How to make your own Christmas wreath in 10 easy steps

Wreath season is fast approaching – in fact, it has already arrived on some front doors. For traditionalists, a Christmas wreath should be classic and timeless, with green foliage, red ribbon and the odd pine cone for decoration. But, in recent years, the wreath has evolved to become a symbol of one’s personal style. Like any other form of decoration, the festive wreath has become subject to trends, be it the multiple colourful ribbons that decorated last year’s fashion-forward doors, or the edgy, asymmetrical styles favoured by minimalist households.

This year, event stylist Sunita Shroff, who is running wreath workshops with florist Mela Certe for Soho House, has noticed that some wreath fans are embracing a move towards a muted palette. “People are looking in their gardens and woodland for foliage to decorate with, and keeping the look as natural as possible; hessian ribbons are all the rage,” she says. Others, however, are referencing a very specific cultural moment: “Everyone is going nuts for pheasant feathers,” says Shroff. “It’s the whole Rivals effect.” The success of TV shows such as Disney’s Rivals and Netflix’s The Gentlemen has seen a surge of what we might call the shooting-weekend vibe: alongside the feathers, ribbons – in tweed, plaid and tartan – are in demand. So are classic English country house colours.

If you want to make your own wreath from scratch, you can find wreath-making supplies online from sites such as Amazon, from floristry suppliers and garden centres, and in your own garden. Follow our step-by-step guide with Sunita Shroff and Mela Certe below.

How to make a Christmas wreath in 10 steps

You will need

• Moss wreath base – this one is 20cm diameter

• Floristry scissors

• Floristry wire – in pre-cut sticks and/or on a reel

• A mix of evergreen foliage, berries and herbs, either from the garden or from a florist or garden centre, e.g. eucalyptus, hedera, pyracantha, pittosporum, rosemary, lavender

• Decorations: here, dried oranges, dried lotus heads and feathers; you could also use gold-sprayed acorns, slices of dried citrus fruit, etc

Step 1

Start by wrapping a piece of wire around the wreath base and tying it in a knot to secure it. (Tip: If you are using reel wire for this, don’t cut the reel wire until you have finished attaching all your foliage to the wreath.)

Step 2

Make sure your stems of foliage are cut to similar lengths – here, just under 20cm – and arrange them into mixed bundles (you’ll need 9 or 10 foliage bundles for a wreath of this size). Take your first bundle of foliage, lay it flat against the wreath base at a slight angle, and secure it to the wreath by wrapping the piece of wire around the bottoms of the stems and the wreath, pulling it tight and tying it into a knot, then tucking the end into the wreath base.

Step 3

Repeat: take a second bundle of foliage and lay it on the wreath base, facing in the same direction as the first, so that the leaves of the second bundle cover the stems of the first, and secure the bundle to the wreath base in the same way. Repeat all the way around the wreath until the base is covered.

Step 4

When you get to the final bundle of foliage, make sure the stems of that bundle are concealed beneath the leaves of the first bundle, so that the wreath base is completely concealed. Secure it to the wreath with the wire, then fan out the foliage so that the wire and stems are covered. Check that the wreath looks symmetrical and make any adjustments by fluffing the foliage a little, or sticking in extra stems in places where the wreath looks sparse.

Step 5

Now it’s time to decorate. Take a dried orange and thread a piece of wire through the middle of it. Take the two ends of the wire and twist them together.

Step 6

Choose where you want the top of the wreath to be; this is where you will create a focal point. Take your wired orange, and push the two ends of wire through the wreath base, twist them together at the back, then push the ends of the wire into the base to conceal them.

Step 7

Repeat with another orange or two to create a focal point at the top of the wreath, and tidy up the back of the wreath by snipping away any loose bits of foliage.

Step 8

Repeat with the dried lotus heads, threading the wire through each head and securing it to the wreath base. Add feathers, if using, by sticking them into the wreath base.

Tip: When adding decorations to the wreath, think in odd numbers, e.g. groupings of three or five.

Step 9

When you are happy with your decorations, hold your wreath up to check that it looks symmetrical, and add any extra foliage where needed by sticking the stems into the wreath base.

Step 10

Finish by wrapping a piece of ribbon around the top of the wreath and tying it in a bow or, as here, a simple knot.

For further information on Sunita Shroff’s wreath workshops, visit sunitashroff.com

What to add to your wreath

Key trends for this year

Florist Nikki Tibbles of Wild at Heart is favouring a naturalistic look, with a standout flourish: “Keep it simple and natural, with a rich variety of green shades and textures – think lush foliage, moss and, of course, a statement oversized bow,” she advises. Similarly, Chelsea florist Lavender Green has spotted that “large statement wreaths” are on trend, but so is “a shift toward simplicity and authenticity – a refreshing change after a few years of bold, bright and brilliant styles”.

At the flower-subscription company Flowerbx, there are two key trends this year: its super-luxe Golden Winter Wreath in shimmery gold and white, with metallic gold skimmia and dried ferns, and its Berried Rosehip Wreath, which comes with pink berries, rosehips and dried pink hydrangeas.

Super-luke Golden Winter Wreath, £175; Berried Rosehip Wreath, from £185 (both Flowerbx)

Dried flowers are also de rigueur at Norfolk florist Burnt Fen Flowers, which is offering a Living Wreath (£105), with green foliage dotted with colourful dried flowers, and a Dry Wreath (£95) with vibrant dried dahlias, helichrysums and gomphrena sitting on a spiral of willow, which will last for years, and not look out of place if you bring it out again in the spring.