floral wire at the bottom of your wreath. If your form doesn't have one, make a hanger for the back of your wreath by twisting off a loop of floral wire through the grapevine form at the top.

Hang your Christmas wreath on the front door or above a fireplace. Adjust the height by widening or tightening the floral wire loop at the back.

Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues
Photo credit: House Beautiful/Sara Rodrigues

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