How It Works

How to make a festive wreath

by · 09/12/2020

Create a decorative door hanging for the holiday season with this simple guide

Before you begin…

Make sure you have permission to take clippings of trees and berries, or better yet try to use some that have already fallen. If you’re under 18 ask an adult to help – some branches may be tough and require garden clippers to chop into smaller bundles.

Image credit: Future PLC/ © Illustrations by Ed Crooks

1. Gather your materials

You’ll need some evergreen clippings (try cedar and pine), decorations (berries, holly leaves and small pinecones), floristry wire and a long red ribbon. For the base, you can buy a ready-made frame or make your own with a wire coat hanger.

Image credit: Future PLC/ © Illustrations by Ed Crooks

2. Do it yourself

If you have a ready-made base, skip to step 3. To create your own base, carefully shape your coat hanger into a circle. It might help to wrap it around another curved object to help smooth out any corners more easily.

Image credit: Future PLC/ © Illustrations by Ed Crooks

3. Begin assembly

Attach one end of the floristry wire to the top of the frame. Wrap it around the spot you’ve attached it a few times, then twist or tie it to make sure that it remains fixed in place. Don’t cut the wire yet.

Image credit: Future PLC/ © Illustrations by Ed Crooks

4. Attach the greenery

Take one small bunch of your evergreens (you can clip the bundle if it’s too bulky), hold its ‘branch end’ where you’ve attached the wire and wrap more wire around the branch and frame at least three times to fix it in place.

Image credit: Future PLC/ © Illustrations by Ed Crooks

5. Keep going

Take another bunch and this time tuck its branch end under the tips of the bunch from step 4, then wrap the wire around the stems of each bunch. Repeat until the circle is complete. Secure the wire around the last bundle, tie it off and cut it.

Image credit: Future PLC/ © Illustrations by Ed Crooks

6. Finishing touches

With new pieces of wire you can attach decorative elements like berries and pinecones around your wreath. Loop your ribbon around the top and tie it in a bow to finish. Now the completed wreath is ready to hang on your door!

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