BACK TO BLOG

Decorating Your Christmas Wreath: A Quick Tutorial

Nov 15th 2024

A Christmas wreath is a marvelously versatile piece of Christmas greenery, like a garland, that can be used in so many different areas of your home - make a centerpiece, hang one on a window or wall, or get a Christmas wreath for your front door.

Whether pre-lit or unlit, both large and mini Christmas wreaths can offer you a blank canvas for expression and creativity. And there are so many ways to decorate! Here’s just one - take this idea and run with it!

A DIY-Christmas Wreath, Made Simple

For this, we’ll be decorating a 30” wreath. We’ll break down the steps and tell you exactly what you need (including quantity) so you can adapt it to your style.

The 30” wreath is a great size, particularly as a Christmas wreath for your front door since most doors are 36”, so this is a great place to start.

Start by fluffing the wreath out, pulling the tips open and out until the wreath looks lovely and full.

The second step is decorating with Christmas ribbon. You’ll need 10 yards for a 30” wreath following this tutorial so if you’ve gotten some of our 5 yard spools you’ll need to double that.

Christmas ribbon

Christmas ribbon

Christmas ribbon

We’ll be starting with a bow; start with one fish-tailed end, pinch the ribbon, then double it back on itself and twist it to secure the loop of the bow and bring it back to the front.

Repeat this process until you have 7 loops on the bow, with 3 on one side and 4 on the other.

Once you’ve finished your loops, take some floral wire and wrap it around the middle, then pull it tight and twist, this helps to secure the bow. Cut off the wire so that you have a little at the end, which you will need in a minute. Cut the second tail so that it matches the length of the first tail, then

Place your bow in the 11 o’clock position on the wreath, and secure it to the wire frame at the back of the wreath using the floral wire you used to secure the bow.

After the bow is placed, we’ll want to weave some Christmas ribbon throughout the rest of the wreath.

You’ll want to create a tail that extends out of the top of the wreath, then use the greenery to hold the tail in place as you billow the ribbon across the wreath. Create billows that pop off the wreath, and tuck the back ends in, using the branches to secure them. Wired Christmas ribbon is great for this as it holds its shape very well.

One tip we have for you is to stagger your billows a bit, so that they don’t look too symmetrical. While you’re making your billows, you can take a step back, too, and see how it looks.

Cut after every two loops, leaving a tail of ribbon sticking out of the wreath, to add movement and color.

Go over to the other side of your wreath and create a tail coming out that side, before repeating the process of billowing on that side of the Christmas wreath.

If you have any space left over on the wreath that looks like it’s not filled in, you can make a one-loop bow to add a touch of accent and fill in the space. Tuck it in, take a step back and see how it looks.

For the next step, you’ll need three Christmas florals. The stems of the Christmas flowers are longer than you need for this; cut them down a bit to approximately 10”, bend the stem, insert it into the wreath, hook it around the frame, and secure with a bit of hot glue; repeat with your other two florals.

The next layer consists of Christmas ornaments. For a 30” wreath, we’ll be using shatterproof ornaments. You can place 3 ornaments to add symmetrical items.

Place the ornaments wherever you see an open spot on the wreath, using a little glue if needed for a bit of extra security. You can use floral wire if you don’t want to use glue.

The final layer is Christmas sprays, and for this tutorial we’ll be using three styles of sprays, two of each for a total of six.

Look for any spots that need a little extra “oomph” and insert the sprays there. Wrap a branch around the spray to support it, using a little hot glue if needed.

Take a step back and admire your creation - that’s all there is to it, and you can replicate this recipe with larger or smaller Christmas wreaths, adjusting the amount of ribbon, ornaments and sprays needed to personalize the project!

Also, for more detailed information on how to make your own DIY Christmas wreath, check out that video on our YouTube channel - and then be sure to like and subscribe.

Shop a Wide Selection of Large and Small Christmas Wreaths

Whether you’re here for a large Christmas wreath for a picture window, or need a mini Christmas wreath as an accent, we’re here to help. Make sure to check out our collection and then shop our website for Christmas ornaments, ribbon, sprays and other accents so you can completely customize your own wreath according to our easy-to-follow wreath recipe!