THE ABSOLUTE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE A LIVE WREATH… YOU CAN DO THIS!

 
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
 I am going to show you the EASIEST most amazing way to make a live wreath. You will wonder, “why didn’t I think of that”? That’s what I thought when I learned this technique at a wreath decorating demo last year.
 You will be able to make gorgeous, lush, full, live wreaths… FABULOUS!!!!
It will revolutionize your Christmas decor and gift giving… OR … at least make people ooooh and ahhhh!

I made this wreath in under 40 minutes for a gift exchange! 

Here’s how… 

HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!

Materials:
any old artificial green wreath (the more *snarly the better)
fresh greens~ short-needled evergreen and other greens for interest
hot glue gun or hot glue pot
old garden gloves
ornaments or other Christmas decorations
bow
wreath making stand, optional
*snarly: adj… motley, beat up, worn out
 
This is how the wreath first starts out… pretty thin and quite snarly! Fluff it up the best you can.
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
Use old garden gloves when cutting the evergreen.
Cut fresh greens. Use lots of Christmas tree greens like fraser, douglas, balsam or other short- needled, hardy evergreen branches for the base of the wreath.
 
I buy a Christmas tree that is a “B” grade or “second”. It cost me about $20.00 for a 6 foot tree. My local greenhouse sells them. I cut it apart and keep the clippings in a trash can ready to use.
 
Cut the greens to match the size of wreath you are making. 
 
Liberally glue the end of the cutting and stick the end of the branch deep into the wreath. 
 
 Continue to glue evergreen cutting to the wreath. Work in one small section at a time. DON’T go in one direction. Glue in your cuttings in all directions. Remember to make some stick straight out too!
 
Wear old garden gloves to glue… if you don’t you WILL get burned! 
 
 
I put my wreath on a small wreath stand to see how it will look placed vertically. Don’t forget to glue cuttings in the inside of the wreath too!
We are just getting started… big difference already!
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
Work all the way around the wreath with the short-needled cuttings.
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
Now, it’s time to add some other greens to the wreath… just not hemlock. It will drop it’s needles very quickly.
I usually keep a basket of assorted greens…. I buy a few yards of roping and cut it apart myself. A much better value!
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
 For this wreath I added white pine, regular cedar, incense cedar and boxwood.
Starting with small clipping I glued them here and there, concentrating where they would be seen.
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
Shake the wreath vigorously to make sure there are no loose branches.  Glue any loose ones back into the wreath.  It’s a good idea to do this outside, you will have some needle dropage!
Make a bow out of ribbon and wire in place.
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
Add some ornaments or other Christmas decorations such as berries, holly, silk poinsettia, etc.
I wanted to keep this wreath very subdued so I chose green balls with just a little bit of glitter.
Hot glue them liberally and put them in place.
Clean up any glue spiders and hang!
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
Here is a big wreath I made for my front door using this method…
 
You can read more about this wreath by clicking HERE
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
When Christams is over DO NOT throw away your wreaths. Just put them in a garbage bag and hang them up in a garage, shed or basement.
In the fall, take the bags outside and open them up. All the live greens will now be dead. Wearing garden gloves, give the dead greens a good tug and they will pull right out. Now you have a snarly wreath to use for more wreath making. You can also reuse any ornament or decor!
Do the same thing again next year… and the next…
 
I told you this was easy and FABULOUS!
 
If you like the big Christmas bow you can see how to make it HERE.
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
You might like to follow me on Pinterest and see all the great things I am pinning every day HERE!
pin-it-and-save-the-inspiration
HOW TO MAKE THE ABSOLUTELY EASIEST LIVE WREATH EVER! YOU can do this!
 
 
 

 

 

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211 Comments

  1. WOW, I thought you would never use anything snarly. I like the ideas of weaving or gluing live greenery into the faux greens. Your bow is beautiful! I’m going to try to make this. As always, everything is spiffy. I wish you were my next door neighbor so I could learn from you.

