How to Make a Christmas Wreath

Wreaths bring us the joy of evergreens and herbs during Christmas and wintertime. Make a wreath from scratch by looking to your backyard for natural materials. While you can buy a wreath, making your own is a beautiful practice of connection with nature and very satisfying. Here’s how. 

Gathering Natural Materials

For this project, first gather the plant material you will need! Raid your garden for whatever you can find. Or, take a fun drive down a country road.

You can use a variety of evergreens and herbs, including: 

1. Fir branches, which are dense and fill out a wreath well
2. Pine branches have a softer, ethereal look and feel 
3. Sprigs of blue spruce, conifer, and cedar are also lovely
4. Sprigs of holly—if you have holly bushes
5. Ivy, which you can clip off tree trunks and often from the side of your house
6. Colorful berry branches (may require a walk around the neighborhood)
7. Pinecones
8. Rose hips
9. Milkweed and seedpods
10. Rosemary branches

Note: Be careful if your wreath is accessible by pets, as some berries are toxic. See the list of poisonous plants for dogs and cats.

Other Supplies

1. All you need is a base. You can buy a simple round wire wreath frame at a craft shop, Walmart, or even Dollar Tree for $2 or $3. Or you can make a natural wreath base with grapevines, willow stems, similar sinewy flexible branches, or even sturdy fir branches, using twine to connect the stems. 
2. You’ll also need twine or wire to tie up small bunches of evergreens or herbs around the base of the wreath.

Making a Christmas Wreath Step-by-Step

Watch the video first and then follow along with the steps below. 

1. Cut your evergreens, herbs, or natural materials so they’re roughly the same length. 
2. Start by securing the end of the wire to the frame. Wrap it around the frame three or four times and pull it tight.
3. Using twine or wire, tie up small bunches. Select a piece of each material to create a pretty, visually balanced effect. Or, make bunches with one evergreen only. Your choice!
4. Using twine or wire, tie your bunches all around the wreath base. 
5. To make it extra secure, you can also wrap the twine or wire a few times around the bundle, pulling it nice and tight so it’s fixed firmly into place.
6. Place each bunch partially on top of the previous bunch to cover the twine or wire. 
7. To finish, make a smaller bundle. Tuck this under the first bundle, then secure it with twine or wire.
8. Add extras such as pinecones by tying them or carefully sliding them into any gaps.
9. Flip the wreath over, cut the wire, and tuck and secure it back into the frame.
10. Hang your wreath in a dry place!

And there you have it! A beautiful holiday wreath to get you in the holiday spirit!

When you’re ready to start planning next year’s garden, try out our online Garden Planner for free!