A homemade Christmas wreath is a traditional way to provide the Xmas holiday cheer to brighten your home during the festive season and get into the holiday spirit. How to make a Christmas Wreath? Several DIY handmade Christmas wreath ideas are listed below that you can hang on your front door with floral wire. The first is to use some water-holding block called Oasis as your base for your DIY project, and the second is to use willow withies for the base. Knowing how to construct a beautiful wreath using either of these methods gives you a greater range of effects to employ in your DIY Christmas decorations.
Oasis based Wreath
Oasis is the name for the dark green sponge-like blocks of material used by a local florist. It is crumbly little guy when dry but very porous, and when soaked in water, it can retain moisture for a much more extended period for the whole wreath because evaporation is reduced. Using Oasis means you can include fresh-cut flowers, seed heads and fresh greenery in your traditional Christmas wreath design, and it is a great way to prevent them from wilting after a few hours and spoiling your display.
Embroidery Hoop or Metal Frame base
To make an Oasis block wreath ring, you will need to cut a section of the oasis into a hoop or cut two semi-circle pieces alternatively embroidery hoops or metal frame and attach them with florist wire to the fresh wreath. Alternatively, you can use either a foam wreath form or a plastic holder for the oasis shaped like a circle in different sizes; these have small spikes or nodules to push the oasis blocks onto and are used primarily for table-top arrangements. Once your oasis is in place, you must select your plants, candy canes and decorative materials to create the front of the wreath for a door hanger or to display in the dining room.
Alternative Wreath Base of Moss or Withies
Using a moss base or willow withies is an easy way to make a great alternative for more rustic and natural elements—handmade Christmas quick wreath ideas. Willow produces many long thin shoots from the ground, which can be manipulated easily without breaking. These withies, sometimes called whips, are best harvested earlier in the year and seasoned before use. Soaking the whips overnight will make them pliable.
A basic willow wreath base is more hard-wearing for festive decorations and able to withstand the elements more than an Oasis block wreath. Unfortunately, as there is no reservoir of water for the greenery for much time, the attachments of live greens will not survive the best parts of the holiday season but will look lovely for a good part of Christmas.
Traditional Rustic Christmas Wreath
For a traditional Christmas rustic wreath, holly, red berries, fir cones and ivy are always popular for all gorgeous Christmas wreaths. Even white pine would be an alternative choice. You should take care when cutting or touching ivy, as many people can have a skin reaction to the sap. Wearing gloves is an easy step and can prevent this reaction. Other DIY Christmas wreath ideas add extra Christmas ornaments such as plants that create Christmas cheer, like Poinsettia with their striking red blooms, mistletoe (poisonous if ingested) and any evergreen leaves with small branches. As a finishing touch, you can use laurel leaves for your festive wreath or greenery from fir or spruce trees with pine needles attached with zip ties where necessary, as orange slices and cinnamon sticks, depending on your taste.
To include pine cones on your DIY wreath, use florist wire available from the craft store to make a small “stem” for each cone and push the other end of the wire into the Oasis block, creating your natural wreath. You can do the same with small parcels tied up with coloured string or make bows or red ribbons and attach them similarly to the top of the wreath in a small bunch. Keep adding items, even Christmas tree decorations, the perfect way to create that personal touch until the entire Oasis block is hidden from view. Then, attach some more florist wire to the Oasis or the plastic holder and hang it on your door at the start of your favourite Christmas season.
Helpful Tips on making a Wreath
Take 2 or 3 long whips and bend to form a circle roughly the size you want your finished wreath to be. Secure the whips at the top of your wreath by twisting the ends around each other. You may find simple materials such as a clothes peg helpful to keep the circle of the homemade wreath from springing apart again at the beginning. Gradually add more whips in the same way by winding them around the existing circle of willow, starting and ending in a different place each time to keep the wreath evenly proportioned. The colour of the withies adds to the overall design of the wreath. Once you have enough substance to your willow wreath, you can start to attach other Christmas greens and flowers in your personal colour scheme either by simply weaving the stalks through the gaps naturally created by the willow, hot glue or by using florist wire to the back of the Xmas bow fix and make sure the extras are firmly in place on the natural winter wreath to display in your Christmas porch.
Conclusion
Whichever method you choose for your handmade adorable wreath ideas and holiday decor, you will continue a tradition of encouraging spring to return that has existed since pre-Christian times. Merry Christmas to all – stand back and admire your own Christmas wreath.