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How To Make An Evergreen Wreath

Nothing beats the “wow” factor of a handmade wreath or garland during the Christmas holidays. Best part it is another EASY Christmas craft. Another plus, it doesn’t cost a lot (Under $5 again).

First assemble your tools and any helpers. (Picture me yelling this a faux German accent, because that’s how it sounds in my head) Affiliate links to follow.

  1. Christmas Helper: Make sure to have other Christmas projects for the helper to do unless you want pine sap on EVERYTHING
  2. Wire Wreath Form*/Frame/Box: If you Google it you’ll find one or they have them at craft stores for less than $5. Let me give you a tip here; go with the smaller form. Whichever size you think looks right, go with the smaller one. Let me repeat: Go Smaller! Once you put the branches on it ends up being twice the size you expected. “Granny” and I have created some big, honking wreaths in the past.
  3. Floral Wire 24 Gauge*: I like a 24 gauge, just make sure it’s thick enough that you can pull it without it breaking but thin enough to wind easily. I like the green florist wire because If I’m not careful (which I’m not usually) it will blend better.
  4. Greenery: Your choice. I like to mix mine. It takes a whole lot less than you would think. I made a door wreath with three around 3ft long branches. Cut the branch ends into 6in pieces before you start. This makes the whole process flow faster. Pine, ivy, boxwood, magnolia leaves, holly, etc. all work.
  5. Cheap/Old Clippers: Once you cut the wire and gummy pine trees they’re pretty much done. I always just use my old garden shears for this project.

Step 1

Take one end of the wire and twist it around the frame to hook it. No fancy girlscout knot needed, just make sure that puppy is gonna stay in place.

Step 2

Take a hand full of greenery and bundle it together lay it at a slight diagonal on the wreath form with the cut ends slightly over where you hooked the wire. Then pull the wire around the frame and bundle a couple of times. This isn’t rocket-surgery (as we say in this house) just wrap the damn wire as many times as you want.

Man, do I need to put on some lotion and file my nails…

Step 3

Take another bundle of greenery and lay it over-lapping the first. Continue wrapping with the wire. DO NOT cut and rehook the wire, it won’t be as tight and it’s a freaking waste of time. If you keep wrapping you can knock this puppy out in less that 15 minutes (especially if it’s 30 degrees out, like it was the evening I was creating this one).

Step 4

Just keep bundling greenery and wrapping. Yeah, it really is that easy.When you get all the way back to the beginning just tuck the final bundle under the first one, and then tie the wire to the underside. Or if your hands are completely numb and have been stabbed by pine needles a million times, just kind of shove the wire in the back of the wreath. Perhaps, I should add leather gloves to my list of tools.

Not my neatest wreath, but damn it was cold. You bundle in 30 degrees with wind and see how neat your’s turns out.

Viola! Your finished… In theory. A plain evergreen circle can be a clean modern decoration. Especially if you focus on branch lengths being the same, or trim them when completed. However, I have a little bit of country tackiness in my bones so I have to glitz mine up. I’ll show you how to create the faux snow tomorrow, it is another heavily modified 50’s recipe.

If anyone actually makes a wreath with this tutorial please let me know. I would love to see any pictures!

Easy evergreen wreath tutorial.  Anyone can make a wreath for Christmas decoration or even sales at Farmer's Markets and Craft Shows.

56 thoughts on “How To Make An Evergreen Wreath

  1. Ok, I’m giving this a try with my almost two year old helper tomorrow. Plus side, it’s a (very) high 52F here tomorrow!

  2. I made three wreaths before I watched your tutorial. The fourth wreath was a breeze. So much easier to make. Thank you!

    1. I’m glad it made it so much easier!

  3. hoooly this is great. but only four steps huh
    this helped brotha blunto and i up real well. no cap helped oh jah

    1. Truly only 4 steps!

  4. Damn you really hooked a brotha up for my Horticulture project, hella helpful on god no cap

  5. Love these wreaths. So helpful for my horticulture essay/ wreath project.

  6. […] 19. Homemade Evergreen Wreath for Thanksgiving […]

  7. Thank you! I was trying to wrap each piece of greenery with it’s own wire! This method looks to be much faster!

    1. It makes it quite a it faster.

  8. Thank you for your tutorial! I made my first wreath last night and I love it! I may tackle the garland this week as well. Thanks so much :-) I would post a pic, but don’t know how.

    1. Feel free to email me one and I’ll post it! brianna@craftthyme.com

  9. Thanks for the tutorial! I’ve never tackled wreaths before until this year but mine turned out great!

    1. I’d love to see a picture of your wreath! Glad my tutorial was helpful!

  10. I LOVE your tutorials!! They are so funny! Do you have a tutorial showing pictures of the branches just cut from the tree and then how you trim the branches off the limbs to make the garland?

    1. I don’t really have one that exactly illustrates it but if you look at this evergreen garland post it might show it slightly better.

  11. […] 19. Homemade Evergreen Wreath for Thanksgiving […]

  12. […] homemade evergreen wreath […]

  13. I can’t wait to try this! The hubby and I just took a vacation to the mountains of Tennessee :) where I clipped some beautiful pine and cedar to make a wreath. Googled ideas and found yours! Love the simplicity of it! One question; how long does the greenery usually last? Is there a trick to making it last longer? TIA!

    1. My greenery usually lasts about two weeks to a month depending on how dry or sunny the location. Sometimes, depending on what you use it will still look green and be fully dried making to last even longer. I personally, have never tried it but I have heard of dipping items in liquid floor wax or preserving them with glycerin.

  14. Just cut the old lady I work for’s tree so I got some good clippings I’m not talented but I plan to try it out.. send me prayers n beer.

