How to Make a Wreath Out of Branches

One of the things I love about being a full time homemaker is that I have time to be creative with my hands. Instead of grabbing what I need on my way home from work, I get to savor the process of making the desired items for my home.

There’s something so unique and beautiful about handcrafted homes, furniture and décor. And right now, I want to walk you through an easy, DIY project that anyone can do! I’m going to show you how to make a wreath out of branches!

 

5 Steps for Making Your Own Wreath Frame

Making your own wreath frame is simple. All you need is a number of tree boughs, floral wire and a pair of pruning shears. And this tutorial, of course! Let me walk you through the process!

 

Step 1: Choose Wood Types Suitable for Wreath Frames

If you have trees growing on your land, you can go out and collect your boughs (or saplings) for wreath making, so long as they’re the right type!

Cedar, willow, dogwood, poplar and birch are all excellent options. But stay away from tree types that release resin (pine, spruce, fir) or have sticky buds (like cottonwood). Why? Because if your wreath is hanging against a wall, window or door, these boughs will likely leave resin or sap behind. And it’s very difficult to get off!

 

Step 2: How to Harvest Your Material

Grab a pair of pruning shears (you can get some here), your winter coat and head outdoors. Using your shears, begin cutting and collecting limbs (or saplings). Try to take as much as you can from each bough! Longer branches are easier to work with and you’ll need less of them to complete a wreath.

That being said, you don’t want the base of your bough to be more than ½ inch (1.5 cm) in diameter. Go bigger than this and you won’t be able to shape or bend the wood fibers without breaking the branch.

Once you’ve collected enough boughs to fill both hands, trim off all greenery and branches, so you’re left with a smooth, bare “stem.”

And then, it’s time to head indoors!

 

Step 3: Create the Size and Shape You Want

If you live in a very cold climate, give your branches time to warm up before attempting to work with them. They’ll be more pliable! But once you’re ready, it’s time to begin creating your frame!

This is where you’ll want floral wire (grab some here). Take two branches and overlap them by about 1/3 of their length. Twist the ends around one another, then wire each end into place.

Do the same with the other ends, adjusting them to create the circle size you desire for your wreath.

Congratulations! You just made the base of your wreath frame! And from here on, it’s easy.

 

Step 4: Add to Your Wreath

Continue weaving wood boughs around your frame, as best you can. Stagger the placement of the branches large ends, so you don’t have extra outward force in one area.

If you do it right, you shouldn’t need to use very much floral wire in the process. Play with your frame and use the natural force of the bent boughs to hold things in place. Small twiggy ends can sometimes be pushed into the wreath’s frame.

Don’t worry if branch ends are sticking out all over, making your wreath frame unsightly. You’ll trim them up later! In this stage, you just want to keep adding boughs, until you’re happy with the thickness of your wreath.

 

Step 5: Trim Ends and Tidy Up

Once you’re happy with how your wreath looks, go ahead and use your pruning shears one last time. Trim off all the ends that are poking out from the frame.

Once your wreath is trimmed up, all you have to do is add a bit of ribbon or jute twine to the top for a hanger. And just like that, you’ve made your own wreath frame!

 

Wrapping Up…

Because these wreath frames have a vintage, classic feel, they can be used year-round in your home décor! They aren’t just for Christmas. You can redress your beautiful frame with each season’s change, use it as a centerpiece or even display it bare (I think they’re beautiful enough for that!).

What do you think? Where would a wreath fit in your home?