Wreaths have been growing in popularity in recent years. While they've always been a traditional Christmas staple, wreaths are a sight that's becoming more common on front doors up and down the country.
Pre-decorated wreaths are available in a wide variety of designs to suit any home and budget. But there's no better way to add a personal touch than to style your own Christmas wreath.
Wreath making with evergreen foliage lets you create your own festive decorations.
Christmas wreath-making
Christmas wreath-making begins with creating a base for your decorations. This means building a structure strong enough to hold the ornaments yet attractive enough to be pleasing to the eye.
At Christmas Trees Direct, we stock DIY wreaths, which make this part effortless. Available in a choice of evergreen foliage types, our DIY wreaths have all the greenery you need already attached to a sturdy straw-backed base. All you need to do is choose your decorative items and stick them on. Simple!
Wreath making is easy with our DIY Christmas wreaths.
Choosing a style for your wreath
Once you have your base sorted, the first thing you need to do is decide what kind of style you're aiming to achieve. Do you want something cheery and playful? Or would you prefer a more traditional feel? When choosing the theme of your wreath, consider where you're going to put it. Ensure it will complement the area and fit in with its surroundings while still standing out.
Decorating a DIY Christmas wreath is easier than you might think. If you're lacking inspiration, we've compiled some ideas for you to try. But the whole idea is to create something unique that reflects your personality.
Wreath making ideas
You may want to stick to a theme or a particular colour scheme. Alternatively, you might want to go wild and create an explosion of colour to brighten up dreary December days. Whatever you decide, it should be something that fits well with your home and complements your other festive decorations.
Adorn an evergreen wreath with festive touches to produce a unique Christmas decoration.
Winter wreath
Mixed foliage is ideal for creating a winter wreath full of texture. Start with your base and add sprigs of holly, spruce, mistletoe, Eucalyptus and ivy to craft a beautiful green creation. Berries and seed heads will add a pop of colour and accentuate the foliage.
Food wreath
Cinnamon sticks, dried oranges and nuts are perfect for decorating a wreath with a food theme. You can even add some candy canes for a fun twist. As well as looking great, a food-themed wreath will smell amazing. The cinnamon and citrus scents will give you a wonderfully Christmassy feel whenever you walk by.
Use food as decoration for your Christmas wreath.
Woodland Wreath
Search around gardens and woodland for items to decorate your Christmas wreath. Natural things like berries, twigs, seed heads, pine cones and fir cones make excellent adornments, while greenery like holly and ivy add texture to the wreath base. Plan your wreath early enough and use dried flowers to add colour and welcome guests into your home.
Traditional Wreath
With a traditional wreath, you can't go far wrong with a red and green colour scheme. Of course, the green is already taken care of with the base foliage, so you can concentrate on adding red accents to the greenery for a charming festive look. Ribbon bows, candy canes and dried poinsettia petals are all great for creating a traditionally festive look. Add baubles for gorgeous sparkle and shine.
An assortment of red decorations looks fantastic on a green wreath.
Gold Wreath
If you prefer your Christmas decorations to have a more opulent look, a gold-themed wreath might be the answer. Spray-paint some pine cones with a warm gold hue and add shiny baubles to create something bold, sparkly and glamorous.
Top tips for making Christmas wreaths
When it comes to making your Christmas wreath, there are four main steps to follow:
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Build your base. As above, our DIY wreaths take the hard work out of this part so you can skip straight ahead to the next point.
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Choose your accents. Whether you're going all out with bling or designing a more muted look, lay your seasonal decorations out before you start.
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Place your decorations on the wreath. Don't attach them just yet but lay them out where you plan to put them so you can see the overall effect before committing to placements.
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Attach your accents to the wreath. Use florist wire to secure decorations. You'll find it blends in and gets covered by the greenery.
