How to Make a Homemade Christmas Wreath from Scratch

How to Make a Christmas Wreath from the Bare Materials

Making your own Christmas wreath is a great way to save money this Christmas season. Another benefit is with a homemade Christmas wreath, you don't have to worry about buying a Christmas wreath that was assembled in September and stored for two months in a freezer. Making your own Christmas wreath also gives you something to brag about. Here is how to go about assembling your Christmas wreath from scratch.

Preparation:

For this project, you will need a ring or hoop of the desired size. Wreaths are sold in sizes as measured by the ring that the greens are wrapped around. Eight inch wreaths have 8" rings; 10" wreaths have a 10" rings, etc. Wreaths usually have a "wingspan" of between three and six inches on each side, depending on size and materials. Hence, the wreath will be between a half-foot and a foot wider than the ring size. You can procure a hoop from an old Christmas wreath, buy one in a craft store, make one from a coat hanger, or even weave one from a piece of bittersweet or grape vine.

You will need greens which to make the Christmas wreath out of. Although Fir greens are the most popular greens used in a Christmas wreath, there are several other greens that can be used. Bushy greens such as Fir or Boxwood greens generally do better than the flat branches of white pine because they take up more space, thus requiring less material. Fir, Boxwood, Yew, Arborvitae, and White Pine greens are easy to work with and hold up well. Spruce, Juniper, Scotch pine, and Hemlock greens can be used for outdoor wreaths, although Juniper and Spruce greens are more difficult to handle. Greens should be between nine to twelve inches long for smaller wreaths, twelve to eighteen inches long for wreaths 16" and greater. Wreaths used indoors can last up to two weeks; wreaths used outside will last through the season unless they get sandwiched between the door and the screen door. Such a situation will "cook" the wreath unless the door is on a north side of the house. You will also need a good pair of clippers to obtain the greens with. Greens can be obtained from the backyard, from friends, and from the wild.