The traditional Christmas wreath has been revamped in a plethora of modern renditions, from snow white pompoms to novelty paper Brussel sprouts, there is such a huge variation on the market today!
Why not add a personal touch and enjoy the craftsmanship of making your own this year? All you’ll need is a few household items, a couple of pieces of fruit and a bit of your own time and patience...
What you’ll need:

  • An old metal coat hanger
  • Sphagnum moss (can be bought from your local garden centre or picked from your garden)
  • Florist binding wire
  • A mix of evergreen leaves from the garden or a few unneeded branches from your Christmas tree
  • Fruit, such as: Oranges, clementines, lemons, limes and chilli peppers.
  • Pine cones
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Tartan ribbon (or a ribbon of your preference)


1) If you would like to use dried fruit as decoration, you’ll need to transform them into dried fruit the day before you wish to make your wreath. Simply achieve this by baking the fruit on a low setting in the oven for a few hours. If you slice your fruit thinly, it will take less time to bake, although may not have quite as much of a visual impact that you’d like to achieve. We suggest a mixture of thinly cut pieces along with the whole piece of fruit with festive shapes cut into the peel. Alternatively, you can buy your dried fruit from craft shops.
2) When your fruit decoration is ready and you wish to commence creating your own Christmas wreath, start by gently bending the wire coat hanger into a circle shape
3) Take a handful of the moss and roll into an oblong shape. Then wrap this around the metal wire, tying it in place with the florist binding wire (remember not to pack it too tightly). When you complete the circle, simply cut the wire and twist the ends of the wire together.
4) Cut whichever branches and leaves from the garden that you would like to include on your wreath. Any evergreens such as holly, ivy, eucalyptus, bay, rosemary, bay or box leaves will work well, perhaps even any branches that needed trimming from the Christmas tree. Once chosen, lay the bunches of greenery around the circle, all facing in the same direction, again twisting the florist wire around them to keep them in place.
5) Wrap the florist wire around your decorations, tying a knot at the bottom of the decoration and leaving a long line of wire to stick into the moss, then fold it back on itself to grip it in place and ensuring the sharp end isn’t left exposed. If you’re attaching thin slices of fruit, it’s best to thread the wire through three pieces at once. Likewise, the cinnamon sticks look lovely when attached in sets of two or three.
Add in your decorations to your own taste, whether that’s blooming with colour or the odd one here and there, it is entirely up to you but remember to leave space at the bottom for your bow.
6) Add the finishing touch to your Christmas wreath by fastening the bow. It may take a couple of attempts to get this right, but we recommend attaching a tight wire in the middle of the ribbon to fix your bow to the moss in the same way you have with your other decorations.

Have you made your own wreath before? Or will you be using our handy guide to make one this year? Let us know in the comments below…