  2. I used your directions and made bows yesterday. The directions were so easy to follow and the bows turned out great. They really dressed up my faux wreaths and made me feel like I have new ones to hang. Thanks. I look forward to your daily posts.
    Merry Christmas to you and yours.

  3. Your wreaths are always so beautiful and your instructions are spot on. However, you might want to share with your readers the issue of boxwood blight that has been found in NC, VA and Connecticut. Here in Virginia we use boxwoods in all kinds of landscaping and decor (think Colonial Williamsburg). However, did you know that the boxwood clippings you have in your wreaths could carry the boxwood blight pathogen? This is a huge threat to your property, or your neighbor’s if they have boxwoods present. This highly contagious disease is a big concern, so when decorating this year either forgo the use of boxwood clippings, or only use clippings from your property that have been confirmed to not carry the disease. Just a word to the wise….http://arborscapesllc.com/2016/10/boxwood-blight-what-you-need-to-know/

    Love your blog.

  4. Oh, my that was simple! I can’t wait to give it a go. Kicking myself for passing by all the shabby wreaths and not having one on hand. That truley is a cinderella wreath!

  5. I’m thinking like you. I laid in bed not sleeping and thinking that I should just buy an ugly little tree to cut up for fresh greens on the mantle. We don’t live in an area where we have anything available other than a tree so it’s mostly artificial greens but I love the smell of fresh. Yay for this post!

  6. Thank you for another absolutely fabulous why-didn’t-I-think-of-that! idea. The last time I made one, it was by wrestling branches into a circle with not enough wire. Scared the UPS guy when it sproinged loose and shot ornaments all around the porch!

  7. I put greenery bows outside under every window with a candle inside. I thought I was the only one that used the “fake” base method! It works so well, and makes the job so much easier!

  8. To looked out the window on this gray November day.
    I thought how I needed some creativity for the hoildays.
    I knew you would be here on my favorites and would share your gift
    and sure enough there it was. The perfect simple elegant project.
    Thank you, and as I do this wreath for myself , for my family and friends I will
    Think of you. I will remind myself as this wreath is a circle, Never ending.

  9. I love, love, love everything about this blog!!! Your ideas are just perfect for the things that I like in my home. Keep them coming.

    SANDY

  10. Thank you for your daily inspirations, Encouragments and beautiful ideas! I look forward to reading your blog daily ?

  11. What a wonderful idea to buy a second rate tree and cut it apart for live greenery! I always get the best ideas from you Yvonne! Thank you!

  12. Such a great idea, sorry a gave my old shabby, falling apart one away! I ‘ll have to remember when the replacement one has lived out it’s usefulness!

  13. I just want to thank you for all the wonderful ideas that you write about on your blog. I so look forward to them! I have used a number of them in my home. Wishing you a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

  14. Read your suggestion on the diy wreath just as I was wondering what I could do with an old ” snarly” fake wreath. Followed your advice & have a lovely brand new fresh wreath… it took a very short time…under an hour. Thank you so much! Happy Holidays, Angela

  15. Hey all……in the middle if a move and a delayed closing. With time on my hands this is the perfect project!

    Thanks for sharing!

  16. okay, you sold me. I wanted something fresh this year, but we are hot Texas, so this might hold together a little longer…Just beginning today….thank you, yours is fabulous!

  17. Beautiful wreath! Great idea! Now if I could only make bows! “It’s so easy”, everyone says, but I just struggle with it. Maybe because I’m left handed! Lol!

  18. Very nice, Yvonne! I’ve always “cheated” and used a beat-up old faux greenery wreath. Anything that makes life a bit easier, epecially in December, is a welcome guest in my home! You can’t beat the allure of real greenery or real flowers. I also do the same kind of thing on my dining table – I place a short faux garland running down the length of the table then add real greenery and shiny baubles and scatter my candlesticks here and there amongst the greenery … then about two or three days before Christmas Day, I buy white roses and insert them in those “water picks” available at any florist. I think Walmart carry them too.

