REPURPOSING A CHRISTMAS WREATH
Christmas decorating is one of my favorite things to do. Especially when I can take an old decoration and give it a second and fabulous life! This year’s decorations are all about using what I have. I’m especially fond of wreaths! So I’ll be using lots and lots in my Christmas decor this year! Making a pretty, lush wreath is easy! I’ll show you how…
Here is the wreath I used from last year. Not in bad shape, but not the style I’m looking for.
This year’s Christmas decor is more traditional and less farmhouse. So I took my pine wreath and started adding!
- I like to gather up my supplies. I always start with things I might use. I really don’t know until I start working with a wreath exactly what elements I’ll use. So I gather a “collection”.
- I have tons of old greens on picks and cut up garland. I just keep reusing it year after year. (Here’s a little tip: I buy 6 new good quality greens every year and mix them with the old. I also throw away my oldest and worst looking greens. I love good faux! I used to use all fresh, but I can’t stand when the begin to drop!)
- Because this wreath will be used indoors on the mantle I don’t have to glue the greens into the wreath. This will save both the greens and the wreath for future use. I intertwine the greens into the pine wreath.
As you can see, the wreath is so much fuller and has many different kinds of green woven into the original pine.
The next thing I did was make a loopy bow and attach it to the wreath with a thin wire. You might like to see my post on MAKING A CHRISTMAS BOW. I got this ribbon at Costco.
Then I took long stems of frosted red berries and laced them through the greens into position.
Before I put the rest of the decorations on the wreath I hung it on the window on the mantle.
To hang the wreath, I took a length of ribbon and looped it through the metal rim in the back of the wreath and stapled the ribbon to itself securely! This made a nice ribbon to hang the wreath from.
Once the wreath was hung I fluffed the bow and repositioned the berries and tucked snowy pinecone and stars into the wreath. This year’s decor has lots of stars!
EASY PEASY! A new wreath from an old one!
With a totally different look!
Because I didn’t glue anything together I’ll be able to take this wreath apart and use all the part again!
If you want to see the rest of the mantle, come back on Thursday!
Now get busy! Get out an old wreath and some greens and see what you can come up with! I bet it will be spectacular!
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This is such a great idea. Your wreath is very pretty. . I love the stars.
Hi
I love the wreath! I also love creating new decor using items I already have. I have similar metal stars I’d like to use for this project. How did you tuck them in? Mine have a little hanging wire.
Hi Marie, Because this wreath is not going to move I just placed the stars in the wreath and they stayed!
Love this new look too. I’m in the mood for some red this year. Not exactly sure how it will all play out but I’m excited to give it my enthusiastic creativity! This inspires me. And we have a shop,that sells quality looking greens picks. I’d forgotten about that trick. I wish I’d ordered one more wreath from a friend a couple years ago. She was so creative and artistic❤️? Missing her
This looks great, I like just sticking in the picks as well then like you said you can reuse it all, awesome as usual!
Another great money savings idea. Will start looking for items on after holiday sales throughout the year. My wreath goes on a protected front porch and I try to change it out at least four times a year for the different occasions.
Love the new wreath, Yvonne! Very adorable…as usual:) Anxious to see all of your decorations this year!
Love it! I have been clearing out my creating “stuff” and feel inspired to rethink a couple ideas. I really like the bow and the
stars. Thanks for sharing.
I find wreaths and garlands are the easiest things to refresh and restyle each year. I have inherited a number of wreaths decorated for holidays throughout the year and I am anxious to take those on as projects this coming year. Your wreath is just beautiful, I am anxious to take a look around and see how else you have included the stars in your Christmas decor this year. This week of Thanksgiving, I am thankful to have found Stonegable and to follow your blog and be inspired by your wonderful ideas throughout the year.
I also use lots of greenery on pics that I have collected over the years. I enhance my tree as well as wreaths to make them fuller. I am trying not to purchase anything this year…except for ribbon. I have so much already that I do not need more. And, I love the challenge of making things look different the next year. I even re-roll ribbon to make it nice for the next Christmas. I am mostly traditional, but I have been mixing in some farmhouse flavor lately. Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Sheila
correction, greenery on picks. oops. Sheila
I love your wreath, especially the stars. I like to redo wreaths also for a different look. I usually attach the decorations with zip ties. Stays on tight but very easy to take off. I love getting emails from you and seeing what new you have done.
Great tips Laurie, thanks!
Beautiful! I have several old wreaths that could certainly use a “face-lift”, thanks for the inspiration! I was wondering how you attached your wreath to the window. Did you staple the ribbon to the frame or tape it? I have an old window that I plan to use on my mantle this year also.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Elizabeth
Love the greens in this new wreath! You can also use the original greens on an existing wreath as “twist ties” to tie in your new greens and picks if they need a little anchoring.
Thanks for these great and lovely ideas…I use them in France, where I live and I do impress my friends with your tips. Beautiful decorations.
Your wreath is lovely, Yvonne! Working with wreaths and flower arranging and such has to be my very, VERY favorite craft! I could do it all day long, seven days a week – as I find it so relaxing, I lose myself in the process. Whenever I can, I wire objects on versus use the glue gun so when I tire of something, it can be removed and used elsewhere. Right now, as I type this, I have a small wreath I plan to just prop up on my mantel and am rewiring on some cotton bolls.
I have a little tip readers might like … I always buy the best faux florals, greenery, etc that I can. However, if I have some picks, floral heads, etc. that are too short, I go to the dollar store and look for a few brown stems of something that hopefully isn’t too ugly but has lots of brown stems. I then remove the cheap-looking flower “head” and use the dollar store stems to lengthen the “too-short picks” I originally wanted to use. I hope this is clear enough to understand. I always have brown floral tape on hand so I then wrap the tape around the pick and the dollar store stem, joining them together and voila, I’m ready to use my once too-short stem! You could also do this with real branches but if doing a wreath, the real branches won’t bend/curve around a wreath; they will just break.
The wreath is very “fresh” looking with its colorful bow and interesting items you’ve used. Love, love, love it!
Your wreath is beautiful. I love the idea of reusing and reworking an existing wreath. Thank you for the clear and concise directions.
I love the use of a window behind the wreath! Will keep a look our for one to use!
I love your refurbished wreath. Looks so fresh and real. I also like to take what I have and redo. Love all your posts. So helpful!
I love the plaid ribbon you used. Every time I see plaid I automatically think of not only Christmas but the whole winter season. Thanks for sharing!
Such a great idea.
So pretty! And thanks for the link on making Christmas bows. 😉
That Christmas box is amazing. Love it and love reworking the wreath. I have a few that need a new infusion of life.
Me too Yvonne. I gather up all kinds of stuff and just play with it as I go. Of course I usually don’t use 1/3 of what I pull out, and have to clean it all up, but it’s so much fun.
Hanging stockings on the mantle using a curtain rod is a great idea! I’ll try it next year!