How to Make Your Own Wreaths

Wreaths are a much more versatile decoration than they often get credit for. They aren’t just door ornaments for Christmas time. They can brighten the spring with fresh flowers. They can celebrate summer abundance. They salvage color as autumn sees much of the world go to sleep for a few months.

They have been around for millennia, starting in Ancient Egypt and continuing through Ancient Greece, and Roman times, and revived in the Renaissance. Back then, they were more often tied around heads and sometimes hung on doorways, and they were symbols of happiness, honor, love, and victory.

In other words, making a wreath is a tradition we should join with warm hearts and a sense of purpose. It’s also something that can be a lot of fun, something that connects us with our surroundings, and something that celebrates what we cherish. Who knew so much was wrapped into a wreath?

Source: DiY BiGBooM/YouTube

Loops

When constructing conventional, circular wreaths, our first mission is to find the base upon which all that’s fanciful can be displayed. Or, in other words, we need a circle to attach stuff to. We can go several routes when it comes to this step, and there are plenty of products out there to serve this purpose. However, let’s just use what’s already around.

• Repurposed circles can come to us from all angles. We can look out for ready-made wreath bases like wagon wheels, hula-hoops, bucket lids, and round flower supports. We can also find stuff to shape into circles, items like tie wire, barbed wire, or old hoses. A piece of cardboard cut to shape and size can work as well.
• Natural materials are extremely popular in wreath-making. Of course, it started this way. Vines can be coiled into fantastic bases for wreaths. Pliable evergreen branches from, say, citrus or olive trees are also a great choice. Bows from shrubs, like boxwoods, can be tied into loops as well. Corn husks and dried grasses are other natural materials that often get fashioned into wreaths.

Source: NC Cooperative Extension – Lee County/YouTube

Covers

Sometimes, particularly with artificial materials, the bases of wreaths are covered. This is particularly the case when we use things that we don’t necessarily want to feature in the actual display. Covers can be something neutral and largely unseen, or better yet, they can be stand-out components in their own right.

• Repurposed covers are often fabric. This can be strips that are tied individually around the base. It can be a ribbon wound around it. Often, burlap is a popular choice for more rustic designs. Wrapping paper might work well at Christmas, and tinsel garland is a modern classic.
• Natural materials often don’t get covered because the bases are already natural and beautiful. Sometimes autumn leaves or boughs of evergreen are used, as are dried grasses and corn husks. Living stuff like succulent plants and moss can add flare. Collections of seasonal flowers are also very popular.

Source: Elke Wehinger/YouTube

Adornments

Lastly, wreaths often get beautiful adornments, particularly little parcels of stuff towards the bottom of them. These are the ideal place to accentuate the occasion or season meant to be celebrated. They are also a great place to get a little kooky and expressive.

• Repurposed adornments can be all sorts of things, anything of appropriate size. Fabric can be bunched up into flowers, ribbons can be tied into bows, or bunting can surround it. Toys and knick-knacks can be stuck around the wreath. Traditional holiday decorations like Easter eggs, tree ornaments, or flags can work wonderfully. Paper cutouts or origami can be fun. Candy is nice for Easter, Halloween, and Christmas.
• Natural materials are plentiful and are a huge part of seasonal wreaths. Fresh flowers are great in the spring and summer, and dried flowers work great for fall. Pine cones, nuts, and fruit are common on autumn wreaths. Leaves are awesome, with fresh greens like ferns working for the spring and summer, dried leaves in the autumn, and evergreen stuff like holly in the winter. Long-lasting berries, such as from holly trees, are beautiful bounties of color for winter.

Source: Bloom & Gray – Flower Farm/YouTube

Assemblage

After the materials have been gathered for a good wreath, the assembly is all that’s left to do. While tape and glue can be part of this equation, it’s always nice to imagine something artsier in the mix. String and natural twine can be very helpful for attaching stuff. Bits of tie wire or pipe cleaners can work when more rigidity is necessary. Once a few things are affixed, in many instances, things can just be slipped or stuck into place with no additional fastening.

Then, it’s finding a good place to hang the wreath. Front doors are an obvious (and awesome) choice, but they look nice on walls, trees, and interior doors, too. They can be put on gates, fences, refrigerators, coffee tables, shelves, and more. Often wreaths in more unusual spots get more attention.

Related Content:

• How to Make a Culinary Herb Wreath
• How to DIY Your Own Wreath for a Personal Touch
• 4 Waste-Free Ways to Decorate for Thanksgiving
• 8 Fun and Easy Crafts for Celebrating Thanksgiving to Its Fullest
• Daily Digestive Detox Tips to Help Manage Excess This Holiday Season

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