How to Make a DIY Christmas Wreath: 7 Versions From Fresh to Faux |

A fresh Christmas wreath is one of the few decorations that’s genuinely better made than bought. The materials are cheap or free if you have access to evergreens, the method takes one wreath to learn, and a homemade wreath can be fuller than most store-bought ones at the same size.

This is the method for a fresh evergreen wreath on a wire frame, followed by six variations, including two that last for years.

DIY Christmas Wreath: The Wire Frame Method

What you need. A 12- or 14-inch double-rail wire wreath frame, a paddle of 22- or 24-gauge green wire, pruning shears, gloves, and a large pile of evergreen cuttings. Fir, cedar, pine, juniper and boxwood all work; fir holds its needles best. A 14-inch frame takes more greenery than you’d expect, roughly a large armful, so cut or buy more than seems necessary.

Make bundles. Cut the greenery into pieces of six to eight inches. Make a bundle of three to five pieces, with the fullest piece at the back and the smaller ones in front.

Wire them on. Tie the end of the paddle wire to the frame. Lay the first bundle on the frame, wrap the wire tightly around the stems and the frame two or three times, and don’t cut it. Lay the next bundle so it covers the stems of the first, and wrap again. Keep going round in one direction, alternating slightly left and right so the wreath is full across its whole width.

Finish. When you reach the start, lift the heads of the first bundle and tuck the stems of the last one underneath. Cut the wire, twist it around the frame at the back, and make a hanging loop from a separate piece of wire.

A first wreath usually takes about an hour and a half. The second one takes less than half that.

1. The classic fir wreath

All fir, or fir with a little pine for texture. It’s the traditional wreath, and it holds its needles longer than any other evergreen. Leave it undecorated, or add a single bow at the bottom.

A full classic fir wreath with a simple deep red velvet bow — Fir holds its needles longer than any other evergreen.

2. Cedar and eucalyptus

Softer and more open than fir. Alternate bundles of flat cedar sprays with silver dollar eucalyptus, which dries on the wreath and keeps its color. The mix of dark green and silver-blue is quieter than a traditional wreath and suits a plain front door.

A loose wreath of cedar sprays and silver-blue eucalyptus — Eucalyptus dries on the wreath and keeps its color.

3. Boxwood

Boxwood makes a dense, neat, small-leaved wreath that looks very tidy. Use short pieces of about four inches in tight bundles on a smaller frame, 10 or 12 inches. It takes more bundles than a fir wreath of the same size, and it’s worth it.

Boxwood also dries well. Kept out of direct sun, it stays green-gray for weeks after it’s no longer fresh.

A small dense boxwood wreath with a thin cream ribbon — Short pieces, tight bundles, a smaller frame.

4. Dressing up a plain faux wreath

If fresh greenery isn’t practical, buy a plain, undecorated faux wreath and add to it: a few real or faux pinecones wired in by their bases, a bundle of dried wheat or cinnamon sticks, and one bow. Fluff the faux branches out fully before you start; flat branches straight from the box are what make faux wreaths look cheap.

This is the version that lasts. Store it flat in a box and it comes back next year.

A plain faux wreath with wired pinecones and a bundle of cinnamon sticks added — Fluff every branch first; that’s what makes faux look full.

5. Dried orange slice wreath

Slice oranges about a quarter inch thick, pat them dry, and dry them in the oven at about 200°F for two to three hours, turning them every half hour, until they’re dry and slightly translucent. Then thread them onto a wire ring or glue them overlapping onto a grapevine base with bay leaves between them.

Thinner slices dry faster and more evenly. Any that stay tacky will go moldy, so give them longer.

A wreath of overlapping dried orange slices with bay leaves — Quarter-inch slices, low oven, and give the tacky ones longer.

6. Pinecone wreath

Collect or buy pinecones in two or three sizes. Wire the largest ones onto a wire frame first by wrapping wire around the lower scales, then fill the gaps with smaller cones, facing some forward and some sideways. A low-temperature glue gun helps with the smallest ones.

Bake foraged pinecones at about 200°F for 30 to 60 minutes first, watching them closely. It dries them, opens them up, and gets rid of anything living inside.

A dense wreath made entirely of pinecones of different sizes — Big cones first, small ones to fill the gaps.

7. A minimal hoop

A metal or wooden hoop with a small spray of fresh or faux greenery wired to one side, about a third of the way round. It’s the fastest version here, around twenty minutes, and the easiest to hang indoors on a wall or a mirror.

A thin brass hoop with a spray of cedar and eucalyptus on one side — Twenty minutes, and it works indoors on a wall.

How to Keep a Fresh Wreath Green

Fresh wreaths last longest outdoors in the cold, where they can stay green for weeks. Indoors, in dry heated air, they dry out within days.

Soak the evergreen cuttings in water overnight before you make the wreath.
Mist the finished wreath every few days if the weather is dry.
Keep it out of direct sun and away from heat: radiators, heating vents and fireplaces. A dried-out wreath is flammable.
Don’t hang it between a door and a glass storm door, where the sun builds up heat.

What We Would Skip

Foam wreath forms for fresh greenery. They’re made for faux materials, and fresh stems pushed into foam dry out fast.

Hot glue on fresh evergreens. It doesn’t bond well to damp stems and gives up in the cold.

Hanging a fresh wreath indoors near heat for the whole season. Make a faux one or a dried orange wreath for inside, and keep the fresh one on the door.

Where We Would Start

The minimal hoop (7) if you want a first try in twenty minutes. The classic fir wreath (1) if you want the real thing and have ninety minutes and a big pile of greenery.

If you made a DIY fall wreath on grapevine, strip it and reuse the base for the dried orange version. A wreath also makes a good addition to a list of DIY Christmas gifts, especially the boxwood one.

Questions We Get Asked

How do you make a Christmas wreath from fresh greenery?

Tie paddle wire to a wire wreath frame, lay bundles of three to five evergreen cuttings on the frame, and wrap the wire around each bundle’s stems. Overlap each new bundle to hide the previous stems and work around in one direction.

How long does a fresh Christmas wreath last?

Outdoors in cold weather, several weeks. Indoors, a few days to a week or two, depending on heat and humidity. Soaking the greenery beforehand and misting the wreath help.

What greenery is best for a DIY Christmas wreath?

Fir holds its needles longest. Cedar, pine, juniper and boxwood all work well, and eucalyptus mixes in nicely because it dries without losing its color.

How much greenery do I need for a wreath?

More than you’d think. A 14-inch frame takes a large armful of cuttings. Cut or buy extra so the last section isn’t thinner than the first.

Can I make a Christmas wreath without a wire frame?

Yes. A grapevine wreath or a metal hoop works as a base, with the greenery wired on in bundles. Foam forms are better suited to faux materials.

How do you hang a wreath without damaging the door?

Use an over-the-door wreath hanger or a removable adhesive hook rated for the wreath’s weight. Fresh wreaths are heavier than faux ones.