Decorating
How to Make a Beautifully Simple Fir Wreath
Using only fresh fir sprigs and wooden balls, this easy-to-make wreath will bring a wonderful festive mood to your home
The classic Christmas wreath is a full circle of lush foliage, often embellished with pine cones, but although it looks gorgeously festive, in a small, modern home it can seem a little overpowering. So it’s worth looking north for more modest takes – the Scandinavians are masters of making simplified Christmas decorations using natural colours and only a few materials that are just as good for creating a festive atmosphere.
This easy-to-make modern wreath is inspired by that concept. Whether you hang it on your front door or a wall inside your home, its natural beauty will fill your heart with the spirit of Christmas.
This easy-to-make modern wreath is inspired by that concept. Whether you hang it on your front door or a wall inside your home, its natural beauty will fill your heart with the spirit of Christmas.
1 Fix the foliage in place. First, lay out some of the sprigs in a semicircle around the steel ring. You can anchor the sprigs in place with small clamps or bulldog clips, so it will be easier to tie them together later. Trim the sprigs and keep the cut ends at the back to hide them.
Tie the sprigs to the steel ring with the nylon string.
Tie the sprigs to the steel ring with the nylon string.
Fill up sparse places with little sprigs, so the shape of your wreath looks harmonious. Stick the small sprigs in-between larger ones or tie them on with the nylon string if necessary.
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2 Attach the wooden balls by sewing them onto the fir sprigs as you would a button: stitch the thick yarn through the back of the tied sprigs, thread it through the wooden balls, then fix the whole thing in place with another stitch to the back.
Follow the semicircle of the arranged fir sprigs. It looks particularly coordinated if the bigger balls are placed in the middle and the smaller ones on the outer edges. This accentuates the centre and therefore the symmetry.
Follow the semicircle of the arranged fir sprigs. It looks particularly coordinated if the bigger balls are placed in the middle and the smaller ones on the outer edges. This accentuates the centre and therefore the symmetry.
3 Now add the additional decorations. The thread ends left after sewing the wooden balls onto the wreath can be used to hang glass balls or other decorative tags. If they’re long enough, just thread them through the hanging loops on the decorations and knot them on the back of the sprigs.
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4 A handwritten ‘Merry Christmas’ is a cute extra on this wreath. Cut a cardboard strip of about 2.5cm x 21cm and write your Christmas greetings in the middle of it. Don’t be afraid to use your own, maybe a bit scrawly, handwriting – it will add a personal touch to your Christmas wishes!
Cut two long pieces of yarn (approximately 30cm long) and knot one end on each. Roll both pieces into the ends of the banner. This makes it look like a scroll and gives your simple wreath a festive character. Now, use the two strings to attach the message to the wreath.
5 Use your metal ring to help you create a braided hanger. Cut three 1m lengths of yarn and fold them in half, creating six strands with a loop at the top.
Fold the top over the metal ring and pull the ends through the loop (this is called a cow hitch knot). Braid the pairs together, tie the ends and remove the braid from the ring.
Fold your finished braid in half and use another cow hitch knot to secure it to the ring. Then simply hang the wreath where you can appreciate its simple beauty and enjoy.
Have you ever made your own wreath? Share your tips in the Comments below.
If you plan to cut the sprigs from your garden or the woods, you should definitely wait for the first frost. That’s the only way the needles will remain where they should be – on the wreath. Instead of fir sprigs, you could use mistletoe or eucalyptus.