Make Your Own Christmas Wreath

If you want a lovely, festive holiday wreath for your home or to place on your front door, you don't have to spend a lot of money. Some wreaths can cost $30 or more, but if you make your own, it'll only cost you pennies.

If you live in an area where there are coniferous trees (pine trees, fir trees, etc), then your job is very easy. If you don't, then you'll have to look for an alternative that I'll mention below. But let's assume that there are pine trees where you live. Depending on the size of the wreath you want, you can trim short or longer branches from the tree. If you want a medium sized wreath, say about the size you'd place on your front door, you can find a pine tree or fir tree in your yard and cut branches about six inches long.

Using bread ties or wire, start attaching the branches together by slightly overlapping the sections on top of each other, then connecting them from the underneath so the wire or ties won't show. You'll be connecting the top end of the one below to about the middle of the one above it. By overlapping, it'll fill out the wreath and give it some fullness rather than being flat. As you connect the branches, make sure you start to turn them into a circle. If the branches aren't very thick, the wreath will be rather flexible, so you might want to strengthen the underneath by hot gluing sticks (or even popsickle sticks) about a half inch wide to the branches. This will keep the wreath stiffer.

Once you have the basic wreath, you can begin decorating it. Nature can provide much of the decoration for free. Look around for small pinecones, colorful groups of red or blue berries, or sprigs of holly. You can either just stick the decorations into the branches or use a drop of hot glue to affix them so they won't fall out. If you don't have hot glue, you can use wire or ties to affix the sprigs or berries to the branches underneath the pine needles. Once you've completed the wreath, you can trim off any needles that are poking out at odd angles to make the wreath a smoother round shape.

Now, if you don't live in an area where there are pine trees, you can buy supplies at a craft store, or create a slightly different type of wreath. Using pliable branches from trees like willows or grape vines, you can cut long lengths and twist them around into a circle, making a wooden wreath that you can decorate with a variety of bows, ornaments or even popcorn or cookies for a whimsical sort of wreath. Basically, just use your imagination and have fun! Christmas decorating doesn't have to cost a lot of money, and if you have children, doing a wreath project together will be memorable and might even become a holiday tradition.