12 Days of Christmas, Day 11, HOW TO Make Simple Wreaths

When we moved into our old schoolhouse, I knew the large, original windows in the great room needed simple wreaths hanging from them at Christmas time.

What I didn't know was if I was going to buy artificial wreaths, purchase real ones, or make some.

But, who are we kidding, I like to do things on a budget so of course, I was going to make them!

I started with some simple wire wreath rings.  The previous owners left about fifty of these in varying sizes.  I chose the smallest ones. You could shape a circle from a wire clothes hanger. I then headed out tot he yard with some clippers and clipped branches and juniper branches.  

If you do not have good clippings that you can gather from your yard, ask a neighbor, go to a public forest area, or to a tree lot and see if they have some clippings.  Most lots will give them to you for free.

I used florist's wire, using about 2 or 3 feet at time (I used the tin snips to cut the wire).  I started with some branches and juniper clippings and wrapped the wire around both.  Add more as you go.  Be careful to not completely wrap the evergreen branches in the wire--leave some free.  Wear gloves if needed--I didn't.

I was able to make the 6 wreaths in about an hour.  

I hung them from simple red ribbon.

I also made two for the front door.  

I made my garland for the library rails the same way, except I just joined the branches to each other, not to a wire.

The juniper smells not so great the first 24 hours, but it goes away pretty quickly, and the results are just what I pictured.