I've been on the hunt for a Christmas wreath since... Halloween. Since Target, Michaels, HomeGoods, etc. stocked their shelves with Christmas decor mid-October, I started searching early in the season. Although people give these stores grief for pushing Christmas before we've even gone trick-or-treating, I gladly welcomed the candy canes and candy corn sharing the same shelf.
After two months of searching for this "perfect wreath", I've found that I am too selective. I would find the perfect wreath, but I didn't like the color of the berries, the bow wouldn't be in the right spot, or it just looked too... fake.
So... I decided to DIY... do it yourself. Over Thanksgiving break, my sister and I created a new tradition of crafting our own homemade wreaths. Because my sister now lives out of state, this is the perfect tradition that we can enjoy together while we sip on wine and catch up on each others lives.
Matt and I love picking out our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. This enables us to have a few days to put it up, let it "rest", string it with lights, and then decorate it with ornaments. This year, I asked him to save the tree trimmings for me. I also asked for extra trimmings from the tree-lot where we picked out our tree. Since they throw them out anyway, they gladly gave us a huge bunch.
^^We went to the craft store to pick up wire wreath frames ($2-$4), some wire to secure the greenery to the frames ($3), and a variety of decor. Since this was our first attempt at crafting a wreath, we kept it pretty simple.
^^ While out for groceries that weekend, I grabbed some greenery from the floral section of the grocery store ($3). This bunch of eucalytus smells and looks amazing paired with the evergreen spruce.
^^ We used gardening trimmers to cut small individual pieces off of the branches. Then we arranged them one by one as we secured them to the frame. **It is important to lay each branch in the same circular direction**... or else it will look like your wreath is having a bad hair day.
^^ Once we were happy with the base greenery, we began to decorate! Again, securing the bow and berries with the wire.
^^ Lastly, I cut down the eucalyptus and arranged it in the same circular direction as the spruce. This brought the wreath to life and gave it lots of character!
^^ I placed the larger wreath on my front door. It was so rewarding to create my perfect wreath rather than purchase it, and it makes our entrance way smell soooo fresh and Christmas-y.
I made three additional smaller wreaths to put in our rooms and kitchen window. They are the perfect touch to decorate each room without going overboard. Not to mention they make each room smell like a Christmas tree!
The wreaths that I came across while shopping ranged from $30-$60 for just one wreath. I was able to make all four wreaths for $25!! I'm not going to lie, it took an entire night and a few moments of frustration to make these, but it was cost effective and worth it.
My sister and I had a blast making these. We were able to visit, create, and decorate for our homes all in one evening. We are already talking about different variations (and accompanying cocktails) we want to make next year!
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