Decorating for the holidays does not have to be expensive! If you live in a rural area or close to an open space where evergreens are available, you can make your own holiday wreaths for almost free. Just follow these 3 simple steps. NOTE: Making your own holiday wreaths is also a great family activity and kids love to do this satisfying craft project. Homemade holiday wreaths also make great gifts!

1.     First construct your wreath form or reuse and existing wreath form. Read our earlier blog on how to make your own wreath forms from common plants in your landscape.

2.     Select your greens and plant material to use to decorate your wreath. Cone bearing or needle evergreens that are commonly used in holiday decorations can be pruned from your home landscape or wooded area. When pruning cone bearing evergreens for wreaths, cut lower branches that are full leaving ample stem to work with. Some of the most suitable types of cone bearing evergreens are: Balsam fir, Douglas fir, False cypress, Austrian pine, Ponderosa Pine, White pine and Scots pine. Avoid using hemlock and spruce for indoor use since they drop their needles quickly. Broad-leaved evergreens are also attractive to add and include many of the common hardy plants found in most rural landscapes such as: Ilex (holly), Buxus (boxwood), Berberis (barberry) both the red and golden varieties, Mahonia (Oregon holly-grape), Pyracanthra (pyracanthra) and Rhododendron. Special care should be taken when harvesting this type of material not to damage the ornamental value of the plant. Ornamental grasses also offer texture and color to your wreaths and swags. Try trimming the plumes from Calamagrostis Karl Foerster also know as Feather Reed Grass, Avalanche or Overdam to add a wheat-colored accent to your designs. Gather berries from pyracanthra, elderberry, chokecherries or crabapple trees to add color and texture to your wreath. When gathering berries make sure that you leave enough stem at the end of each berry cluster to attach it to the wreath form.

3.     Cut all the greens before you begin in 4” – 6” lengths for a 15” wreath. For bulky needle types, remove 1” of the lower needles from the stem bases. Lay three or four sprigs along the frame with the tips facing backwards and the cut ends forward. Bind the cut ends with two or three turns of wire. Then position the next set of sprigs so that it overlaps the first like shingles on a roof, and fasten again. Be sure to pull the binding wire tight each time. Continue the procedure until the frame is completed covered with greens. Do not skimp on greens. To finish attaching the greens, hold back the first sprigs and bind the last bundle. This prevents binding down the tops of the first sprigs. To complete the wreath, add trimmings and accent decorations such as cones, berries, ornaments, bells, or ribbons. Attach wire to each decoration separately and then wire each one to the frame.
Outdoor wreaths can be attached to barns, fencing and gates with No. 22 wire or strong twine. Wreaths hung on entry doors can be secured with an over the door hook available at most large hardware stores. Over the door wreath hooks are a great way to display wreaths inside and out without damaging the door!

Fire Retardant and Preservative Sprays

Evergreen decorations can be a fire hazard. As a flame retardant, spray your decorations with a mixture of 4 tablespoons boric acid and 9 tablespoons borax dissolved in 2 quarts of water. An alternative mixture is 5 tablespoons borax and 4 tablespoons Epsom salts dissolved in 2 quarts of water. However, the best precaution is to remove or replace greens when they loose their freshness and always keep fresh wreaths away from fire or flame.