Decorated wreath with a gold theme
In December, decorating your home for the holidays is a fun tradition. Swags, garlands and wreaths can be purchased, but making your own is easy, creating a one-of-a-kind look.
To make a wreath, you’ll need a wire, grapevine or straw wreath frame. Or you can use a coat hanger – bend the hook around to create a loop for hanging, then work all the angles into a round shape.
Wreath making set-up
You can use any evergreen trimmed from your yard or land such as pine, spruce or fir. Here, I’ve used Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) and golden Threadleaf False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Sungold’).
You can purchase bundled greens from a vendor; exotic greens, like juniper or cedar, are especially decorative. You will need about a grocery bag of greens trimmed into six-inch pieces.
First bunch attached
Using a spool of 24-gauge wire, begin by securing the loose end of the wire to the frame, then lay spool to the outside. Choosing a bunch of 4-5 evergreen pieces, place and fan around frame at point where wire is attached; wrap wire around stems gently, but firmly (too tightly, the stems will break; too loosely, they will fall out), securing with several loops around the frame.
Advancing spool wire
Advance by wrapping wire several inches along frame; place the next bunch overlapping the first and wire against frame. Repeat procedure as you make your way around the frame. Try to position bunches evenly, aiming for symmetry in size and shape as you work along. You can trim tips later to adjust edges, if needed.
layered bunches
When finished, loop wire a few times around frame, then snip spool away and tuck end securely into frame. Assessing where the wreath looks fullest, which will become the bottom, cut a six-inch piece of wire and slip into the rear opposite side to create a loop for hanging. Mark location with a scrap of ribbon so it is easy to find later. If using a wire hanger where you already made a loop, you can simply trim.
Finished Wreath
Now decorate with ribbon, berries, pinecones, and cranberry/popcorn garlands or decorative picks available at craft stores. Create a theme such as feeding birds, children’s toys, or based on color. It can be glittery or natural with seed heads and berries collected in the wild. It is your unique expression; so let your creative juices flow and have fun with it!
Eliza Waters 
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Thank you for reblogging!
That is so pretty….you are so especially handy at decorating with plants and flowers!
Thank you very much, Alice!
Splendid! Oh, how I love ’em!
Thank you, Laurie. It is fun to see everyone’s house decorations this time of year.
Great, thanks, Eliza!
Hope to see what you make… maybe next Monday?
What a coincidence, both posting wreath making on the same day. The one on my Blog you commented about Mary had made as a demonstration one for a charity event.
‘Tis the season!
That looks great, Eliza. Congrats.
Thank you, Cynthia!
Beautiful – my grandfather used to make wreaths. I make some other types, but perhaps I should try my hand at a Christmas one. This doesn’t look too hard!
It really is easy… go for it!
Now you’ve done it. I have coat hanger wire and that thin wire. I guess I need to make a better wreath for the front door. 🙂
😀 Hope to see your results. Have fun!
What great choice over the commercial stuff!
Indeed, thanks, Maria!
Some of the first shrubbery I grew up with were the evergreens used for this sort of thing. They are not as popular in California as elsewhere, and holly is actually quite uncommon. I planted three English holly (without a pollinator) and a common blue juniper. I still can not remember what cultivar of juniper I planted! It is quite blue, and aromatic, and really looks good with all the darker green foliage.
Do you decorate for the holidays? The juniper sounds pretty with the holly.
I do not decorate. (I really dislike such decoration.) I planted the juniper for my mother because I needed to remove a really big one that was growing up into windows. The big one had to go, but the foliage was so nice that my mother wanted another one before the first one could go. I would someday like to get the ‘Grey Owl’ cultivar of the Eastern red cedar, but will need to find it online.
A beautiful creation Eliza.
Thank you, Andrea!
Thanks for the tutorial, Eliza! Your wreath looks great. One day I may try making one of my own from scratch but, lacking any traditional evergreen material in my own garden, I usually cheat and buy an evergreen wreath and decorate that with succulents and other material from my garden. A wreath was in my plan for this week but given the current absence of any humidity whatsoever here, I’ve put off my wreath, garland and tree purchases until the current hideous Santa Ana event is behind us.
Thanks, Kris. I’ve been thinking of you to the south of Ventura. Is the smoke bad? This has been such a bad year for natural disasters. When will it end?
Maybe you can make a wreath with what you have to hand? Herbs make a lovely wreath and once dried, last for months.
Kris, me too! Hope you are OK.
It is beautiful. Last year i made and use a frame from willow. Must see if i can find it.
Thank you, Karina. It is a fun tradition that gets me outside, and creating something Christmasy helps put me in the holiday spirit.
Pretty wreath! I decorated one for the first time this year and had a blast. Also I like the snow effect on the blog –fun!
Thank you, Ellen. It is a favorite holiday tradition for me.
WP offers the snow option under Settings, in case you are interested. 🙂
Thanks for some wonderful instructions! Your wreath is beautiful!
Many thanks, Terri!
Great post with good instructions plus a beautiful wreath. 🙂
Thank you, Judy!
