As I was scouring Pinterest for fun holiday crafts to do with the peanut, I also found some that were more adult-friendly. One such craft was a very simple wreath idea that didn’t sound too tough (or expensive to pull off).

Materials:
20-gauge wire (or any thicker wire that’s still pliable)
Green floral wire
Branches of your choosing
Decorations (pinecones, ribbon, ornaments, cranberries, etc.)
Scissors or wire cutters

While you could definitely use a standard wreath frame, I liked the idea of using wire to frame the wreath because it allows you to make it any size or shape you’d like. Plus, it meant I could technically make as many as I wanted until I ran out of materials. Sure they are a little less sturdy, but they have this nice Scandinavian vibe that I’m really digging right now.

First, take your thicker wire and make it into whatever shape you want. I doubled up the wire, but if you go quite large or are doing anything other than a standard circle (a square or star, say) I’d add another layer or two of wire until it feels nice and sturdy.

I chose white pine and boxwood. You can usually find branches this time of year at any mom and pop garden store and even some grocery stores. Since I made my wreaths, I’ve seen magnolia, other types of fir and pine, holly and some beautiful berries. I’m actually considering making some more because it seems like the options just keep expanding the closer we get to Christmas. I feel confident enough now to experiment more the next time too. Think we could maybe use a garland for the porch, don’t you?

There are lots of options with how you attach the branches to your frame. You can bundle a few different branches and materials, use individual sprigs or bundle several sprigs together of one type to give it a fuller look for example.

Since this was my first try, I kept it pretty simple. The first wreath I made was on the smaller side. I had this whole idea I’d make a small one for Leni that she could decorate while I put together my own, larger wreath. While she did love playing with all the decorations, she wasn’t super into the wreath itself. It was a really helpful exercise for me though. I was able to test out how the white pine and boxwood would look and it was good practise. I actually love how it looked half and half, too!

For my next wreath I went larger and opted to use only boxwood. While making wreaths this way is quite simple to do, it is still time consuming. Plan accordingly. Two bundles of branches made one small wreath (approx. 7 inches), 2 large wreaths (13-15 inches–my friend Alanna made the second) and one long garland for my front window (10 feet long).

The garland used the same principles, but I just used one long piece of wire. I must say I’m pretty tickled with how it turned out.

Full disclosure, one of my sisters is an incredibly talented florist who makes insanely beautiful wreaths. There really is no comparison. I will still be adorning my front door with her creation when it arrives, BUT I love having the extra greenery around my house and it was such a fun experience/craft hang out. It paired well with tea, muffins and A Charlie Brown Christmas. I definitely plan to make this an annual tradition! And hey! We picked up our tree last weekend and there was one loose branch. Using my new skills I made a mini garland so that was pretty cool too!

This is an awesome craft to do over the holidays and I’m sure older kids could get into it too as it is very simple. You could even just allow them to decorate a garland or wreath or simply involve them in placing them around the house!

Happy crafting!