    I also hang about 4 faux icicle garlands from my chandelier. Since I have a glasstop table, everything is visually doubled so the final effect is really quite pretty with lots of sparkles! One other item I include is a cloche filled with silver balls.

  19. You are a gift to all your readers. I look forward to your blog everyday. And I learn a new trick with each of your writings. Thank You for sharing your God given talents with us! Oh and Congratulations on becoming a Grandma! It’s such a sweet name!

  20. Yvonne, thank you! I love the inspiration, pic’s, with step by step instructions! Especially with the beginning of the season to create, keep and ones to give away!
    Hugs, Debbie

  21. I saw a really skimpy wreath at Rite Aid yesterday for $7 and thought what good would that be. But now I see it can be a basis for something terrific for years to come. Great up-cycling, re-cycling ideas for Christmas and what a quick and terrific idea to do for a neighbor, friend, someone alone to drop it off to make their day special. Appreciate your sharing.

  22. Thank you! I did something similar last year for our garden club holiday sale. I have lots of grapevines, so I made grapevine wreaths and hot-glued all kinds of stuff onto them….pine cones, seed pots, dried hydrangeas, etc. Then sprayed them with silver or gold paint and wound dollar store wide ribbon around them and made a bow. They were beautiful!

  23. Looks fabulous! I have never been an expert with the glue gun! Maybe this would be the project to change that’s! Any specific glue gun you recommend?

  24. Oh, and the bow tutorial too.. gonna watch and hopefully perfect my bow making (mine always look like blobs of ribbon)!!

  25. Yvonne, If you go to a Ho Depot or maybe Lowes, go to where they sell and bag live Christmas trees and ask for free clippings. I get them to make wreaths, decorate the mantle and also lay them in the flower bed with white lights laid underneath! Who doesn’t like free?! Have a merry and joyful Christmas!

  26. Simple yet elegant! I love the mixture of greens that you used. You are such a breath of fresh air when it comes to home decor! Thanks for sharing.

  27. What a great tutorial! I must try – however, I have an abundance of holly growing outside my window that I would like to use. Alas, there are no berries on it, but the shiny leaves look so beautiful. Any hints or ideas on using holly, especially in a wreath? I know, wear gloves – but anything else that might help? And how long would such a wreath last? I’ve used sprigs of the holly around tables and on mantel, but they sure seem to dry up quickly. Maybe not too good for a wreath?

  28. Christmas is a tough time decorating at my home. We’re decorating all over our community and it leaves little time for me to work on my own home. These fast/easy/cleaver ideas make my home decorating so much easier since I have so little time available. Thanks so much for helping me decorate my home!

  29. I love all your wonderful ideas for making our homes so much better. Especially during the holidays. Thank you

  30. Never thought of combining faux and fresh to make a wreath. Genius! We might be getting a “new” wreath this year 🙂

  31. Love this idea! I am definitely going to have try this! I never knew what to do with my wreaths that had seen better days but now I know how to bring them back to life! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful ideas!

  32. You’ve inspired me to create a new fabulous wreath for this Christmas holiday… many thanks for the clearly explained instructions………………………
    Merry Christmas Everyone…!!!!

  33. My local garden club had a speaker in Nov. demonstrating Colonial Williamsburg Christmas decor ideas. She too used an artificial wreath as a base to add assorted fresh greens, dried flowers and fruit. Using fresh fruit was a trademark of the holiday wreaths during Colonial times.

  34. Yvonne, how do you stay so organized and on top of all that the holidays entail. From shopping, decorating, cooking, and blogging do you get to sleep at all? Or are you like Santa and will have a long sleep right after the holidays.

  35. Lovely! And I like the way you take a scraggly weath, dress it up, then hold it over for the following year. I would have never expected that from a “live” greens wreath.

