How to Make an Outdoor Christmas Wreath
Complete Instructions for this Festive Holiday Craft
Nov 1, 2008
When making an outdoor Christmas wreath, you will have a few basic choices to make. You can choose to make a live wreath from real vines and greenery or you can choose a realistic plastic type. Most people believe the real wreath to be more festive and traditional.
Making an outdoor Christmas wreath can be a lot of fun. You can even make it into an all day outing of fun for the family. It can often be best to make your wreath on the same day you purchase your tree. You can use the clippings from the tree to make the wreath.
Assembling the Wreath
In order to make this beautiful wreath, you will need:
- A large amount of green cuttings from the tree
- A wreath frame (either homemade or store bought)
- Clippers for cutting the greenery
- Clippers for cutting the wire
- Wire to tie the greenery on (most people prefer florist wire)
- Ribbon for the bow
Instructions
- Trim the greenery into 6"-8" pieces. This can be a great job for kids if they are old enough to handle the clippers.
- You will also need to cut pieces of wire into 15" pieces. You will need about twenty wires total. You may want to consider laying the wires to the side since they can often become bent or lost as the process moves forward.
- Start assembling your wreath. Begin by grouping bunches of the evergreens. You will want to place the thicker middle tree branches as a base and use the tips for the front.
- Once you have a group of four to five pieces of evergreen, you will need to start tying them to the wreath frame. Begin by holding the evergreen bunches in one hand against the metal frame. Use your other hand to start wrapping the wire around both the bunches and the frame.
- You will continue adding greenery bunches until you have reached a desired result. Most people will build three levels, building and wrapping the entire wreath each time. Take your time and ensure you are placing the greenery in an aesthetically pleasing way.
Decorating the Wreath
Once you have a beautiful green wreath, you will need to decide how to decorate it. Many people buy a huge bow from a craft store, while others create their own. You can choose to add one bow or many small ones.
Pinecones are also often used on an outdoor Christmas wreath. You can purchase cinnamon scented pinecones at your local craft store and either secure them to the wreath with wire wrapped around the center of the pinecone or by using a hot glue gun.
You might also consider adding fresh berries to your wreath to give it some color. There really is no limit to the ways you can decorate your wreath.
You will next need to decide where to hang it. If you want to put it on the front door, you will need a wreath hanger. There are many varieties available, but a clear over the door model always looks best.
While this wreath will not last forever, most people prefer it that way. Building a new wreath can become a family tradition from year to year. You also get the joy of redesigning it every year with new flare.
