While we didn't get a chance to make wreaths at our annual Tree Hunt, you can still bring a bit of nature to your front door by making your own at home! Gather your greenery and crafting supplies, then follow along as our resident wreath expert Ginny Elliott and Land Trust volunteer Toni Morozumi guide you through a bit of wreath making magic.

Watch the video above and follow the steps below to make your own wreath!

What you'll need:

1. Hoop: It can be made of wire, willow, or vine. You can buy these at craft stores, or find old ones to recycle from resale stores.
2. Wire: You will need flexible wire to wrap your branches onto your wreath hoop. Lots of options can be found at local hardware stores. We prefer green colored wire so it blends it better.
3. Clippers: You will need some clippers to cut your greenery. Invest in some if you don’t have them, because your kitchen scissors just won’t cut it!
4. Greenery: Branches from your Christmas tree, yard trees, herbs, sticks…the wreathing options are endless! Feel free to do a blend of different types of trees for some variety in your wreath.

Extra credit supplies:

1. Gloves: Save your hands from pokes and pitch.
2. Embellishments: Festive ribbon, berries, pine cones, wolf lichen…make it yours!
   
   

Wreath making, step-by-step:

1. First, wrap your wire around the hoop a couple of times to secure it to the hoop. Note: it helps to cut a couple of feet of wire from your spool and wrap it around an old pencil or stick. This will help you pull the wire tight as you make the wreath.
   
   
2. Cut greenery and make a small bundle. There is no rule on how big or small the bundle needs to be. Just try to be consistent with your bundles sizes as you work around the wreath.
   
   
3. Lay your bundle on the hoop and secure it with two or three wraps of the wire. Wrap the wire tight enough to hold it, but not so tight that you cut the greenery.
   
   
4. Make another bundle and lay it on the hoop so it covers the wrapping on the first bundle. Wrap the wire to secure this new bundle.
   
   
5. Continue adding bundles until you make it around the entire hoop.
   
   
6. Add ribbon or embellishments as you wish. Secure with your wire, if needed. Hang or display with pride!
   
   

Last, but not least:
After the holidays, don’t trash that hoop and wreath! Clip off the branches to compost, wrap up the wire, and save your wire and hoop for next year.

Special thanks to Ginny, Toni, and Garrett for their expert wreath making skills, help, and video editing skills!



Learn more:

• Winter Crafts for Kids
• A Winter Scavenger Hunt