Love it. Homemade is the best. It’s beautiful Eliza 🙂
Thank you kindly, Ann. 🙂
Very nice wreath and I don’t see how it could have been photographed any better.
Thank you very much, David!
Oh Eliza, what a useful post! I am not sure I will get a chance to make one this year now, but your instructions have shown me where I went wrong last time I tried! Thank you! ☃️
Glad to share a few tips, Cathy. It is satisfying to create decorations from scratch.
Super Festive and creative. Such a nice post
Thank you very much!
What an excellent DYI wreath-making lesson, Eliza. You carry the beauties of the garden through every miraculous season…it’s a joy to watch.
Thank you very much, Jet!
Love your wreath. The instructions make it sound easy, but, being creatively challenged, I’m pretty sure mine would not turn out as good as yours. One of these years, when I have more time, I’ll give it a try.
Thank you. Between collecting greens, trimming and binding, maybe an hour. Not much time at all. 🙂
It would probably take me longer, since I have no clue what I would be doing. Reminds me of the Bob Ross painting class I took. I wound up with a nice painting, but, it took us 4 hours, not 30 minutes. LOL
🙂
You make it look so easy 🙂
A great post to to either give the lazy amongst us a nudge, or reminder to others of the work which goes into these creations!
Thanks, Frank! It really is simple. The only skill is keeping the bunches uniform and creating the proper tension when binding. Give it a try!
Eliza, thanks, be warned – a weird tropical wreath based on this is coming!! Yours are lovely and the rustic wood backdrop – perfect, wish I had one. And the Threadleaf, of course.
Can’t wait to see what you create!
Be afraid
hehe!
Very clever Eliza! It looks beautiful 🎄🍀🌿
Thank you, Karen. ❤
So that’s how it’s done!! Thanks for showing us the secrets. It’s quite beautiful and you make it sound simple.
You’re welcome, Lisa. Make a small one to test it out!
What a pretty combination of greens, Eliza. Yours is such a bright and soft wreath , and gorgeous against the dark door . I like your method and will give it a try 😊 Thank you for posting a link back to FG.
Thank you, E. Much appreciated!
Thanks for sharing this! Wreaths are fun to make! A friend taught me a few years ago, but I haven’t made one in a while. I’d like to learn to make them with dried flowers/herbs next year.
Thank you, Joanna. That is how I learned, by making them with artemisia, bay, lavender, etc. a VERY long time ago. ;D
You make it look effortless, like the master you are! Gorgeous wreath!
Thank you very much, Peter. I imagine you would take to this kind of creation quite quickly!
Ooo – so very pretty!
Thank you, Fi!
A beautiful result Eliza!
Thank you, Belinda!
Wonderful wreath and photo! I love the wooden door background … so natural and country feeling.
Thank you, Denise. I really love that shed! 🙂
Hey, thanks for the instructions! You’ve made it seem so easy, I may just give it a try. I have some good green trees to choose from. If not here then up on the trails where the dogs drag us to.
You can use anything and they are fun to do. I hope you do try it and send me a pic of your results. 🙂
Pretty scary happenings NW of you, I saw the plume of smoke is visible in satellite images. Apocalyptic.
Hope all is well with you all! xo
The really big fire is far enough away that we can’t see the smoke from here. Perhaps because the Santa Ana winds are blowing the smoke away and that’s why we can’t see it. The winds have been mighty. The city just finished trimming the big trees on the main street here, but yesterday’s winds caused many branches to break and fall into the street. They had crews out all day cutting the really big ones.
It’s like a hurricane without the water. Stay safe.
Lovely, Eliza — very Christmassy 🙂
Yes, thank you, Rebecca!
Great tips Eliza; and a lovely final result.
Thank you, Christina!
Beautiful Eliza! Your spirit is rubbing off on me. Thank you!
Good to hear. Thank you, Kathy. Happy weekend to you!
Clear instructions and beautiful result…what could go wrong(?)
Exactly! They are quite meditative to do. 🙂 Thanks, Ricki.
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This is wonderful, Eliza!
Thank you, Christy! Will you be trying your hand at one? 😉
What a great idea, I’m going to try. I’ve never made a Christmas wreath before. I have made many flower wreaths for midsummer solstice, by braiding flowers together. Looking forward to try this 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you, I wish you success!
Thank YOU!
Outstanding! Seriously. I would like to put this project on my wishlist for winter/Christmas/solstice 2018. If nothing else, it will help me identify all of the conifers and evergreens growing in and around the farm.
Thank you! Why wait? Do a practice run this year! 😉
Lovely post! Super useful and easy to follow steps too – thanks!
Me and my mum are going to have a craft day and make wreaths 🙂
Lianne x
https://liannemarissa.com
Thank you, Lianne. A craft day sounds like a fun way to enjoy your mother’s company plus the upcoming holiday season. Happy crafting!
Thank you 🙂
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Thank you for the mention, Christy!
Really lovely idea and easy to follow. I may well try my own.
Thank you, it is easy and fun to do. Give it a try!