The final step of making your own wreath is adding any decorations you want. whether it's whole dried limes, ribbon, or pinecones.
Getting the spacing and placement of your extras is probably the hardest part of making a wreath. So if you aren't feeling creative and don't want to end your wreath making experience by frisbeeing it down the street, skip the embellishments, other than a bow.
Table of Contents
Making a Wreath - Final Tips
A bow is hard to get wrong. The easiest place to put it is at the bottom of the wreath. But you do need to know how to make a bow.
Making a bow
You can either buy a pre-made bow or if you have some satiny or velvet ribbon you can form you own by following the steps laid out in this bow making tutorial of mine.
The Limes
The dried limes just need to have wire attached to them so you can put them wherever you want.
By now your limes are probably hard as a rock (and will last a lifetime) and ready to be wired. You'll need a wood skewer or a thin screwdriver to create a hole for the wire to go through. Like this:
Cranberries
Stringing Cranberries
Instead of stringing cranberries on a thread, use floral wire.
Any thin wire will work. Just poke through each berry until you have the length you want.
THEN, because they're on a wire you can form them into whatever shape on the wreath you want.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
TIPS
- Leave enough end wire on your cranberries that you can tie them to the wreath where you want them.
- If you're having trouble deciding if your wreath looks good and the elements are properly balanced look at it through your phone camera. Framing it that way will make mistakes much easier to see.
- If you're afraid someone is going to steal your wreath wire it to your door/gate/whatever. And then add some bells to it. ;)
Reader Wreaths
A few of you are already done and I'm genuinely impressed!
If you made a wreath and want to show it off there's still time, just send me a photo and I'll get it up on the site before the holidays are over. :)
Hope you had fun. Life in general is easier if instead of tackling it all at once you just relax and get through it step-by-step.
Kristin S.
Better still fresh and green for Christmas, so a bit late. I made dried mandarin oranges and slices. Other foliage is all from my yard.
Karen
Holy crow, it's perfect! I have to get everyone's photos organized and put into a post. They all turned out so well. ~ karen!
Kristin S.
I may have squealed with glee when I read that you said my wreath was perfect. Thank you!
To be fair, this is not my first time making a wreath. I usually make ones for the front door, side door, and the mirror over the fireplace.
On that note, if you do a wreath post, please remind everyone to save the wreath! Once it's spring and the greenery has dried out, instead of throwing it away or in a compost bin, I just use my hands to remove all the leaves or needles. They fall right off with some gentle brushing or shaking. Then you have a perfectly good twig/vine form to use for the next year. This does mean the wreath gets gradually larger year after year, but I'm okay with that.
Marci
My rendition of the wreath. Made one for my friend too but didn’t take a pic.
Karen
That is amazing! I can't believe how well everyone's wreaths turned out. I don't know if you're all exceptionally talented with wreaths or if they're just something that always turns out well. Either way every single wreath photo I've received has been really really impressive! ~ karen
Meredith
Hi Karen,
I've taken the Christmas Pledge again this year and am miles ahead of where I'd normally be thanks to it! Just wondering, last year you had an advent type subscription calendar where every morning I'd run to my computer and click to see what I could open for that day - think it was for 12 days or so. I LOVED it! It was a gift I gave myself and it was so much fun looking forward to what I'd find the next day. Are you thinking of doing that again? I ask because, if you do, I'm In! Thanks!
Karen
Hi Meredith! I'm so glad the pledge helped. Even if you only do HALF of it you're further ahead. I am not doing the Advent Calendar this year (it was an unbelievable amount of work) but you've given me an idea. It was for 25 days but maybe shortening it to 12 would be more manageable for me for next year. :) ~ karen!
Marilyn W Majalca
Your wreath is so beautiful!
Karen
Thanks Marilyn! I like it too. ~ karen!
Randy P
All the wreaths look quite splendid and yuletide festive, and yours if left there on your yard gate can serve a secondary important role. You can tell the burger delivery guy NOT to leave your order by the big wreath.
Kay
Ha! 😆
Karen
GOOD eye. That's the very burger snow bank gate. ~ karen!
Randy P
The gate has been 'featured' on several of your great videos, and I have watched them all often. lol