Where to hang your Christmas wreath
When your own Christmas wreath design is complete, you'll want to place it somewhere you can admire it. Whether you choose to hang the wrath inside or outside your house is entirely up to you. Finding the right site for your winter wreath is a key element to its fabulous appearance. Ideally, you'll have an idea of where you want to hang it before you even start decorating.
Outdoor spots
Real Christmas wreaths will always last longer outdoors. They prefer cooler temperatures and can be easily positioned away from heat sources, meaning fewer pine needles to sweep up. Not only that, but more people - from the postman to your next-door neighbour- will be able to enjoy your craftwork.
Some ideas for where to place your wreath outside include:
The Front Door
Hanging a door wreath is a popular Christmas custom that welcomes guests and cheers passers-by. This is perhaps the most popular setting for a winter wreath and is where we traditionally visualise a wreath.
If you have a porch or over-door canopy this will provide some shelter to help protect your wreath from harsh weather.
Garage Door
A garage or workshop door is a superb place for large wreaths and garland displays. This is particularly true if your Christmas tree is in the window on one side of the house, leaving the other side looking a bit sad and bare.
If you plan to use your garage door over the festive season, ensure the door mechanism leaves enough space at the top to clear the wreath when opening. Alternatively, you can always remove the wreath and put it back up if you're only using the garage occasionally.
Windows
If you don't have the space to display your Christmas tree in front of the window, a wreath is a great alternative. One wreath can take pride of place in the largest downstairs window, or you can go all out and place a wreath at every window to the front of the house.
Wreaths are easy to hang on the exterior of windows. Using ribbon and feeding it through the open window before closing it is a foolproof way to ensure the wreath can be removed without causing any damage.
Indoor spots
Wreaths look amazing inside and can bring a sense of warmth to a room. However, they don't cope well with heat, so place them in the coolest part of the room and avoid hanging them close to radiators and vents.
Here are some ideas for the best locations for your indoor wreath:
Hallway
A fabulous Christmas wreath offers family and friends a warm welcome when they visit. Setting up a winter wreath in the hallway sets the scene for your festive season as soon as you walk through the door.
Hang your wreath from the wall, where it will be immediately noticeable or lie it flat on a console table with a pillar candle in the centre.
Above the Fireplace
A wreath is a perfect addition to a festive fireplace. Coordinate it with a garland over the mantelpiece for a cohesive display that is perfect for festive family photographs.
Be careful if you plan to use your fireplace for warmth while the wreath is hanging above it. The fresh foliage won't cope well with heat and will wilt faster.
Hang a wreath above the fireplace to tie in with your garland and Christmas tree greenery.
Over the bed
If you love to add festive cheer to bedrooms, then a wreath is the perfect way to do it. It's lovely to wake up in the morning and be reminded that Christmas is here.
Take down the artwork over the bed and temporarily replace it with your wreath. Ensure the hook is strong enough to support the wreath's weight before lying your head underneath it!
A Christmas wreath adds a simple festive touch to the bedroom.
Dining Room
Wreaths make fabulous table centerpieces. Lie it flat and place a lantern or pillar candle in the middle for a traditional look. The wreath can be easily moved to a sideboard or shelf if you need additional space for serving Christmas dinner.
Alternatively, hang the wreath inside the window, where it can be admired while you enjoy Christmas dinner.
How to care for your DIY Christmas wreath
When looked after properly, a real Christmas wreath will last around 3 weeks indoors and up to 8 weeks when hung outside, where the air is colder. Like your real Christmas tree or freshly cut flowers, your wreath will need access to moisture if it's going to last through the festive season.
When it arrives, dunk the wreath in a bucket of water for an hour or so to let it absorb as much moisture as possible. Store the wreath in a cool place, such as a garage, until you're ready to decorate it. Once you've finished decorating and hung the wreath up, run it under a tap or give it a misting a few times a week to keep the foliage nice and green.
Styling your winter wreath is all about putting your own stamp on it and producing an original Christmas decoration for your home. Take the time to consider the effect you want before starting, and the result will be a beautiful wreath that your guests and neighbours will admire.