So, here is a list of what you will need for your homemade Christmas wreaths: wire wreath (Michael’s or other home crafts store), cedar branch leaves, loblolly pine tree leaves, green floral wire (Wal-Mart), wire snippers, and small pruning shears for basic list. Here is a list of optional choices to add festivity to your homemade Christmas wreaths: fragrance oils (visit my blogger for an online, inexpensive fragrance oil store), Christmas ribbons (Wal-Mart), raffia, Christmas ball decorations, acorns, dried orange slices and apple slices (see end of article for how to do this) and door hanger hook (Wal-Mart). See? That is all that is needed for inexpensive Christmas decorating!
First, to start your homemade Christmas wreath, snip each cedar or loblolly leaf about 3 inches in width and gather about 3-4 leaftlest together for 1 looping. Place this grouping on the wire wreath, and then wrap the floral wire around this about 3-4 times tightly. Clip off the end of the wire about 4 inches long in order to tie a knot around the back of the wreath for security, and tie about 3-4 knots, keeping the wire taut as you tie. Now, repeat this process, laying your next section of leaves in at the base of the previously placed leaves on the wreath form in order to hide the wire from view. Continue doing this until the base of the wreath is completely covered.
After the base is done, begin the “fun” part of your homemade Christmas wreaths, the decorations! I use small holly tree branches with the red berries still on. I also use pine cones still on the branches. These 2 items can be easily “tucked” inside the base of the wreath branches without adding anymore wire, if you have bulked up your base sufficiently enough and make sure the holly berry and pine cone branches are long enough to tuck. You can attach Christmas ball decorations (use Christmas tree hooks stretched out to attach to the wire wreath), acorns (using a hot glue gun), grapes, dried apple slices, dried orange slices, the list goes on and on. Visit my other bloggers on this site to learn how to make dried apple and orange slices, as well as other unique, inexpensive Christmas decorating ideas.
After you have finished your homemade Christmas wreaths, you are ready to hang them on your door for a welcoming entrance. Simply place the door hanger hook over the top part of your door and then place the homemade Christmas wreath on the hook, and voila! An inexpensive homemade Christmas decorating project to rival that of any of the more expensive wreaths decorating other homes in your neighborhood.
How to dry orange slices: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. While heating, cut your orange slices in very thin sections. Place on greased cookie sheet flat. Bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, store in dry area (window seal is fine) for about 2 days until ready to "string" with other ingredients.
How to dry apple slices: Preheat oven to 150 degrees. While heating, cut your apple slices in very thin sections. Place on greased cookie sheet flat. Bake for 30 minutes. At the tail end of the process, I like to sprinkle mine with cinnamon (say about the last 5 minutes of cooking). When you add your refresher oil later in the season, the base of the cinnamon "cooked" into the apple slices is really potently revigorated. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, store in dry area (window seal is fine) for about 2 days until ready to "string" with other ingredients.
You can add a drop or 2 of fragrance oils to your wreaths for holiday ambience. I have found an online store that sells each 1 ounce bottle of fragrance oil for under $5. Simply click on the banner below and enter fragrance oils in the search for box for a list from A-Z, or enter in the individual names such as: pumpkin spice, holiday pine, 7up pound cake, apple cider, vanilla cinnamon, baked bread, amish friendship cake, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and almond biscotti.
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