Editor’s note: This story was originally published in December 2019.
There’s nothing I love more than decorating for the holidays. But I don’t love spending a lot of money on a wreath that is going to be tossed into the recycling bin in a month or so. There’s also something to be said for customizing some of your decor to last longer into the winter months.
I’ve fallen in love with fake, non-traditional wreaths for a few reasons:
They are easy to make and less expensive than buying a handmade wreath at your local florist or home goods store.
They aren’t messy and won’t shed needles or branches in your home.
You can use them year after year.
A non-traditional wreath goes great with your holiday decor, but won’t look out of place if you leave it up after everything else has been put away.
With a few supplies from your local craft store, you can create a one-of-a-kind wreath that you can put up and leave up as long as you want without worrying about it drying out and turning brown.
What you will need
— Scissors or wire cutters depending on thickness of flower stems.
— Gold hoop — I used a 14-inch round hoop. These come in many sizes at a craft stores everywhere.
— Clip-on flowers.
— Fake leaves, pinecones or greens of your choice.
— Gold wire.
— Ribbon for hanging.
How to make it
First, take a flower and center it on your hoop. This will be your starting point.
Next, clip your greens and build on each side of the flower by wrapping your greens with the gold wire so they hug your hoop.
You can also remove the leaf tips by plucking them off the fake stem and inserting a wire through the whole. This makes it easy to fill your wreath in and add volume a little at a time when needed.
Tip: Remember fake leaves have wires in them, which make them easy to bend and manipulate. This makes it easy to achieve the look you want.
Once you are happy with your greens, you can add in more flowers, berries or pom-poms.
Now, all you need to do is add your ribbon and hang on a door, mirror, fireplace or prop on a shelf.
The fun thing about a fake wreath is the flowers and berries can be changed out for different colors and the object is to make it unique to what you like and your color palette. With just a few greens or berries, you can make it look more wintry and leave it up until after Valentine’s Day, if you wish.
This story was originally published in Bangor Metro’s December 2019 issue. To subscribe to the magazine, click here.
