Beautiful DIY Christmas Wreath on a Budget

I’ve been seeing some gorgeous Christmas wreaths this year. But as I was looking at them, I decided a DIYed Christmas wreath was more budget-friendly and beautiful with real evergreen stems.

I’ve told you before, but we are a debt-free family, which means the budget lets us know what we can and cannot buy. This is why we often decide to exert a little extra time and energy and do projects ourselves. This is exactly what happened when I decided to DIY a Christmas wreath for over the piano.

I could easily go buy the most gorgeous wreath. Or I could go on a wagon ride with my daughters, husband, and in-laws to scout out some gorgeous evergreen trees on the family farm. The options made my decision easy. This simple DIY could be more than just décor. It could be a memory.

I absolutely love all things evergreen during Christmas time. Earlier I did a few evergreen swags, so why wouldn’t I try to DIY a real evergreen Christmas wreath myself? Is it fear of it turning out terrible? Or fear of what people would think? Not having enough time? The voices in my head wouldn’t stop. The reasons to NOT do this DIY were ridiculous. Just typing them out helps me realize how ridiculous they are.

This wreath was put together and hung up on the wall in 30 minutes! That means you can finish it before your favorite Christmas movie is over. And while mine didn’t turn out the way my inspiration photo looked, it certainly didn’t turn out hideous! Maybe next year my wreath will be better? Maybe it’s more important to see growth than it is to see perfection?

Christmas Wreath: Supplies

Grapevine wreath
Evergreen clippings (real & faux)
Floral Wire
Wire cutters
Red & white berries
Pinecones

Christmas Wreath: Instructions

Step 1
I have had this grapevine wreath sitting in the back storage room for quite some time. I decided it would be a great way to add cozy to this wreath, versus my Fall wreath where I used a thin and simple embroidery hoop.

Step 2
To start I created a foundation of boxwood bush clippings. (Do you remember my post on evergreen swags?) By doing this I cut down on the pine needle mess that I was going to clean up after the holiday season was over, & I gave this wreath a bit of fullness. Using clippings from our garden I saved money and I checked something off the “Home Maintenance To-Do List”.

To attach the clippings I simply stuck them in-between the grape vines but when they wouldn’t stay the way I wanted I wrapped some wire around the stem and slid it where I wanted it.

Step 3.
Next, using the same method for attachment, I started mixing in my real spruce and fir clippings, and a few of my faux stems on top of the boxwood clippings. By adding these traditional Christmas pines on top of the boxwood I gave this wreath a pretty traditional look without using only clippings that create a pine mess. Also, here I go again, saving money! I literally didn’t buy anything yet!! (The real spruce and fir clippings my husband helped me get at his parent’s house.)

Step 4
Once I’d created the asymmetrical shape I wanted with the greenery I started mixing in the berries and pinecones to give the wreath more visual interest. For this I used some red berries I found at the bottom of one of the Christmas totes, but I didn’t have any white berries. So I did go and purchase those.

Also, as a friendly tip the pine cones kept falling out of place when I was hanging it on the wall. I discovered 2 options to remedy this. One you could wrap wire around the pine cone and then use it like a pine cone pick to help you secure the pinecone to the wreath, or you could wait until the wreath was on the wall and then put your pinecones in place.

You guys it couldn’t be more simple than that! I forged for all the things I could outside and I only purchased 1 stem of berries! Talk about success!

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Care for Real Evergreen Christmas Decor

To help preserve the needles after my husband clipped them, I gave them a fresh cut and then dunked them in warm water. I’ve heard that warm water helps trees with sap not get plugged at the cut point. So far I’ve had success with this method of watering my evergreen stems after I cut them.

I’ve also seen some people completely submerge the entire stem in a bath of water. I know most of the water is absorbed through the stem, but there are some plants, like a hydrangea for instance, that can absorb water through the flower. Otherwise, it would help eliminate the amount of bugs you bring into your home.

I left them in this water for a very short time before I started making the wreath. Even after placing these stems in water the ability to work with them and not make a huge pine mess is limited. I put this wreath together less than 24 hours after cutting the stems from the tree. Also, if you can wait until a good frost has occurred this will help with needle retention while you’re waiting to create the wreath.

Now that the wreath is finished and hanging above the piano I’m not touching it at all. If it gets bumped ever so slightly those pine needles will fall. The best way to prevent a mess is to set it and forget it. Except when you admire your work of course! This is definitely a look don’t touch decor.

I hope that this has inspired you to create a beautiful Christmas wreath within your budget. But more than that I hope that this has inspired you to dig down deep inside of you and do the things that your fears are telling you not to try. On the other side you might find a beautiful wreath or better yet, a beautiful memory.

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Open Your Doors,
Aliya