How to Make a Wreath

Derian showing off a table wreath she made in her home recently.

Lately, we’ve been immersed in a “how to” series at Nature Links. Nature Links participants are incredibly talented and curious people, and we have so much to learn from each other! So we’ve been showcasing these fabulous talents through participant-led classes on everything from how to embroider to how to do a waltz. This week, Derian shared with us her wreath-making skills, just in time for the holidays! Take a look at what Derian shared with us below, in her own words.

I’ve been making wreaths for quite a few years. I’m not even sure how long. Today, I’m going to explain to you how to make a wreath. If the bundles are all ready, it takes about an hour to make a full wreath.

Here’s what you’ll need to make a wreath.

1. Greens-When we make wreaths, first we gather our greens from the trees outside our home and we lay them on a tarp to dry out a bit before making the wreath. Most people make wreaths out of fir but we like to use a variety of greens, including pine, spruce, cedar and fir.

2. Wreath rings- you can buy them at Michaels or any craft store around you. They come in different sizes. You can make big wreaths or small wreaths, depending on the size of the ring you buy.

3. Green wire- you can buy green wire at a hardware store or craft store. This is used to wrap the greens and attach the decorations.

4. Decorations- you can use, pine cones, tiny apples, tiny spruce cones, bows or ribbons.

Once you’ve gathered all your materials, here are the steps you need to take to make your wreath.

First, you need to make bundles of greens. Make 8-10 bundles by cutting the greens into pieces that are 8-10 inches long and grouping them together. We like to mix fir, pine, spruce and cedar here. Next, you need to attach the bundles to the ring by wrapping the bundles with wire. This is the hardest part. Pull the wire really tightly and wrap it around the greens and the ring two times. For the next bundle, overlap it over the first one by a few inches and wrap it again tightly. No one wants a loose wreath! 

Lay each bundle on top of each other, layering each new bundle over top of the last one. Put as many bundles on as you can by wrapping them tightly. Once you’ve wrapped all your bundles, you can use your wire to attach your decorations to your wreath. You can use your wire to make a loop in the back so you can hang your wreath on your door. 

You can also choose to make a table wreath like I make. I put a candle in the middle of mine and it sits on our table. If you choose to use a candle in the middle of your wreath, always stay with the lit candle because you wouldn’t want the fresh greens to burn.

Lastly, you add all your decorations to the wreath. We like to use the green wire to add our bows or pinecones to the wreath. One year, we gathered cones from a white pine tree. We put glue on it and decorated it with glitter. Another year, we used winterberries to decorate our wreaths.

When the holiday season is over, I like to hang my wreath outside. You can add the greens to a compost pile or brush pile when you’re done with them, but be sure to take the wire off before you do that.

Happy wreath-making and happy holidays!