Forget plastic imitations – adorn your front door with a real berry wreath. The Which? Gardening experts show us how to create your own stylish Christmas wreath in four simple steps.
Getting started
It’s easy and very satisfying to make your own stylish wreath using materials found in the garden.
An equivalent wreath would cost £15 or more in a florist or garden centre but our berry wreath can be made for the price of a ball of string.
What you’ll need
- 3 to 4 120-150cm lengths of hazel, willow or similarly pliable stems
- Conifer clippings for padding
- Garden string
- Stub wires, available from florists
- A selection of berries and fruits
- 1m of wire-edged ribbon to make a bow (optional)
Tips for success
The best berries to use are those of the tree forms of cotoneaster, such as C. ‘Cornubia’, or hollies. They last far longer than pyracantha, sorbus or skimmia.
A glue gun is a great investment if you enjoy making your own decorations. They're easy to use and can cost as little as £10.
Try to use natural materials – they look far better than synthetic ones. Small fruits and vegetables including limes, chillies and baby aubergines, among others, make interesting decorations.
History of the Christmas wreath
The hanging of evergreen wreaths at the entrance to our homes is a long-established way of welcoming visitors at Christmas.
Steeped in ancient symbolism, evergreens were believed to possess powers of eternal life. Branches were exchanged as gifts and givers believed they were bestowing health and wellbeing upon the recipient.
To make them more decorative, these evergreen branches were formed into rings or wreaths.
Making your wreath
You’ll need a little patience as some steps are a bit fiddly, but whether you recreate one of our designs or use your own imagination, you should be able to create something special in just an hour or so.
Step 1: Make the hoop
Make a 25-30cm diameter hoop using pliable twigs such as hazel or willow – soak beforehand to make them more flexible.
Interweave the stems to make the hoop as strong as possible and then secure the ends with wire, string or tape. Alternatively, buy a wire or twig hoop from the florist or garden centre.
Step 2: Attach the conifer
Pad the hoop with conifer clippings such as Leyland cypress. Alternatively, you could use a synthetic moss substitute sold for hanging baskets.
Tie string to the hoop and wrap around tightly, securing the clippings in small bunches as you go. Once the entire hoop is covered, wind the string back in the opposite direction before tying-off.
Step 3: Add the berries
Bind bunches of berries to the hoop by wrapping garden twine tightly around their bases. Use a mixture of berries and add in a few short birch twigs for contrast.
Keep working in one direction, laying each group of berries over the bases of the preceding ones to hide bare stems. Tie-off the string, leaving a short loop for hanging.
Step 4: Tidy up and finish off
Fill in any gaps in the finished wreath with bunches of berries secured with stub wires. Wrap one end of the wire around the stems of the berries and push the other end into the hoop.
Pull the wire through to the back of the hoop and secure. Once hung, spray the wreath occasionally with water to keep it looking fresh.
Other decorating ideas
There are dozens of ways to decorate the basic wreath so you can let your imagination run riot. Try out your ideas by placing items temporarily in position before securing them
Twinkle star Join five lengths of bamboo cane or straight twigs with tape to form a star. Bind crossing points with string and cover with conifer clippings. Use glue or stub wires to attach blue cedar. Decorate with sprayed seedheads.
Chillies and sprouts An evergreen oak and eucalyptus base is brightened up with red chillies and sprouts attached with stub wires.
Ivy ring To create this natural effect, attach ivy to the basic wreath and decorate with twigs, berries and seedheads.
(c) Copyright Which? Ltd 2009, all rights reserved.
