DIY Christmas Wreath

Making your own Christmas wreath is a fun and rewarding project for your green fingers. Whether you’re a fan of the traditional style or want to create something unique for your home – get in the festive spirit and spread some joy. Plus, no more plastic decorations, a DIY Christmas wreath uses items from the Earth and can be returned to the Earth afterwards.

Discover our step-by-step wreath making guide below.

What you’ll need:

• Gloves
• Scissors or wire cutters
• A wreath ring
• Florist wire or gardening wire
• Green twine
• Foliage and moss
• Decorations such as berries, pine cones, dried oranges, cinnamon sticks, baubles and ribbon

Before you start, if you need some inspiration, search for ideas on Pinterest!

Go hunting for foliage 

If you have your own garden, make the most of it and use what you already have. It’s a guaranteed way to create a unique design and how rewarding will it feel to see your own creation welcome you home each day? After Christmas, you can return all of this to the Earth by composting it.

If you don’t have your own garden, the best hunting ground for Christmas foliage is the gardens, woods, fields and verges around you. Don’t worry if you live in the city, even the barest branch or smallest pinecone can be transformed into elegant decor. Just make sure that you’re looking sustainably and responsibly.

The top tip on foraging/collecting from the Woodland Trust is “Minimise damage: Take no more than you need”.

The Trust also suggests:

• Seek permission
• Know what you’re picking
• Only collect from plentiful populations
• Leave plenty behind
• Do not collect rare species
• Only take plants when you are certain you know what they are.

However, if you’re going to buy your foliage and moss, ask your local florist or do your online research to find sustainably harvested greenery.

Create the base

You’ll want to secure generous handfuls of moss to the top of the wreath ring, tying it together tightly with the green twine to create a sturdy base. This will maintain your greenery, keeping it fresh for longer.  It should have even covering around the entire ring. Finish with a loop of the green twine on the reverse, ready to hang on your front door later.

Attach the greenery  

Now it’s time to take small bunches of your greenery and attach them to the moss in layers using the wire. You might find it easier to lay the foundation out first so you can see what it looks like before you secure it. But you may prefer to wing it and see what happens! The choice is yours.

Our top tips:

• We recommend mixing the different types of foliage in a fan shape as you go to bring out different textures and colours.
• Overlap as you go to avoid any gaps.
• When you layer, try to cover the stems of each bunch so it appears more full and lush.
• Spin the wreath as you add more foliage to arrive at an even full circle.

Once you’ve added all of your foliage, check for any gaps or uneven shape and adjust as needed. If you want it to look more polished, trim any excess stems but if you want something more rustic, leave it be.

Add decorations 

The best part is getting creative with decorations. Using the wire, twist and attach your items to the wreath in equal spacing. The easiest way to do this is by placing the wire directly through the foliage and moss to the other side, bend it and return it through to hide the ends.

If you want to add some fragrance to your wreath, we love eucalyptus leaves, dried oranges and cinnamon sticks. For a touch of colour, add red berries, pinecones and baubles. And for a traditional style, add a red ribbon and tie it into a bow for the middle.

And voila! It’s time to hang your beautiful creation on the front door and allow passers-by to gape in awe.