Creating your own wreath is a wonderful way to add a touch of nature to your decorations and the process allows you to be both creative and in touch with the seasons, and where each plant is at in its annual cycle. Collecting rose hips in November involves gazing upon beautiful, red hips, shining above a mess of thorny branches. You'll remember your foraging outings every time you look upon your wreath.
Here's a quick video to show you just how easy it is to make your own wreath. Below the video, you'll find written details and photos, outlining everything from equipment and collecting greenery, to wreath construction and decoration.
Equipment (*sponsored links)
- Pruning shears*
- Wreath frame* (wire, grape vine)
- Floral wire* & wire snips*
- LED fairy lights*
- Gloves
- Greenery and decorations
- A way to hang the wreath
TIP: Wire wreath frames come in varying qualities, some flimsy and some more sturdy. Choose the sturdiest one you can find - it will usually be made of four circles of wire welded to separate wire supports. Wire frames can be reused year after year.
Collecting Plant Materials
- Want materials that will last without falling off or wilting severely.
- Considerations:
- Branch shapes – full, flat, pointy
- Branch textures – smooth, rough, spiky
- Colours – red compliments green
Ideas for Natural Materials
- Needles: Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, Hemlock, Cedar, Spruce, Juniper, Pine
- Leaves: Oregon Grape, Salal, Eucalyptus
- Berries: Hawthorn, Rose Hips
- TIP: Avoid berries from invasive species, like English Holly.
- Twigs: Curly/straight, colourful
- Pinecones: All sizes and colours
- TIP: Collect pinecones late summer to avoid mold from fall rains.
- Dried Fruit, Flowers and Seed Pods: Orange Slices, Cinnamon Sticks, Dried Flowers and Seed Pods.
- TIP: Orange slices should be 1cm thick before drying.
- Herbs: Bay leaves, Rosemary, Sage, Lavender
Prepping Cuttings
- Group greenery by plant type.
- Cut into bouquet sized pieces, depending on wreath size. Pieces will be roughly 9-12” long.
- Need approximately 12-15 bouquets for a very full wreath.
- Trim bottom sections if they are too bushy.
Making the Wreath
(See the video at the beginning of this post for visual instructions.)
- Tie the floral wire onto the wreath frame so it is secure.
- Create a mini bouquet and lay it on the frame, wrapping its base to the frame by wrapping the whole bouquet and frame.
- Wrap from the outside on the left, in toward the centre each time – it is easiest to hold wreath with left hand and maneuvre the wire with your right hand.
- Overlap bundles so you’re covering the previous wrapped wires.
- Wrap wire around bundles and frame twice each time.
- Wrap greenery once, then wrap in thorny or fragile berries.
- Can switch between bouquet types and add in extras as you go.
- Once you get back to the beginning, add in one extra bouquet to fill in the seam. Push it in between the first and last bouquets, then add wire.
- Tuck in extra pieces to fill in spots where needed.
- TIP: Mist with anti-wilting spray to slow dehydration. Brands include Wilt Pruf* and Wilt Stop*. (*Sponsored links)
Decorating the Wreath
- Time to add pinecones, dried fruit, fragile seed pods, bows, ribbons, bells, fake birds, or any other decorations you choose.
- Wrap wire around the base of additions like pinecones, then push the wire through the wreath, front to back, and secure it to the wire frame.
- Skewer items like orange slices, wrap cinnamon.
- You can use a glue gun.
- Add a way to hang the wreath.
- TIP: Using fishing line will make the wreath look like it’s floating.
- Add LED lights.
- Tuck switch into the back of the frame, near the bottom of the wreath, so you can easily reach in and turn it on once the wreath is hanging.
- Weave lights in so you don’t see the wires.
- TIP: Add LED lights and position some behind dehydrated orange slices so they glow!
Hang your wreath with joy and appreciate all that nature has to offer, throughout the seasons.
- Mariah Wilde, West Coast Plants
*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this site.