What smells more like Christmas than fresh greenery? It makes your entire home smell wonderful! So why not learn “How to Make a Fresh Christmas Wreath from Scratch” this Christmas?
This is a no-cost, no-waste, sustainable project, which makes it all the better, in my book. You can throw it in the compost pile after the holidays! You will need:
- Fresh cut greenery
- Floral wire or some other flexible cord that can be wrapped tight
- A round wire frame of some kind (a wire hanger will work or some twigs bound together)
- Wire cutters
- Ribbon if desired
Finding fresh greenery doesn’t have to be difficult, there are a number of options!
Simply walking around your property and/or your neighborhood will probably render what you need. Snipping from trees that are some kind of evergreen, berry or holly will suit you best. Don’t just choose one type of branch, mix it up and allow diversity in the textures. It’ll be so much prettier!
Asking a friend with some property if you could walk around and take a few snips is another idea, as well as going to a live Christmas tree lot and asking for cutting leftovers.
You might also take a walk in a park and take a few snips, as long as it’s permitted and you harvest ethically. Don’t take a lot, you don’t need much. Many of my branches were able to be split into several smaller branches, so keep that in mind when clipping. You’ll need about 40 small branches.
Today, I took a pair of clippers and walked around our property. We’ve got several types of conifers and this Himalayan pine was the first one I went to. I remember there being a lot more pinecones laying around than I saw today, maybe the squirrels got them! I took about 10 clippings of branches that needed to be pruned anyway.
Yes! I found just 2 pine cones, but that will help with my wreath. Maybe I’ll find more somewhere else, let’s keep looking!
How to Make Easy, Cloth Napkins
I love Norway Spruce, don’t you? This is definitely going to make my fresh wreath gorgeous!
Finally, I have an ornamental crab apple tree that I decided to take some fresh clippings from because of the adorable fruit! I’ll preserve those berries with hair spray, which should keep them through the holidays.
I’m so excited, these are going to be beautiful! Now let’s get to the work area!
Ok, so I started with a round wire wreath frame, however, a couple of wire hangers bound together will work just as well. You could use an old frame, just use your imagination and try to find something that you already have around the house.
What Homesteaders Really Want for Christmas
Start by securing your floral wire to the frame.
You’re going to be making little bouquets of your fresh cuttings, and then attaching them to the frame. I’m using three different branches here.
Cluster the cuttings together and then wrap the wire securely around them.
Move down the frame just a couple of inches and secure another little bunch of branches. Continue around the frame this way, incorporating different textures and different angles as you go.
24 Easy Christmas Cookie Recipes to Bake and Share
I decided not to use the pinecones, but I did use a few of the berry branches.
When you get to the end, simply lift the first branches that you fastened and tuck the final bunch underneath and secure.
Take a good look at the wreath and look for spots where you could tuck another branch or two to create a more full look!
Remember that this is a fresh wreath, so it needs water to be spritzed on it every other day or so to keep it from drying out.
Look how beautiful it turned out! It smells amazing! I hope you’ll make one too!
