How to Make a Christmas Wreath

I've put together a step-by-step guide to making your own Honeybee Blooms Wreath for the Winter season.

Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a wreath to hang on your door or mantel. They welcome guests to your home, envelope your space in festive scents (think dried oranges and cinnamon sticks) and of course, spread Christmas cheer. And it really doesn’t get any better than creating your own. If you’re wondering how exactly I do make a wreath, read on...

What you need:

STEP 1 - A Moss Base

First take your wire wreath frame. Attach and tie one end of the reel wire to the frame to secure the wire. Keeping your hands close to the frame, take a big handful of moss in one hand and squeeze it tight to compact it into a small sausage shape in the palm of your hand. Gripping the frame, place your moss against one side of the frame and wrap the wire tightly around the wreath and moss. NOTE: it needs to be very compact and firm to use as a base.

STEP 2 - Tie it Off

Keep adding more and more moss to your frame, wrapping with the wire tightly, until the whole wreath is covered. To finish it off, loop the wire and thread the reel through the middle of the frame, pull tight and repeat twice to tie off but do not cut - you will continue to use it on the next steps.

STEP 3 - Plan Your Look

Once you have created your base it's time (for the fun part!) to think about the design of your wreath. Choose either a traditional style of evergreen, add in dried or preserved foliage or go wild with crazy pops of dyed foliage. Think of the colours you love to decorate your home in for Autumn or Christmas. For this design, I choose seasonal colours and worked with hues of deep purples with dried bunches of foliage and flowers.

Gather up your chosen foliage and organise into small bunches - this makes it easier to work with rather than lots of individual sprigs.

STEP 4 - Add Foilage

Ensure each stem is cut to around 15-20cm, and take your first bunch. Holding it at a 20 degree angle against the wreath base, take the reel wire spool (the one still attached to your frame) in one hand, and tie the wire around the stems of your bunches. Pull it tight to the frame.

STEP 5 - Weave In and Out 

Repeat this process at alternating angles, pointing both inward and outward to the centre of the wreath. Ensure that you vary your bunches of foliage evenly so that the foliage covers the entire surface of the frame, without any gaps.

TIP: the key is to ensure a hands width between each bunch to create a layered fullness.

STEP 6 - Edit Your Design

Once your entire moss frame is covered with bunches of foliage, you can identify any gaps or heavy clusters that need a little editing. Now is the time to go back in and add a few extra sprigs where you may see gaps in your colour scheme. Remember to not overfill as you need space to add your final decor elements.

STEP 7 - Time to Decorate

It’s time to add a final flair with your decorations. This could be flowers, feathers, baubles or even tinsel - anything goes. Lay them out and start to arrange to the style you like!

STEP 8 - Wiring the Stems

STEP 9 - Attach to the Wreath

Take your pre-wired decorations and nestle them into your foliage bunches, securing with the wire at the back of the frame. Make sure they hang snug to the wreath so they don’t roll around on the surface, and play around with the positioning until you’re happy.

STEP 10 - A Bow

Select some velvet or silk ribbon to create a centrepiece to your wreath. This can either be in the form of a decorative bow, like we have done, or used as a loop in which to hang your wreath.

Viola! You’re ready to hang! Secure your wreath to a mantel or front door, and watch your neighbours get green with envy.