  36. hi Yvonne…that is such a great idea…please author a book with all your precious ideas, photos and tutorials…. Your enthusiasm is contagious through your blog writing !…..it will surely be a New York Times BESTSELLER ! Smiles…..Anne

  37. Excellent tutorial on using old wreath forms, of which I have several in attic. And good tip on buying “second hand” greenery! Thanks!

  38. I can do this, because you took the time to show me how. Thank you! We bought one of those Thuga (cedar like but better) and that will make a knockout wreath.

  39. Yvonne, I didn’t realize how much I miss the fragrance of a real pine tree until I did a parking lot sale at a local Catholic church where thy had a delivery of fresh evergreen for sale. also your comment re” saving the needles reminded me how I used to do just that. Then I put them into the old cuisinart that I kept for non-edible crafting projects… when they were nicely ground I used them for making sachets. Merry Christmas!

  40. Perhaps your quick wreath idea has come at the perfect time! Today is decorating daY and with a new fiberglass entry door, I am challenged with what I can hang…..which is not last year’s wreath. There are plenty of half decorated and black wreath forms I can use to reinvent a new one! But most important, I want to honor the Lord in this season making our home a welcome place for friends to enjoy. Thanks Yvonne!!

  41. Love the tutorial on making a wreath quick and easy. Thanks so much for all the wonderful Holiday ideas. I would love your thoughts on updating lamps we have to make them new/different. Thanks!

  42. Going to try this with my Mom’s old wreaths that I didn’t have the heart to throw away when she died in August. Glad to know I can still make them useful! Thanks!

  43. I already made the wreath with the faux greens but you gave me a good idea to mix with the evergreens so I will get some and glue them. Thank you!!

  44. Thanks for the tips! I’ve got a few gnarly looking wreaths and some trees outside that will do very well for this!

  45. I thought id use glue, however was able to use some floral wire to secure the heavy branches..
    Great thing about living in MN, just trim up a few trees.
    Blessings.

  46. This is an easy way to make an inexpensive but beautiful wreath. I especially appreciate the directions for the bow. Thank you for both.

  47. I have never made a wreath like this before… i will have to give it a try. I bet it smells wonderful… Thanks again…

  48. Even though I’m a Great Grandma I still get inspired by your wonderful blog and look forward to using your ideas using a fresh wreath. God bless.

  49. Yvonne,
    This has been a long day and I finally got to sit down this evening and read your blog for the day. I remember when we use to raise christmas trees,my husband would butt prune the trees and I would bundle the greens into 5 pound bundles,with every tree that we sold,we would give our customers a bundle of tree trimmings for free. We had alot of return customers just so they could get the bundles of mixed greens. I love your idea of using a faux wreath and placing the fresh Greens in the wreath. Have a good evening and I can not wait until tomorrow to see what you will post. Again, thanks

  50. What a great idea! I have a couple of wreaths from holidays past that need a face lift so I will be incorporating fresh greens with the artificial. Wish I was better at making bows! Thank you

  51. I can’t remember how many years I have been receiving your daily posts, and just so you know I ever tire of all the amazing insight you give all of us when it comes to decor, food and so much more. Wishing you and your family the very best Christmas and much health and happiness in the new year

  52. Yvonne, your fresh greenery wreath is just so pretty! What great ideas you have! Just love all your posts! I thought my bow was pretty nice BUT, your bow is just gorgeous — and I will use your bow from now on!

    Thanks, again, Yvonne, for all the time you spend helping all your readers! Appreciate you so very much!

    Have a great day, my friend! God Bless you!

  53. I’m so glad you included the tip about leaving the greenery in the wreaths until next year!! I made a garland for over my front door using different greenery from family, friends, my sweet neighbors & my own yard. It is gorgeous and way more affordable than the similar ones I looked at online($250 for a garland for a month, ummm no!). Mine was free using my 11 year old narly garland as a base. I wanted to do my wreaths but dreaded picking all the greenery out in a few weeks…not now! So thank you again for that tip. Now to get back in the yard for some more cuttings!

  54. For the “other” greenery, do you cut it from your yard, or can you get this at a local garden center that sells trees?