Read along for a tutorial on how to make your very own DIY Christmas wreath using fresh evergreen clippings, perfect for your front door or anywhere around your home this winter.

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Now that Thanksgiving has come to an end, we all know that Christmas is right around the corner. It seems to really sneak up on us this time of year and in these last few weeks. If you’ve been prepared you may have started decorating your home with all of your favorite Christmas trinkets, maybe you even set up the Christmas tree (cheers to all you overachievers who’ve made it that far;))

One of my favorite things to do every year right after Thanksgiving is to hang a beautiful wreath on our front door. It really gets me in the Christmas spirit and gets the ball rolling for me. If I have our wreath up, everything else can slowly start to go up when I have some time. I especially love seeing our wreath whenever we return home after a day running errands and crossing things off our Christmas shopping list.

I’ve always enjoyed having fresh wreaths, but sometimes they can be a little expensive. This year I decided to make my own with some clippings of greenery from our yard and some supplies I already had on hand. I didn’t spend a dime! I got to design it just how I wanted, and I am so happy with how it turned out.

Making your own wreath from scratch using fresh greenery and a few other supplies will save you money, allow more customization, and likely turn out just as beautiful as any store bought wreath you can find. Read along to see how I made my wreath and how you can create a beautiful fresh evergreen wreath to adorn your front doors and anywhere else in your home for Christmas.

DIY Christmas Wreath Using Fresh Greenery

Have you ever wanted to make your own wreath before but maybe you were a little intimidated by the process? I felt the same way! I LOVE wreaths, especially natural looking ones. I even have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated just to wreaths. You can check it out HERE if you are interested in following it, it may give you some inspiration for the design and style of your fresh Christmas wreath.

One of the things that I love most about the idea of making your own DIY Christmas wreath, is that you are completely in control and can customize it however you want. In the past I have always had really big and full wreaths, but this year I wanted to do something a little light and more whimsical and natural looking. If you prefer a more full looking wreath, all you have to do is continue to add more clippings and greenery until its at your desired fullness.

Another thing to note and I wish I would have had this option is that using a variety of evergreen varieties can add a really nice look to your wreath and will give it a lot of texture. I didn’t want to spend any money on ours (hello Christmas budget, I see you), so I only used clippings from trees and shrubs we have at our house, and we don’t have a large variety. In the future if I can manage it I think I’d like to head to a local nursery or tree farm to get a wider variety of clippings and really add some interest to my wreath.

Before you make your wreath, do a quick Pinterest search to get an idea of what kind of style you want yours to be, and pin some of your favorite pictures of wreaths onto a board to look back at later. Having a general idea going into it will help a great deal when you go to make your own. You can also jot down some notes and ideas of what you like (i.e., full, light, natural, bows, colorful, texture, brass ring, asymmetrical, etc.) Once you have a good idea of what you want your wreath to be like, you’re ready to start!

Learn how to make a fresh evergreen Christmas wreath like mine in the tutorial below!

DIY Christmas Wreath Supplies

1. Fresh greenery clippings about 8”-24” long – the more variety you have the better, you can use juniper, pine, boxwood, fir, cedar, whatever you can get your hands on. Its most cost effective if you can clip some branches off of your own trees and shrubs or maybe even a neighbors with their permission, but if this isn’t an option for you you can head to your local supermarket and they will likely have clippings in the floral section, or you can source some from a local Christmas tree farm.

2. Metal wreath form – I kept the metal wreath form from a store-bought fresh wreath that I had decorated with in a previous year. If you don’t have one already you can pick one up from a local craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Choose whatever size you would like, but keep in mind that it will look a lot larger and more full when you have the greenery on it.

3. Green floral wire – this was again something that I was able to save from a previous wreath but you can easily grab some at your local craft store. You can also pick up wire cutters if you don’t have any. I was able to use scissors.

4. Adornments – I used the fake cranberries and pine cones that I already had in my Christmas supplies to adorn my wreath. You could use fresh pine cones and add a touch of white paint for a similar frosted look. Other beautiful options include bows and ribbon, bells, twinkle lights, berries, twigs and branches, dried flowers, herbs, etc.

How to Make a Fresh Evergreen Christmas Wreath

Start by laying all of your supplies and materials out on a work space. The branches will shed some pine needles and it can get messy, so be sure to stay in an area that you’re okay with having to sweep or vacuum up afterwards.

Start on one side of the wreath form and begin by placing a branch inside the form and wrapping it around as you secure it to the form by slipping it inside the notches. Some wreath forms are different, but all you should need to do is place each branch securely inside the form and continue to wrap it around; you can also use some of your floral wire to help secure it if needed.

Work your way around the wreath form, filling in as needed and securing all of your branches to the metal by tucking them inside the form. If you like a more uniform and clean look, try to make sure as much of the branch is tucked inside the form. If you like a more natural and rustic look you can leave more of the small pieces out. I think its best to start with one variety of greenery, make sure its filled in all the way around the form, before moving on to fill in with another variety. This helps to make sure the wreath stays uniform and symmetrical even if you choose to go with a rustic look.

Fill the metal form as much as you would like. If you want it to be very full looking then be sure to choose fuller clippings to start off with and continue to fill it in until its reached your desired fullness. As you put more branches in it will be more difficult to place them directly inside the frame. When this happens you can start to secure them inside the other branches. It will take a little bit of wiggling and maneuvering, but you just need each branch to be secure, whether it be jimmied in between other branches or inside the metal form itself.

When you are happy with your wreath and the amount of greenery, you can add your adornments. Secure your adornments using your green floral wire. Wrap the wire around each adornment, working to hide the wire as best you can on the front side, and then wrap the ends of the wire into the branches and around the frame. Again, move branches and clippings around to make it how you like and to help hide any wire or metal that may be showing.

Once you’ve added your adornments, your wreath should be finished! You can either trim or tuck in any pieces that you don’t want poking out. For a more uniform look, tuck in or cut more pieces, and for a more natural or wistful look, leave them be. Use your favorite door hanger to hang your wreath on your front door, or anywhere on the exterior of your home. You can keep yours inside, it just may not last as long as it would if it were outside. See below for some tips on keeping your DIY Christmas wreath fresh.

How to keep your DIY Christmas wreath looking fresh

With Christmas and the holidays still a few weeks away, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep your homemade wreath looking as fresh as possible throughout the remainder of the year for you and all of your holiday guests. Here are some tips to help keep your wreath looking great.

• Keep your wreath outside as often as possible. Hanging yours on your front door will work great. The cool weather will help postpone any drying out. If you choose to hang your wreath somewhere inside it will dry out much quicker.

• Spritz your fresh wreath often with water using a spray bottle or something similar.

• You can also soak the entire wreath in water before adding your adornments.

• Spray with anti-desiccant spray (can usually be found at your local nursery, or florist, which also helps to postpone any drying out).

• Keep away from heat and sunlight.

• Of course, you can always make it as close to the holidays as possible to ensure that it will be looking fresh Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Making it a week beforehand should work great!

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DIY Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Instructions:

Lay all materials out. Start with the bottom end of an evergreen branch and intertwine it inside the metal form until its secure, continuing to secure it around the circle until the end. Do this with all of the clippings until the wreath is at its desired fullness. Use the floral wire to secure the adornments.

Materials:

• fresh greenery clippings about 8”-24” long

• metal wreath form

• green floral wire

• adornments

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Now, with a few evergreen clippings and some supplies from your local craft store, you should be able to make a beautiful and natural evergreen wreath to adorn your house for the holidays. I am confident you will love your DIY Christmas wreath and you’ll love how festive it will make your home and Christmas decor this year. Enjoy!

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