Christmas Wreath

Make your own Christmas Wreath using fresh boughs of cedar, festive Christmas ribbon and a few other craft items like berries and pinecones.

Several years ago, I traded Black Friday for Wreath Making Friday and my world got a little greener. Leave the stress behind and gather around the outdoor table with your apple cider and a wheel barrow full of cedar boughs.

If you don’t have cedar trees near you, use another type of evergreen tree or visit your local tree farm and ask for some cuttings. There are different types of evergreen trees available depending where you live. Anything from Cedar, Fir, Pine, Mesquite or Juniper would look lovely.

What You Need:

• Wire Wreath – Most types will do – I used an old bicycle wheel, removed the spokes and spray painted green OR you can find them on Amazon:

URATOT 5 Pack 8 Inch and 12 Inch Holiday Wreath Frames Round Shaped Wire Wreath Frame Christmas Floral Wreath for New Year Decorations

• Galvanized Steel Wire – I like 20 gauge wire because it’s firm enough to hold, but still bendable. Available at Amazon:

The Hillman Group 123106 Steel, 20 gauge Galvanized Hobby Wire, 20 x 175′

• Wire Cutters – Honestly I use my tree pruners, but craft wire cutters make it a lot easier and they have them on Amazon:

BOENFU Wire Cutter – Precision Side Cutter 6 Inch Cutting Pliers

• Decorative Ribbon – Try to get the wired ribbon – it really helps when forming the bow. I like this vintage wired ribbon on Amazon:

Christmas Ribbon Wired, Vintage Red Truck with Christmas Tree for Gift Wrapping – 2.5″ x 10 Yards

• Berries, Pine Cones & Other Decorations – Use your creative vibe here. Anything goes like pine cones, berries, stars, antlers. Find around the house or shop on Amazon and have them delivered to your door:

OLYPHAN Artificial Berries Red Pip Berry Stems Spray for DIY Crafts – Wreath, Garland, Christmas Ornaments Decoration – Decorative Winter Floral Picks for Craft Decorations/Home Holiday Decor

How to Make a Christmas Wreath

• Pre-cut wire into 4 inch pieces and set into a pile on your table. It’s absolutely necessary to have these ready ahead of time (trust me).

• Using your wire cutters or tree pruners, cut the cedar greens at the base of the branch, making a pile of that is easily accessible.

• Gather a few of the cut cedar greens into a bundle with one hand and twist a piece of cut wire around to secure. Make a few bundles before moving on to the next step.

• Start attaching the bundles to the metal wreath, working around the circle, using more pre-cut wire to attach.

• Once you have the entire metal wreath covered, start filling in exposed areas with any remaining cedar greens. At this point, you should be able to just tuck them into what’s already wired on. If you have any greens that stick outside of the circle or are going haywire, just cut them off.

• Now it’s time to get creative and decorate your Christmas wreath. If you are using lights, you will want to weave them on first. Then, start attaching ribbon, berries, pinecones – whatever you feel looks good. I had a small animal skull I used and some antlers from Hobby Lobby.

Related Recipes:

Christmas wreath making requires warm soup cooking on the stove. When you’re out in the cold gathering cedar boughs, you need something to warm up to. Try one of these cozy winter soups. Creamy Black Eyed Pea Soup is a hearty favorite with leftover ham and collard greens. Out West Clam Chowder is my go-to for a quick, easy and filling dinner. If you have a little extra time try Bistro French Onion Soup, it’s rich and so worth the time!