DIY Christmas decoration #1
Christmas sees us doing ridiculous things like decorating the house with fake flora that would never grow in a tropical climate. But we don’t care. Nothing makes us feel more festive than a plastic fir wreath and tree bling. Singing Christmas carols notwithstanding. That said, we’re open to adding a dose of quality yuletide craft to our décor. A bit of Chritsmas DIY is a great way to get the kids acquainted with the spirit of Christmas too – a bit of giving, sharing and contributing rather than just being on the receiving end of things.
Go to our craft page for more DIY decoration ideas and DIY gifts.
So, thanks to our great friend, Claire Dalgleish of design blog Fellow Fellow, we bring you the first in a series of creative Christmas decoration DIY’s: a beautiful handmade DIY Christmas wreath for your front door. Clear the table, get out the apron and get ready for some (slightly messy) fun.
What you will need
- Plant cuttings or faux foliage (try Spotlight)
- Plain fibre wreath ring (try Art Friend)
- Florist wire
- Secateurs and scissors that can cut wire
Take an excursion with the kids around the park or neighbourhood with a pair of secateurs. Look for foliage with volume and wider/thicker leaves to better fill areas and hide the wiring. Ensure that the plants are sturdy, hardy wooded plants and twigs that do not require water so they won’t dry out, although brown burnished leaves can work too.
Instructions
Step 1:
Cut your foliage into manageable lengths and pieces to fit your wreath size. For example, if your wreath ring is 30cm in circumference , we recommend cutting your foliage to around 13cm.
Step 2:
Wind a loop of wire around the ring edge and secure it. Remember not to cut the wire off from the roll. Instead, leave the wire attached to the roll so that you can easily continue winding the wire around the wreath later on.
Step 3:
Lay one or two foliage pieces over the wire. Wind the wire tightly round the ring and over the foliage stems to secure them in place.
Step 4:
Place the next piece of foliage overlapping the bottom of the last piece so as to cover the wire, and secure it again by looping the wire around. Always work downwards in the same direction.
Step 5:
Repeat Step 4 until you reach the start again. Do cover the inside and outside edges as well. Finish off by hiding the stems of your final foliage pieces under the top of the first pieces you placed. Carefully wind the wire around a final time, before cutting it and securing the end under the wreath.
Step 6.
Now you can personalise the wreath even more if you like. Add berries, feathers, ribbons or fresh flowers on alternative days.
Step 7.
Attach a wire loop to the back of the wreath. Now, you’re all set to hang it on the front door.
Merry Christmas!
With thanks to Fellow Fellow