A Guide to Handmade Winter Wreaths: Elevated DIY Decor

Welcome winter by bringing the natural beauty of your garden indoors with a handmade winter wreath.

On a sunny autumn afternoon, I hosted a wreath-making class in my greenhouse, featuring Tracy from Bella Botanica. She guided us through the process of crafting a charming wreath using foraged materials from the garden. We covered the basics of wreath design, then let our imaginations take over.

The real magic happened when we embellished our creations with seasonal treasures from the garden, resulting in unique, personalized wreaths that celebrate the season’s charm. Read on for the step-by-step guide and creative process to make your own garden-inspired winter wreath.

Materials You’ll Need:

14" grapevine wreath (or size of your choice)
Fresh greens (e.g., pine branches)
Dried elements (e.g., eucalyptus, straw flowers, bunny tails, poppy pods)
Foraged items (e.g., pinecones, acorns)
Ribbon (for the bow)
Floral wire
Preservative spray (like Wilt Stop) for fresh greens
Pruners or scissors

Step 1: Prepare Your Grapevine Wreath

Start by giving your grapevine wreath a little more volume. Using pruners or scissors, carefully cut off the outermost vine that's woven around the wreath. This allows you to pull apart the vines slightly, creating a wilder, more organic base for your foraged wreath.

Step 2: Plan Your Bow Placement

Before adding any greenery or embellishments, decide where you'd like to place your bow. Tracy shared a helpful tip: think of your wreath like a clock. For an off-centered look, place your bow around 7 o’clock for a bottom-focused wreath or at 1 o’clock if you'd like the focus on top. For a more balanced, symmetrical design, placing the bow at 12 or 6 o’clock works beautifully.

Step 3: Build a Base of Fresh Greens

Now that you’ve chosen the spot for your bow, start layering in fresh greens around that area. This will give you a lovely backdrop for the bow, and it's the first step in building out the full design. Feel free to use a mix of different textures and shades of greenery.

Step 4: Tie Your Bow

You can purchase a premade bow, but if you want to add your personal touch, make your own using a ribbon of your choice. Once your bow is ready, attach it to the wreath with floral wire to keep it secure throughout the season.

Step 5: Add Foraged and Natural Elements

Now comes the fun part—adding the natural details! Using floral wire, attach the dried and foraged elements around the wreath. In our class, we used dried eucalyptus, straw flowers, bunny tails, baptisia, dried poppy pods, pinecones, and fresh pine greens. You can mix and match based on what you have available from your garden or a recent foraging adventure.

Pro tip: Don’t worry too much about getting it perfect on the first try. If you don’t love the placement of something, simply pull it out and try again!

Step 6: Preserve Your Fresh Greens

If you’re using fresh greens in your wreath, spray your finished creation with a preservative like Wilt Stop to extend its life. This is especially important if you’re displaying your wreath indoors, where the heat might cause the greens to dry out faster.

Step 7: Ensure Durability for Outdoor Display

If you plan to hang your wreath outdoors, make sure all decorative elements are either woven into the wreath or secured with floral wire. Adhesives like glue don’t hold up well in cold temperatures, and faux berries made from materials like styrofoam can pop in the cold.

Step 8: Reuse for Next Year

At the end of the season, you can save your grapevine wreath for future use! Simply remove the natural elements and store the wreath. Next year, as you plan your garden, think about what plants you might grow to use in your future wreath creations!