Gather Your Supplies
Once you’ve decided to create your wreath, some basic supplies you’ll need include pine branches or wreath branches, a wreath wring, floral wire, wire cutters and floral stems or fishing wire. For an average-sized wreath ring, about 24-25 balsam fir branches should be enough for a full wreath. For additional wreath decorations, you can grab cedar or holly clippings, ribbons, bows, pine cones, oranges or red berries. Decorative pine cones and branches can be collected when walking outside and wreath branches can be found at local tree farms, florists or online.
How to Assemble
After you’ve gathered your supplies, begin by cutting your wreath branches into smaller, wreath-sized pieces. Make sure to keep some variation in sizing to help add more depth to your wreath. Then, gather 3-4 wreath pieces and layer them on top of each other before securing the gathered bunch onto the wreath ring. Use floral wire to wrap around the bunch a few times until it feels secure. Continue this process until the entire wreath is covered in branches and use garden pruners for any necessary branch cleanup. Don’t forget to use some floral or fishing wire to make a loop at the top of your wreath! This is how you’ll attach it to your door.
Add a Little Flair
One of the most exciting parts of creating your own wreath is customizing it with fun decorations! This is a great opportunity to use extra bits and pieces of ribbon or items you find outside like pine cones and branches. To attach your decor pieces to your wreath, attach long pieces of floral wire to your decorative pieces. You should have two sides of the wire hanging down with your decoration attached to the wire in the middle. Once you’ve selected where to place your decoration, bend the wire around the wreath and twist the two ends together in the back to secure the item in place. Continue this process until your wreath is complete!
Staying Fresh
A homemade wreath can last anywhere from three to eight weeks. Wreaths kept outside in cooler temperatures or climate-controlled indoor areas will last longer than wreaths hanging in warm spots around the house. Being in full sun can also impact the longevity of your wreath, be mindful about how much sun your wreath is getting. Misting your wreath every one to two days can also help your wreath stay fresh.
Christmas Citrus
Dried oranges are an easy DIY wreath decoration. Start by grabbing a couple of oranges at your local grocery store. Note that the type of orange can affect the color of the slices. For example, a blood orange will have a much deeper color when dried compared to a navel orange.
— Once you have your oranges, give them a quick rinse and dry thoroughly, then slice thinly with a knife or mandoline. Be sure to watch your fingers! This is also a good time to start preheating your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
— Once your oranges are sliced, place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and evenly spread the oranges on top of the parchment paper. Before placing them in the oven, give them one last pat dry with a paper towel.
— The oranges will bake for two to four hours, be sure to rotate them every 30 minutes to ensure they dry evenly. Once they’re completely dehydrated, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature.
