How to Make Your Own Christmas Wreath (Two Ways to Style It)

22 hours ago

5 min read

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Handmade Christmas wreath of fresh fir, eucalyptus, pine cones, gold glitter baubles, red berries and gold leaves on a black front door — *My calm classic wreath, made at a wreath workshop.*

There's something so satisfying about hanging a wreath you've made yourself. It smells amazing, it costs far less than a fresh one from a florist, and it's honestly easier than it looks. I've made a few now, and this year I made two from the same basic recipe: one calm and classic for my front door, and one bright and playful.

Here's exactly how I make mine, what you need, where to find foliage responsibly, and how to keep it looking fresh right through to New Year.

What you need

A wire wreath frame – I use a 30cm double-ring frame from a garden centre or florist.
Sphagnum moss – enough to pack the frame, about a carrier bag full.
Reel wire (florist's wire) – for binding the moss and the foliage bundles.
Foliage – Nordmann or Noble fir for the base, plus extras like eucalyptus, holly or ivy.
Decorations – pine cones, baubles on picks, berries, dried oranges or glitter leaves.
Ribbon for the hanger, plus secateurs and a pair of gloves.

Step by step

1. Make the moss base. Tease the moss apart, pack it tightly around the frame in handfuls, and bind it as you go by winding reel wire round and round. Don't cut the wire; you'll keep using it.

A wire wreath frame, a reel of wire and a pile of sphagnum moss on a workshop table — *Step 1: the wire frame, reel wire and moss.*

A finished, tightly bound moss ring ready for foliage, with reel wire wrapped around it — *The finished moss ring, firm and even all the way round.*

2. Make little foliage bundles. Cut your fir into pieces about 15–20cm long and make small bundles of three or four sprigs, adding a sprig of eucalyptus or holly to some of them.

Bundles of fresh fir and holly laid out around a moss ring on a workshop table — *Step 2: foliage bundles laid out and ready to go.*

3. Wire them on. Lay a bundle on the moss, wrap reel wire tightly around its stems two or three times, then lay the next bundle so it covers the stems of the one before. Keep working in the same direction all the way round, angling bundles to cover the inside and outside edges.

4. Add your decorations. Push wired baubles and cones into the moss. For cones, wrap wire around the bottom scales and twist it into a stem. Group things in threes, spaced evenly round the ring.

5. Add a hanger. Thread ribbon or a loop of wire through the frame at the top, and check it hangs straight before it goes on the door.

Foraging tips

I love adding a few foraged bits, but it's worth doing it properly:

Ask first. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it's illegal to uproot any wild plant without the landowner's or occupier's permission (GOV.UK foraging guidance). Some rare species are protected against picking at all.
Take a little, from lots of places. The Woodland Trust asks foragers to pick in moderation, stick to paths and never damage roots, and only for personal use.
Check before you set off. Some Woodland Trust sites ask you not to forage at all, and they mark these with signs.
Start at home. Fallen pine cones, garden prunings and a friendly neighbour's holly bush are the easiest wins of all.

Keeping it fresh

Soak the moss ring in water before you start, so the foliage has something to drink.
Mist the wreath every few days, especially if your door gets the sun.
If it hangs indoors, keep it away from radiators and the fire.
Fir lasts best. Eucalyptus and holly dry out more quickly but still look lovely.

Two ways to style it

The base is exactly the same for both of my wreaths. It's only the finishing touches that change.

Calm and classic: fresh fir and eucalyptus with natural pine cones, gold glitter baubles, a few red berries and gold leaves. It suits a dark front door perfectly and goes with a Scandi, neutral home.

Close-up of a handmade wreath with pine cones, red berries, a gold bauble and eucalyptus — *The details: cones, berries and a little gold.*

A black front door on a red-brick new-build home with a handmade green and gold wreath — *How it looks from the path.*

Bright and playful: the same fir base with variegated holly, red berries, jewel-coloured baubles in purple, teal, green and gold, and a red ribbon hanger. Brilliant if you love colour or have little ones at home.

Handmade Christmas wreath of fir and variegated holly with red berries, jewel-coloured baubles and a red ribbon hanger — *My bright and playful wreath.*

An edible alternative

If fresh foliage isn't your thing, or you want a project for the kids, I also made this gingerbread wreath from a Lakeland kit: iced snowflake and star biscuits built into a ring. It makes a gorgeous centrepiece, and it smells like Christmas.

A wreath made of iced gingerbread snowflake and star biscuits on a wooden table — *My gingerbread snowflake and star wreath, made from a kit.*

A homemade wreath as a gift

A handmade wreath makes a really thoughtful gift, especially for someone who's just moved in. For more ideas, have a look at Gifts for New Homeowners: The Christmas 2026 Edit, my gift and home guide for gardeners, and my Christmas porch ideas for new build homes for styling the rest of your front door.

Shop the look

Get the look mood board for a handmade Christmas wreath with numbered product picks from Cox & Cox and Robert Dyas — *Get the look: the pieces I'd use to recreate my calm classic and bright playful wreaths.*

Get the look: my calm classic wreath The pieces I'd use to recreate my wreaths, in the order they go on. Items marked Similar are close matches rather than the exact pieces I used. This section contains affiliate links (#ad): if you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
	1. Similar: Three Champagne Glitter Mini Leaf Stems Cox & Cox · £18.50 The closest match I found to the gold leaves on my calm wreath. Snip the stems and tuck them in. Shop here
	2. Similar: Twelve Glass Bauble Picks – Gold Cox & Cox · £25.00 Gold baubles already on wire picks, so they push straight into the moss. Shop here
	3. Glass Bauble Selection – Gold/Cream Mix Cox & Cox · £16.50 A softer gold and cream mix if you prefer a calmer palette. Shop here
	4. Similar: Glass Bauble Selection – Teal Cox & Cox · £16.50 For the bright version: mix with pink for that jewel-box look. Shop here
	5. Similar: Glass Bauble Selection – Pink Cox & Cox · £16.50 Pairs with the teal set for the bright, playful wreath. Shop here
	6. Similar: Velvet Ribbon – Berry Red, 10m Cox & Cox · £14.50 A deep red velvet hanger loop, just like the one on my bright wreath. Shop here
	7. Slim Velvet Ribbon – Ochre & Gold, 20m Cox & Cox · £12.50 A slim gold-edged velvet ribbon for a calmer hanger or a little bow. Shop here
	8. Useful 250g Garden & Home Twine – Natural Robert Dyas · £2.99 (was £3.99) Handy for tying foliage bundles and wiring on cones. Shop here
Prices and stock checked 22 October 2026 and may change. Product images: Cox & Cox, Robert Dyas.