Creating your own Christmas decorations is the perfect way to get exactly what you want. I have been on the hunt for a rustic, slim line Christmas wreath to greet guests when they arrive at the farmhouse, but couldn’t find something that I loved. It’s pretty standard in the country for your home’s back door to be your main door, and on our farm it’s no different. The back door for us is a glass sliding door which made it a bit trickier to find a wreath that fit the bill. I needed a wreath that:
- could be hung on the inside of the door due to our summer fire season (keeping any flammables outside to a minimum),
- was decorated on both sides as it will be seen from both inside and outside the house; and
- was thin enough to allow the curtain on the sliding door to open and close freely.
As my needs were very specific, I wasn’t able to find anything in the shops that fit our criteria. So, I decided to make one. This way I could tailor it to our particular needs, and style it to fit in with our rustic, more natural theme.
To make the wreath, you can use any material that is flexible and can be bent into a circular shape. I used the cuttings I pruned off my grapevine back in May. I only needed 3 vines weaved together to make it the size I needed, so was able to make a couple wreaths. You can certainly use more if you want it to look fuller.
As soon as I had pruned the vines, I used some flower wire to secure the wreath into shape. Whatever material you choose, make sure to bend them into shape as soon as you can while it’s still pliable. If you leave the material too long, they won’t be flexible enough to twist into the shape you want.
I left the wreaths outside, under shelter on my outdoor table to dry for a few months. Once they were dry, I used a garland of berries and leaves and wove it around my wreath to decorate.
This design is so simple that you can decorate it however you like, as many times as you like, year after year. A few ideas you might like to try are:
- baubles
- pinecones
- mini Christmas bears
- lollies
- flowers/greenery from the garden
You can use anything you like to decorate your wreath to tie in with your decorations, the list is endless.
Just a little tip if you decide to use fresh greenery or flowers in your wreath, to make sure that the material you choose has a long shelf life without being in water. You can spray them with water to keep them moist throughout the season, but it will depend on the type of plant you choose.
Crafty idea: Why not make an all-year-round wreath to greet guests at the front door? Simply exchange your wreath’s Christmas decorations for something in keeping with your home décor at the end of the season.
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