Making a wreath is truly the most satisfying decor craft there is – okay maybe pottery overtakes it, but only slightly. You start with a few piles of foliage and a few very simple tools, add about an hour of enjoyable work, and voila! A beautiful creation that you get to hang on your door for all to admire!
If you’ve never made a wreath before don’t be intimidated. It’s extremely easy and impossible to mess up. The tools required are easily accessible and affordable. This is what you’ll need to get started:
A note about wreath forms: they come in many sizes and styles. For an easy starter option, I like a 14” four-ring form.
Once you’ve got the tools, you’re ready to gather material to make the wreath. The foliage, flower and decoration possibilities are endless. To source material, you can buy foliage or gather it from your garden and neighborhood. I love collecting material from the garden to make wreaths. It’s free, ensures the wreath is seasonal and allows you to enjoy wild plants without having to deal with the mess they make indoors.
When it comes to how many varieties of plants you need, again, there are no hard and fast rules. If you don’t know where to start, 3 varieties is a good number to give enough visual interest.
Wherever you source your foliage, make sure you gather enough. A full wreath is greedier than you might think. For this 14″ form I used 20 bundles (mini bouquets).
Now you’re ready to start making!
step 1. attach the wire to the wreath form
Make sure the wire is good and tight leaving the wire attached to the form.
step 2. make a mini bouquet with the foliage
The wreath will essentially be a collection of mini bouquets. Taking time to curate each mini bouquet will result in a beautiful wreath. It’s also where the fun lies in building a wreath, so take your time and enjoy the process!
step 3. place the mini bouquet on the form and wrap the wire around the bouquet and the form, tightly
Make sure the wire is wrapped very tightly. I find 4 turns around the form is a good number.
The foliage will wilt, and some of it will be hanging upside down on the wreath so you want it wrapped really tightly. Do not cut the wire. The same piece of wire wraps around the entire way before cutting!
step 4. overlap mini bouquets, alternating the angle in and out
The goal is to have the foliage fanned outwards and inwards to fill the circle. You achieve this by alternating the angle of the mini bouquets outwards and then inwards.
step 5. continue overlapping mini bouquets all the way around until you come to the end.
At the end of the circle tie off the wire good and tight on the back. You’ll be left with a wee gap in the foliage and that’s okay. To fill the gap weave in pieces of foliage to complete the circle, or you can add a decorative element to cover the gap. I’ve used a giant sparkly faux flower for the festive vibes.
Once finished you can spray the wreath with some Wilt Stop which helps keep it nice and fresh. I opt not to spray with anything, but it’s an option.
I hope you’re inspired to get into the garden (even if it’s a bit frosty) or visit a local floral shop for some wreath inspo! Happy wreath-making!
den with purpose 