‘Hang a wreath at your threshold on Christmas
In token of Love, Life and Beauty,
For like the bound circle of evergreen foliage,
They have neither end nor beginning.
And weave in bright berries and fruits, or a riband,
For Joy, Mirth, Bounty, and friendly Good Cheer.’
Make an all-natural, old-fashioned Christmas wreath this Christmas! This Christmas wreath is made from scratch without a straw or foam base: All you need is greenery, water shoots, red berries and cotton twine. The Christmas wreath is all-natural, made without wire and glue, so you can compost the wreath after the holiday season! The Christmas wreath from scratch is so quick to make – it takes less than half an hour!
You’ll need:
- water shoots – I used mirabelle plum and apple tree water shoots
- cotton twine or cotton yarn
- greenery – such as fir, pine, spruce, boxwood, thuja, ivy, blueberry, broom
- twigs with red berries – rose hips or hawthorn berries
- optional: pine cones, teasels, ribbon
- scissors & pruning shears
DIY Twig Wreath
Fresh cut water shoots bend easily. If you want to use old, brittle twigs, soak them in warm water for some hours to make them pliable. Bend on of the water shoots into a circle. Tie the ends together with the yarn. Take another twig and wrap it around the first twig. Then wrap yarn around the twigs to keep them in place. Continue to wrap twigs and yarn around the twig wreath.
DIY Christmas Wreath
Cut a length of yarn (about two or three arm’s length) – you can join the yarn with an overhand knot later if it’s too short. Tie an overhand knot around the DIY twig wreath. Lay a bundle of greenery (and berries) on the twig wreath. Wrap the yarn around the stems of the greenery. Add another greenery bundle so that it overlaps the first bundle by half, and wrap the yarn around the stems again. Continue till the twig wreath is covered with greenery and berries. Secure the yarn with some knots on the back side of the wreath and cut off the yarn.
Christmas Wreaths In The 1920s
On ‘the door hangs a jolly Christmas wreath — made of evergreen, and red and silver gray berries. […] The house next door […] displays another beautiful wreath — made of evergreens and bittersweet. Across the street, there is a house with a blue-painted door, and on it hangs a wreath made of orange-colored kumquats, against thick, glossy green
foliage. […]
Any rich green foliage that will keep fresh throughout the holiday week is satisfactory for wreaths. Of course, holly is the most prized of all Christmas greens, but it has been cut so ruthlessly, and is so slow growing, that it is becoming scarce even in the places where
it is native.
But there are lots of other greens which can be used for wreaths — hemlock, cedar, pine, spruce, balsam, and fir. Effective wreaths can also be made with laurel, ground hemlock, boxwood, smilax, the glossy foliage of citrus fruits, and dozens of other kinds of trees, shrubs, and vines.
Against the green of these wreaths can be used berries, fruits, cones, and seed pods. Some of the most effective combinations are bittersweet and pine cones; red alder and silver-gray bayberries, feathery marsh rosemary, or pine cones. The little red-orange Chinese lanterns are jolly, arranged in sprays around a green wreath. The burry heads of teasels, which grow in New York State, are very decorative against a green background.
All these wreaths, made of materials not affected by wind and weather, are much better hung on the outside of doors and windows. They keep fresher, show off to better advantage, and the house is not littered. […] pliable wire is needed […] for binding the evergreen twigs to the wooden hoop, in making the wreath, and for fastening the berries, cones, or other decorations in place. […]
A wreath is a charming table decoration. The circle of candles for the center of the table can be fastened into place on heavy cardboard. Any rich green foliage that will keep fresh
throughout the holiday week will be satisfactory for wreaths. I saw a picture the other day of an oblong table, with a pretty runner on it. In the center of the table was an oblong wreath of evergreen, holly, and cones. In the center of the wreath were three tall red candles.’ (Trimming The Christmas Table, 1928)
This is lovely! And you make it look so easy as well.
Thanks Angela! 😀
Thank you so much for the precise instructions on how to make this beautiful wreath! I also enjoyed reading your quote from “Trimming the Christmas Table, 1928 at the beginning of your blog!
Merry Christmas to you! ?
Thanks Trenda! Merry Christmas to you too! 😀
So beautiful and loved the history too!!
Thanks Kristin!
Looks great! I wish we could use fresh greens here in the south. Maybe I’ll try it anyway one day.
🙂 gwingal
Thanks for stopping by, Nikki! 🙂
Love how you made this completely from scratch. It’s very pretty and perfect for Christmas! Visiting from Whims Wednesday party.
