Holiday Decorating - Homemade Wreaths
Have you ever looked at lovely holiday wreaths and then experienced sticker shock? Or maybe you've seen homemade wreaths and wished you could do that. Luckily, there are so many possibilities for wreath designs and materials that you're bound to create something beautiful once you find the right idea!
Here are some ideas and how-to advice on homemade wreaths.
1. Acorn Wreath
The look of acorns is so festive, and it's such a versatile look - you can embellish this wreath with sprigs of holly, pinecones, or ribbon, or simply leave it as-is.
First, gather your acorns and place them in a paper bag. Freeze them for 24 to 48 hours to make sure no bugs are hiding out in the acorns. Once they're frozen, you will have better results if you dry them in an oven on a cookie sheet for an hour or so at 200 degrees F. That way, the acorns won't be as likely to shrink after you've placed them on the wreath.
To make the wreath, simply hot glue the acorns to a wreath frame. Foam, grapevine, or hay wreath frames work well, but anything flat, sturdy, and circular will do.
2. Cardboard Tube Wreath
For the eco-minded among you, make a wreath out of cardboard tubes (such as toilet paper and paper towel tubes). Cut the tubes into various lengths to add variety, then paint them. Use several different seasonal colors if you can. Next, arrange the tubes with the open ends facing you in a ring shape. When you're happy with the arrangement, hot glue the tubes together.
The handy hollow tubes leave the perfect place to hang the wreath, and you can glue all sorts of interesting miniatures inside the tubes - small ornaments, acorns, figurines, or whatever you like.
3. Traditional Greens
If you have access to fresh-cut greens such as juniper, hemlock, or holly, you can weave your own traditional wreath. Be sure to wear sturdy gloves when you gather the greens into bunches of the same approximate size and wire them together. Then take the wired bunches (still wearing gloves) and wire them onto a wreath frame - it will also need to be wire. Tuck the wired ends of the greens under the branches of the bunch before it.
You can even do this without a wreath frame; just wire the bunches into a ring.
4. Fruit Wreath
Citrus fruits and apples make a lovely wreath. For a base, you can use a basic greens wreath, grapevine wreath, twigs, or other natural frame. Use thick floral wire to pierce the fruit and wire it to the frame. Alternatively, you could use a large sewing needle and upholstery thread to attach the fruit to the wreath. When you're finished, you can hot glue some bay leaves around the fruit to fill in any unfinished or open areas.
Here are some ideas and how-to advice on homemade wreaths.
1. Acorn Wreath
The look of acorns is so festive, and it's such a versatile look - you can embellish this wreath with sprigs of holly, pinecones, or ribbon, or simply leave it as-is.
First, gather your acorns and place them in a paper bag. Freeze them for 24 to 48 hours to make sure no bugs are hiding out in the acorns. Once they're frozen, you will have better results if you dry them in an oven on a cookie sheet for an hour or so at 200 degrees F. That way, the acorns won't be as likely to shrink after you've placed them on the wreath.
To make the wreath, simply hot glue the acorns to a wreath frame. Foam, grapevine, or hay wreath frames work well, but anything flat, sturdy, and circular will do.
2. Cardboard Tube Wreath
For the eco-minded among you, make a wreath out of cardboard tubes (such as toilet paper and paper towel tubes). Cut the tubes into various lengths to add variety, then paint them. Use several different seasonal colors if you can. Next, arrange the tubes with the open ends facing you in a ring shape. When you're happy with the arrangement, hot glue the tubes together.
The handy hollow tubes leave the perfect place to hang the wreath, and you can glue all sorts of interesting miniatures inside the tubes - small ornaments, acorns, figurines, or whatever you like.
3. Traditional Greens
If you have access to fresh-cut greens such as juniper, hemlock, or holly, you can weave your own traditional wreath. Be sure to wear sturdy gloves when you gather the greens into bunches of the same approximate size and wire them together. Then take the wired bunches (still wearing gloves) and wire them onto a wreath frame - it will also need to be wire. Tuck the wired ends of the greens under the branches of the bunch before it.
You can even do this without a wreath frame; just wire the bunches into a ring.
4. Fruit Wreath
Citrus fruits and apples make a lovely wreath. For a base, you can use a basic greens wreath, grapevine wreath, twigs, or other natural frame. Use thick floral wire to pierce the fruit and wire it to the frame. Alternatively, you could use a large sewing needle and upholstery thread to attach the fruit to the wreath. When you're finished, you can hot glue some bay leaves around the fruit to fill in any unfinished or open areas.
