​by Barbara Zander

One of the most important parts of the Holidays is passing down traditions and crafting secrets. This method of wreath making is a tried and true holiday success.   I hope you enjoy…

Supplies:
Two metal wreath frames, 1 spool of thin floral wire on the roll, Christmas ribbon for a large Christmas bow.  All of these can be obtained at your local craft store.

Then you will need to have plenty of live pine or Frasier fir boughs. These can be obtained from any Christmas tree lot usually free of charge.  You will be cutting them to size to fit your wreath- usually 10 inch, 12 inch, or 18 inch lengths.  Make sure you get enough to make two.  This is your choice, but while you have the supplies out you may as well go for it and make one for each side of your front door. Finally you will want some pine cones and holly berries to put the final touches on your homemade Christmas wreath.

Step by step:
To start this project, make sure you have all your materials. Cut approximately 20-25 tree boughs to the same size- usually 10 inch, 12 inch, or 18 inch lengths.   The larger the bough, the larger the wreath. 

​Wrap and twist the end of the wire to one section of the frame. Keep the roll of wire (do not cut) ready and pick up your first bundle of greens, as wide or narrow as you desire and place against the middle section of the metal wreath. Wrap the wire around to secure the bough against the frame. This may take a couple of wrappings to cinch it tight enough. You will then repeat this process working your way around the metal wreath. Do not worry about the wire as it will get hidden with the remaining greenery. Sometimes you may have to work the inside of the frame and then move to the outside depending on how thick your bundles are. It may seem like a big job, so start with a smaller wreath until you get the hang of it. Keep a set of clippers handy to even things up. As you proceed along, you will be so happy. It looks great.  Add enough fresh green boughs to fill in and cover the frame. As you finish, cut your wire and secure it to the frame as you did in the beginning of the project.  At this point, you can make sure all the wires are secure and finish fanning your greenery to your preference.

Now comes the fun part of adding in the decoration.  Start with some fresh pine cones.  Wrap the wire around the base of the cones and add into the body of the wreath by securing to the metal frame.  Also add in some holly berries or dig into the Christmas ornaments and find a few special Christmas decorations.  Disguise these into the greens. Top this all off with a nice Christmas bow placed on the top of your wreath.  Use enough ribbon to have it drape through the middle. Your wreath can be sprayed with fresh water to preserve it and make it last through the holidays. This along with the cool weather should allow your wreath to last for 3-4 weeks.

Now sit back and enjoy.
Merry Christmas!

Excellence in Arboriculture
IntegrityWorks, LLC
HomeScape Carolina

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