Thanks Victoria! 😀 Merry Christmas!
I really didn’t know all this about wreaths!! Such great information and helpful instructions for a lovely homemade wreath. Thanks for sharing with us at #bloggerspitstop Debbie from Debs-World.com
Thank you Debbie!
This is gorgeous! I have saved this for next year, although i am quite tempted to use the christmas tree branches to make a winter one to cheer the door up in January!
Thanks Midge! 😀 I’d love to see your wreath when you make it. Merry Christmas!
Beautiful! Those are can be very expensive in stores and some aren’t even as pretty as this one!
Thanks Leanne! 😀 Merry Christmas!
This is GORGEOUS! Thanks for joining the To Grandma’s House We Go link party!
Thanks Sheri!
What a lovely wreath and I bet is smells gorgeous too
Thank you Amber!
Such s pretty wreath. Thanks for sharing this DIY at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Sharing
Thanks for sharing, Theresa!
Lovely post, lovely Wreath. #dreamteam
Thank you!
This looks beautiful and we always thought they were far harder to make. You make it looks easy x Popping over from #DreamTeam x
Thank you! A wreath from scratch is really easy and quick to make. 🙂 Merry Christmas!
I can smell your fresh greenery through my computer screen. Thanks for sharing this tutorial. I must check my rose bushes for Rose Hips, I had no idea. Thanks for sharing on Sunday’s Best.
Thanks Rhonda! Merry Christmas!
This is obviously so traditional and gorgeous. Its pretty but I bet it smells amazing. Beautiful done wreath.
Thanks Leanna! Merry Christmas!
I’ve never made a wreath from fresh materials like this. Neat to learn how to do it. Thanks for sharing it on MM.
Thanks Erlene!
I am a real fan of natural wreaths so this is right up my alley. And I also believe if you remove some of the red you can use it all winter long.
Thanks for stopping by, Mary! 🙂
All these natural beauties in one wreath! Perfection!!! Thank you so much for sharing at Sweet Inspiration Link Party. Happy New Year 🙂
Thanks Christina! 🙂
I’ve often thought of making a real wreath over the years! Thank you for the inspiration and direction, Happy Holidays to All!
Thanks so much, Tru! 😀 Happy Holidays to you!
The wreath is beautiful, and the excerpts from 1928 are charming!
Thank you so much, Katrina! 😀
Love the natural look of this wreath!
Thanks, Ivy!
Such a pretty wreath and the steps are nicely photographed! Visiting from Friday at the Fire Station.
Thanks for stopping by, Christina!
This wreath is so pretty, and tasteful. Fresh wreaths are so nice at the holidays because they make everything smell like pine.
Thanks, Julie!
Your wreath is gorgeous! I love that it’s fresh and looks so easy to make!
Jill
Thanks so much, Jill! 🙂
This was always a favorite activity that my mom and I did – made wreaths for the door and blankets for the cemetery.
Thanks for stopping by, Kristen!
That’s beautiful. I love the idea of gathering some stuff and making the wreath entirely with what you’ve collected.
Thanks, Julie!
Just lovely – very clever!
Thank you, Lydia!
You make this look so easy! I wish I was a bit more crafty hahaha.
Thanks, Felicity! 😀
The wreath is beautiful and the saying you shared at the beginning touched my heart. Hanging wreaths on the doors is something I love to do! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Thanks so much, Jenny! 😀
I adore natural greens and the like for holiday decorating. Your wreath is lovely. Happy Thanksgiving, Kippi
Thank so much, Kippi! 🙂
I love that this beautiful fresh wreath is made completely from scratch Lina. Thank you for sharing it at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring it at tomorrow night’s party and pinning too.
Hugs,
Kerryanne
Thanks so much for featuring me, Kerryanne! 😀
Hi Lina,
So pretty – I love that the wreath is handmade, it is so much more charming than the mass produced store bought versions. And the look back into history is so interesting.
Stopping by from the Best of the Weekend Link Up. Nice to meet you!
Thanks for stopping by, Neena! 🙂
This is so simple and gorgeous! I am happy to be featuring you this week at TFT. Thanks for sharing with us!
https://followtheyellowbrickhome.com/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like-christmas-at-thursday-favorite_things/
Thanks so much for featuring me, Amber! 🙂
This is such a lovely post and you make it look so easy….I have a twig base already so might actually give it a go this year! I’ve shared your post on my regular feature on PainPalsBlog “Monday Magic – Inspiring Blogs for You!”
Thanks for featuring me, Claire!