https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/make-a-natural-christmas-wreath-for-less-than-5-dollars • Posted by Buy This Cook That
Created with a few items, once you learn this quick Christmas Wreath tutortial, you will be limited only be your imagination. Learn how to quickly make this natural Christmas wreath for less than $5. Save those Christmas tree trimmings! Just like in our Rustic Christmas Decor post, we are upcycling the scraps from our real Fraser Fir tree. Why not? (One trip to the wreath section to see the price tag might change your mind.) Of course there is nothing wrong with a purchased wreath. They are certainly more put-together and gorgeous than ours. It totally depends on what you like and how much money you have to spend. Me? I like my Christmas decorations …perfectly imperfect.
Created with a few items, once you learn this quick Christmas Wreath tutortial, you will be limited only be your imagination. Learn how to quickly make this natural Christmas wreath for less than $5. Save those Christmas tree trimmings! Just like in our Rustic Christmas Decor post, we are upcycling the scraps from our real Fraser Fir tree. Why not? (One trip to the wreath section to see the price tag might change your mind.) Of course there is nothing wrong with a purchased wreath. They are certainly more put-together and gorgeous than ours. It totally depends on what you like and how much money you have to spend. Me? I like my Christmas decorations …perfectly imperfect.
Gather your supplies and evergreen natural material. Time to take a trip around your yard. To make this natural Christmas wreath, our first step was scavenging from our property. Cypress trees, boxwood trimmings, cedar branches, and pine cones are the perfect materials for our wreath. If you don’t have these items on your property, here are my suggestions: Ask your neighbors, friends and relatives if you can discreetly take some cuttings Visit your local park (do not be destructive, and follow park rules) Check out your local tree lot or stores where live trees are sold. They will usually give you the trimmings. See what’s going on at your local garden center or nursery.
Cut the larger pieces into smaller, workable sizes.
Once you have the sections of evergreen cut into smaller pieces, turn them all so they are “pretty side” up. Aren’t sure what I’m talking about? See the picture for an example. The underside of some evergreen trees is lighter and dull, while the top side is full color and has a shine to it. In my opinion, both sides are still naturally pretty, but for our Christmas wreath I really wanted the full evergreen color to pop. So turn all of your pieces pretty side up.
Gather three or four pieces of fir cuttings in your hand, grasping the stem end. Using a continous piece of floral wire (don’t cut it), wrap the stem ends tightly about three times.
Position the wrapped evergreen bundle onto the wire frame. Using the same un-cut piece of wire, wrap the bundle about three times to the frame.
Repeat with another bundle. Overlap the full end of the next bundle to cover the stem end of the first bundle. Repeat the process until your wreath is full.
See? Too easy, right? The next step is filling in any spaces or gaps with the other clippings you have found. I am fortunate that I have several types of evergreen items around our property. Simply clip and tuck them into the empty spots. To secure them, I pull them through the back of the wire frame, and tuck the stem ends under a piece of existing floral wire. Guys, I’m not sure if my method is professional and a real florist would probably kill me for the way I do it, but it works for me.
If you like your wreath with more sparkle and shine, feel free to add a gorgeous bow, ornaments, or anything you’d like. We found an antique rusted key and hung it on a simple ribbon for the center of ours.
Here are more tips on making a Natural Christmas Wreath: Use items you already own for embellishment (burlap scraps, kitchen twine, old Christmas tree decorations). Bare twigs make amazing filler and give the wreath visual interest. Paint natural elements with metallic spray paint for more wow-factor. Re-use your wire wreath form and floral wire year after year, and this wreath becomes FREE. Don’t cut the floral wire (unless you need to secure a filler piece). This makes taking it apart easy, plus you can wrap the wire around a stick and use it again. Keep your eyes open at yard sales and flea markets for ugly wreaths that you can buy for pennies just to have the wreath form. For the wreath to last as long as possible, soak the materials in water overnight before assembling. (Or, if you are like me, soak them overnight after it is put together. As long as everything is natural, it won’t hurt a thing.) Before hanging the Christmas wreath or bringing it indoors, give it the shake test. Just hold it in front of you and give it a gentle shake. If anything falls off, just resecure it.