Adorn Your Home With A Fantastic Homemade Christmas Wreath
A gorgeous Christmas wreath is the perfect way to welcome family and friends to your home during the festive season. A homemade version works just as well as a shop-made wreath, and can incorporate your favourite style, colours, and taste this Christmas.
Let a festive wreath complement your home this year. And with beautiful period-style and vintage door furniture available to buy, you can create the perfect Christmas message of celebration for your front door.
A fun weekend DIY project for you and family, here are some helpful hints to create a special Christmas wreath for your home:
The Anatomy Of A Wreath
There are many things that can serve as materials for your wreath. The only limit is your imagination. Fresh greenery wreaths are good choices and exude the seasonal spirit. And more than just looking beautiful, the fine scent of a fresh wreath is especially appealing. Traditional Christmas wreaths often use pine or fir tree boughs. You can also add ivy, holly, or ferns. Some choose to add fresh flowers like roses or gerbera daisies or the perennial Christmas favourite, the poinsettia. There are also many styles of wreaths that use fabric.
For the base of your wreath, there are a number of choices. The most popular is polystyrene, which is easily manipulated and can support the various design flourishes for your wreath. Wreath rings are available at most DIY, hobby, or craft shops. For less traditional wreath bases, you can intertwine bendable branches, vines, rattan, sticks or even wire coat hangers to make your wreath base.
The final pieces of flair and expression that you add to your Christmas wreath are entirely up to you. Ribbon, small gifts, stars, baubles and tinsel can all make your wreath look unique.
Hanging Your Wreath
Your wreath can hang in a variety of ways. If your wreath is flat enough, or if made from the right type of materials, it may be possible for your wreath to hang directly from a nail in the door. For some larger creations, make a wreath hanger before you begin to decorate your wreath. The wreath hanger will automatically establish the top of your wreath and will even let you decorate it whilst it hangs.
To make a hanger for a wreath, start by twisting a circle from some medium gauge wire. When completed, push the end of the wire in the back of the wreath base. You can then secure the ends by pushing them into the back of the wreath.
Putting a nail in your front door is not an option for many. There are number of specialist wreath hangers such as a stick-on hook or a hanger that loops over the top of the door. A classic brass peg hook could be the best choice if you like to have a wreath every year. For more DIY ideas, Martha Stewart had advice for a beautiful wreath hanger here.
Making Your Wreath
Lay your materials out on a table and begin constructing your wreath. You can add your accents whilst still on the table, but it’s also good to wait until the wreath is hanging to make sure those bits and pieces look their best and don’t fall when hanging. That way it’s easier to see where you need to add leaves, flowers, ribbons, baubles, and more when you’re face-to-face with your wreath.
Here are useful instructions for making three different types of wreath:
Making A Christmas Wreath With A Polystyrene Base:
After making the wreath hanger, cover the base with moss or coloured felt to conceal the polystyrene. After cutting your greenery into even pieces, insert them into the base. A small string of fairy lights can be woven through the greenery. If possible, use a self-contained set of solar powered lights that do not need an electrical connection.
From there, it’s up to you. Add some baubles, ribbons, holly, or fruit to finish your creation.
Making A Fabric Wreath:
To make this stunning wreath, you will need a wire frame – ideally one with four circular rings. Gather some fabric that strikes your fancy. You can always use old table cloths or bed linen, but try for traditional Christmas colours if possible. Cut your fabric into roughly 1 inch x 6 inch strips. When complete, place the strips into piles according to pattern. Accuracy of cut and size is not necessary or needed.
Begin tying the strips with simple knots around the wire of the frame. Be sure to tie in a recognisable pattern for the best visual effect. Once you have filled the entire frame with knotted fabric, decide what accents will finish your wreath. Bells, stars, small gift boxes, it’s your choice. These accents can be attached to the fabric using a hot glue gun.
Making A Grapevine Wreath:
One of the most popular and rustic types of Christmas wreaths are those formed by the intertwining of grapevines. Using vines from your garden, or purchasing them from the local garden shop, begin forming the vines into a circular shape on a large surface. By using a few thick strands of the vine, begin to wind them around the bundle, and then tuck the end of the vine inside the wreath.
When the wreath is formed and is solid, you can add accents to the vine ring. Some of the prettiest holiday wreaths include sprigs of seasonal berries and accents of vibrant colours.
Image Credit: Carolyn Williams, Elizabeth, Tony Alter, Elin B, www.heatheronhertravels.com/ (flickr.com)