    1. Prayers and beer are the best! It is really easy. Let me know how it turns out.

  15. haha I tried

    1. And how did your wreath turn out?

  16. […] A wire frame makes it really easy to create your own wreath a home. You can find these at craft or garden centres near your home. You might even have some wire in your garage that you could make into the base for this type of holiday decoration. (via Craft Thyme) […]

  17. I have the same wire frame (the only one on the 5 tutorials that popped up) and I had made three wreaths successfully 8 or 9 years ago after being shown how WITHOUT florist wire. Somehow the sprigs were were threaded in between the wires but I forgot how. I have lots of evergreens because of our recent wind storm so I’m going to buy some florist wire and start over. Your tutorial is more detailed and has better pictures, — the other commenters were exactly right.

    1. If you ever figure out how to make one without floral wire I would love to know the technique!

  18. I just made one and it’s absolutely gorgeous!! Wish I could share a picture. THANK YOU…

    1. Feel free to drop one via email or on our Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/craftthyme daily

  19. Love this, can’t wait to try it, thanks for posting!

  20. Gotta say first comment I’ve written your tutorial was hilarious and number one, easy to follow and hopefully replicate! Keep the good humor and content!

    1. Thanks for taking the time to comment! Glad you found it useful as well as entertaining. :)

  21. Thanks for the hilarious and simple tutorial! I made my first wreath this morning and it turned out great! I found tons of windfall fir and cedar branches (big storms here) and then “borrowed” some pieces of holly & ivy from my neighbours. :-)

    1. I am always a fan of borrowing! I have never had any complaints as I am careful to not make big gaps. I would love to see a picture!

  22. Wonderful tutorial. And oh my gosh, your “helper” is adorable. Must call son and hint that another grandchild should be in the plans…….teehee!

  23. Hi Brianna. I really like your tutorial. Simple, direct, good photos, and a sense of humour. I’m giving it a shout out on my upcoming post Gimme Some Rustic Christmas Love on my Christmas blog, Susie’s Christmas Cottage, and as my Wild Card Pick of the Week on next Tuesday’s (Nov3rd)Tea in the Library post on my main blog eclecticshorebird@blogspot.com. I’ll include a link to your home page as well as to this great tutorial. Cheers!

    1. Thanks so much!

  24. I made this today! Excellent tutorial, love your humor! Mine ended up not perfect but perfect! Everyone loves it. I would love to post a pic but don’t see how I can??!!?

    1. I would love to see it! Feel free to email it to me brianna@craftthyme.com

      I need to make a gallery of reader submitted items!

  25. Great tutorial and pictures. You got me motivated to make a lot of wreaths and sell at our Christmas tree farm as a side thing this year. I’ll be mixing up all kinds spruces, douglas firs and concolor firs. Thanks much!

    1. Remember gloves if you plan on doing a lot! Good luck.

  26. I liked your tutorial – I could understand it. I am gonna try this because I see so many home made wreaths that are lame and horrible – not worth the money. Your picture is georgeous – I wanna do that. Let me know how you make the snow. I’ll send pictures to you when I’m done.

    1. So glad you like it. The fake snow tutorial can be found at http://craftthyme.com/2010/11/soap-tree-flocking/

  27. loved your wreath making tutorial and your little helper is beautiful – great blue eyes! I am making wreaths tomorrow with my daughter and this will make it easy for us to have fun. Thanks & Merry Christmas!

    1. Wonderful! I hope you guys have a great time.

  28. Thank you for this funny and very easy to learn craft. I have been wanting to learn this for a long time. I’m from Iowa and yes I know that 30* stuff here. Arthritic hands just don’t work well so I just put down newspapers and have at it. Your picture is very nice. Thank you again for making my day. Crickett

    1. Well the nice thing is you can take your time. Just crimp the wire, rest, and then add some more when your hands feel a bit better.

  29. […] Make this easy (and beautiful) evergreen wreath with trimmings from the closest deciduous tree and floral wire. Hang it on your door to give guests a warm first impression. Find the full tutorial here. […]

  30. Going to try this for sure! I’ve been looking at various tutorials on-line, and this one seems like the best! yippee!

  31. “TWO” ….. not “WEO”….whatever the hell that means??? Sorry.

  32. Eeee Gads! I searched for the better part of a day ( yesterday to be exact ) for a tutorial on this particular wreath frame and NEVER saw this one come up…not even once! I watched two british ladies drink champagne, smile and act cloyingly as weo teenage girls all the while assembling a masterpiece of a wreath…but not with this particular frame! I watched Jane Cumberbatch(?) make a Rosemary wreath, a lady named Susan decorate a silk wreath and a plethora of other talented ladies decorate, create and embellish varying forms of greenery….but NONE had the tut on this particular frame!

    Ack! I wasted a whole day looking for this tut and here it was….right here….at RMV. I feel like going to the wreath that I finally did fashion and dismantling it and starting over…but I won’t. It was too danged difficult to do from start to finish. Oh, and did I mention that I could have used that all important admonition on using the smallest size frame available BEFORE I purchased the 2 foot by 2 foot frame?????!!!
    All in all it DID turn out but would have helped to have used this tutorial. It is the BEST!

    Would send pics but do not not know how to post to your site. At least you could see how it turned out using the same type of frame.
    Keep up the great work here at RMV. It is invaluable info!

  33. […] IS NOT LOST, since it’s easy to find helpful tutorials like this one. Follow along her super photo instructions, and find yourself with an awesome evergreen […]

  34. […] from his trees!  So I was on the lookout for some help in making my pine wreaths…and Real Mountain Values had a really nice tutorial I thought I would […]

  35. This is a project I have always wanted to try. I love boxwood wreaths. Maybe I will try that…Hey your neighbor has some HUGE boxwoods…

    1. You could make a night run for those boxwoods…

      1. LOL….. That’s the way.

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