Make a Wreath

I've made a Christmas wreath for the last three years, and I love it! The first year, when we were really poor, I asked the Christmas tree lot guys if I could take home some of the extra tree clippings they were going to throw away. With those, I was able make a wreath by connecting them to a wire wreath frame with green wire. Just keep adding more tree clippings until you've achieved the desired fullness. From there, I poked in some holly with red berries and added a bow at the top.

Last year, I decide to cheat a little and just buy a wreath to "spruce up" (no pun intended). The wreath was from Trader Joe's, and I think I bought it for around $10-12. Then I clipped some magnolia leaves and wired them into the wreath. Just take a piece of wire, wrap it around the end of the leaf, and then poke the other end into the wreath. Some of the leaves still didn't want to stay in place, so I used a hot glue on some of the tips. Next, tie a bow with your favorite ribbon and connect it to the wreath with wire.




Next year I'm determine to make my own garland. This is a strand I bought from Home Depot last year. I used the same ribbon from the wreath above to attach it to our banister.

Some other wreaths that I love:


Lemon Wreath


Moss Wreath


Another moss wreath, hung on a bookshelf with a simple ribbon


Wreath with small silver balls and other greenery


Monogram wreath-- love these!

And once you've made your wreath, you can:


Hang it from a window or French doors with ribbon


Connect several wreaths together with ribbon and hang them on a door (sorry for the blurry image; this is the only one I could find)


Set them on shelves


Hang one on the back of a chair



I realize this is not a wreath, but it is Christmas decoration so I wanted to add it in here. I used it as a centerpiece for the dessert table at our Christmas party. I simply found some branches in the backyard, spray painted them with silver paint, waited for them to dry, and then placed them in glass vases. I then hung small silver ball ornaments on them with clear fishing wire.