How to Make a Christmas Wreath: Easy DIY Guide

A homemade Christmas wreath beats a shop-bought one on every measure: it costs less, smells of a winter garden, and lasts for weeks on the front door. The Royal Horticultural Society rates wreath-making as easy, and you need no floristry experience — just foliage, a base, wire and an hour. Here’s the full method.

What you’ll need

The base (choose one):

• A wire wreath frame (30cm is standard), a willow or wicker ring, or a straw base — from garden centres or craft shops, typically £3–£8

To build it:

• A bag of sphagnum moss (or moss raked from your own lawn — the RHS notes this is the more sustainable option)
• A reel of florist’s wire (0.56mm annealed wire is ideal)
• Secateurs or strong scissors
• Gardening gloves

The foliage:

• Plenty of evergreen sprigs cut into 12–15cm sections: holly, ivy, spruce, pine, fir, eucalyptus or bay
• The RHS suggests holly and ivy as the traditional backbone, with spruce and pine for fullness and colour from willow or dogwood stems

Decorations (optional):

• Dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, pinecones, rose hips or berries
• A ribbon bow, small baubles or dried hydrangea heads

Avoid floral foam — the RHS flags it as environmentally harmful. If you’re gathering foliage outdoors, take only small amounts from your own garden or with the landowner’s permission, and never strip public hedges or parks.

How to make a Christmas wreath: step by step

1. Prepare your station. Lay out the base, moss, wire and foliage. Cut all foliage into 12–15cm sprigs so you can work quickly.

2. Moss the ring. Tease out the moss and lay a fist-sized bundle on top of the ring. Fasten one end of the wire reel to the ring and wrap it around the moss in a circular fashion, keeping the wire taut. Keep adding moss bundles and wrapping until the ring is completely covered.

3. Start adding greenery. Lay the first pieces of foliage on top of the moss, all pointing in the same direction, and secure each with a single wrap of wire. Overlap generously so no moss shows through.

4. Work your way round. Continue adding sprigs in the same direction, each new piece overlapping the stems of the last. Mix foliage types as you go — darker holly and ivy underneath, lighter spruce and pine on top, eucalyptus for scent.

5. Tie off. When the ring is fully covered, secure the wire with a few extra wraps around the frame and snip it. Draw a longer piece of wire up to form a hanging loop.

6. Add decorations. Wire on pinecones, dried orange slices and cinnamon stick bundles (tied in threes with twine). Tuck berries and rose hips into gaps. Finish with a ribbon bow at the top or bottom.

7. Hang it. Use an over-door wreath hanger or hang from the loop on a door knocker or adhesive hook rated for the weight. A fresh mossed wreath is heavier than it looks.

Keeping it fresh

Hang the wreath outdoors — cold air preserves evergreen foliage far better than a heated hallway. Mist the moss with water every few days (rainwater is ideal, per the RHS) and it should look good for several weeks. If the foliage starts to drop, bring it inside for its final week as a table decoration.

Pair it with the rest of your festive decorating — see our Christmas tree decorating ideas for 2026 — and if you’re out and about in December, the craft stalls at the 2026 Christmas markets are a fine source of extra decorations.

Safety notes

• Wear gloves. Holly is prickly, and ivy sap can irritate skin. Secateurs are sharp — cut away from your body.
• Keep away from flames. Dried foliage, moss and decorations are flammable. Never hang a wreath near candles, an open fire or fairy lights that run hot; use cool LED lights if you add any.
• Keep away from heat sources. Radiators and hot air vents will dry the wreath out fast and increase fire risk.
• Mind pets and children. Holly berries, ivy berries and mistletoe are toxic if eaten — hang the wreath out of reach and sweep up fallen berries.
• Check the hanger. A mossed wreath can weigh 1–2kg when fresh and watered — make sure hooks and hangers are rated for it.

When Christmas is over, the Christmas Day 2026 guide has the full festive timeline — and the wreath’s natural materials can go straight on the compost.

Frequently asked questions