Homemade wreaths in the family room

I posted this photo on Instagram yesterday of the project I did the night before:

Cute homemade wreaths hanging on a branch.

I wasn’t planning on doing a full tutorial – this one was just something I wanted to put on that big, blank wall over the couch to enjoy for the Christmas season.

But once the comments and likes came through (my second most liked photo of all time – this one is #1, and rightfully so), I realized that maybe details would be appreciated in case you want to try this wreath project in your home.

This one is not particularly difficult, but it is a little labor-intensive. Making wreaths is not the fastest thing and it chews up your hands a bit, so be warned 🙂 I started my wreath-making around 4pm once the kids got home from school, spread it all out in the family room with holiday baking shows on in the background. After a quick stop to make dinner and then again to tuck the kids in bed, I was finally finished and hung everything up around 9:30 pm. So give yourself a solid couple of hours to finish this one.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own wreath display:

embroidery hoops in various sizes | floral wire | greenery | scissors | string

Typically, wreaths are made on wire frames, but when I went to the craft store to buy a few, I didn’t see the options I wanted for size. I just figured I would make my own with wire hangers … until I saw the embroidery hoops and realized they would make the perfect wreath forms.

They come in many different sizes (I bought a large, medium, small and extra small for variety). Besides being quite inexpensive ($1.50-$3.50 each), you actually get two wreaths out of each hoop when you separate them. And, I like that even if the wood of the hoop shows through when finished, it feels more natural than a wire frame would.

Okay, onto the greenery.

I used four different types – cedar, boxwood, pine and olive. I clipped the pine and a few branches of cedar from our yard and the others I bought at the wholesale flower market. Sometimes you can find greens at the grocery store or you could try a local florist.

You could mix the greens for each wreath, or keep them separate, as I did. I do like how each type of greenery has a distinct leaf shape that is really highlighted when on its own.

To make the wreath, gather small clippings of the greenery and wire to the form, overlapping as you move around to hide the stems and wire.

Here’s a good wreath-making how-to from Martha Stewart, if you need better instructions 🙂

In total, I made seven wreaths – two out of cedar, two boxwood, two olive and one pine.

To hang my wreaths, I used a stick I have been saving. I think it came from our yard and maybe the boys were playing with it outside and they left it on the patio. It was a great shape and size and so I peeled off the outer layer of bark and have been hiding it away waiting for the perfect use. This is it!

I simply wrapped each end with a piece of thin macrame rope (from here) and hung from a nail in the wall.

Next, I tied on each wreath at random lengths with plain bakers twine (similar to this). I like the organic and imperfect detail the strings and knots give to the whole arrangement.

And now our family room feels so much more festive.

I hope this little how-I-made-it was helpful!

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