Make a Sophisticated Natural Wreath for Christmas
Rosemary, olive leaves and red berries combine in an inviting decoration that will last through the holiday season
Each of us decorates differently around the holidays, but a homemade wreath hung on the front door is a welcoming sight to everyone at Christmas. Rhiannon Smith from San Francisco’s Farmgirl Flowers in the US shows us how to make a holiday wreath using year-round favourites such as rosemary and olive foliage, along with the seasonal flourish of bright red berries.
Follow her instructions to create the wreath pictured here, or choose foliage cuttings from a local florist or your own backyard for a completely custom look.
Plant materials
Foliage sprigs cut 10 to 12 centimetres long, such as (from left):
Foliage sprigs cut 10 to 12 centimetres long, such as (from left):
- Seeded eucalyptus
- Olive
- Rosemary
- Silver eucalyptus buds
- Bittersweet, or other red spherical berries
Other materials and tools
- Pruning shears
- Floral stem wire cut 10 to 12 centimetres long
- Wire cutters
- Wire wreath frame (20-centimetre frame shown here)
- 22-gauge paddle wire (or a heavier gauge of wire than that listed earlier, preferably flat rather than round).
1. Cluster together five or six sprigs. Try to keep them somewhat uniform and their cut edges aligned.
Smith puts olive and rosemary at the back, and a couple of berry sprigs toward the front for visibility in the wreath.
2. Wrap a piece of floral stem wire a little more than halfway down the sprigs to form a bundle. Wrap as tightly as possible and secure the wire end.
3. Make 10 to 20 bundles, depending on the wreath’s size. Use the same foliage combination for each, or vary the materials. Here, the berries are in only half the bundles.
Smith suggests assembling all the bundles before you start wiring them to the frame. This will help you achieve a more uniform look.
Smith suggests assembling all the bundles before you start wiring them to the frame. This will help you achieve a more uniform look.
4. Place the first bundle on the frame and wrap the flat wire three times around the bottom of the bundle and the wreath frame as tightly as you can to keep it in place. Do not cut the wire.
5. Put the second bundle on top of the first so that its loose leaves conceal the wire and wreath frame beneath. Wrap the flat wire around the bundle and frame three times. Continue adding bundles (and leaving the wire uncut), varying them if you made different kinds.
As you work your way around the circle, make sure none of the wires or the frame are visible.
6. Tuck the ends of the last bundle under the loose leaves of the first.
7. Wrap the flat wire around the foliage and frame a few extra times, then cut it with a wire cutter. Tuck the loose end into the greens to hide it. Add a bow or ribbon, or just hang the wreath from the wire frame.
Your wreath will stay fresh for about a week, but it will slowly dry and last one to two months or more as a dried decoration.
Your wreath will stay fresh for about a week, but it will slowly dry and last one to two months or more as a dried decoration.
Experiment with different foliage combinations. Here, Smith used olive leaves and silver eucalyptus buds, such as those from the Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus). Try other foliage types that may be more available where you live, including golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha), NSW Christmas bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) or silver banksia (Banksia marginata) leaves.
TELL US
Have you made your own wreath or other Christmas decorations before? Post a picture in the Comments section to show of your handiwork.
MORE
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TELL US
Have you made your own wreath or other Christmas decorations before? Post a picture in the Comments section to show of your handiwork.
MORE
Fake or Fir: The Great Christmas Tree Debate
Houzz Call: Show Us Your Christmas House
10 Reasons Not to Throw Old Christmas Decorations Away