How To Make A Winter Wreath

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As I mentioned in my post about the fall wreath that I created, I really enjoy making things with my hands. And, after kicking off my craft-making comeback with that fun project, I was determined to make a winter wreath, too! Take a peek at the below instructions if you’d like to make a similar one for your home.

Supplies

▪ Glue gun

▪ Gorilla Glue sticks–This was my first time using Gorilla glue sticks and it won’t be my last. (See notes at the end of the post to see why I used this glue instead of the standard glue sticks.)

▪ Silicone Finger Guards–I’ve gotten hot glue on my fingers each time I’ve used my glue gun…except for the day I made this wreath! (#thankyoufingerguards)

▪ 1 long Christmas or winter pick with several branches of green leaves and red berries–I used a pic that had 9 branches with four leaves and 6-8 red berries on each branch.

▪ 1 long Christmas or winter pick with several branches of green leaves and gold berries-I used a pick that had 7 branches with four leaves and 6-8 gold berries on each branch.

▪ 12″ grapevine wreath–You can use a larger one if you want, but you’ll need to increase the number of berry picks you use if you buy a larger wreath.

▪ 3 yards of 2″ wide wired ribbon

▪ 20″ of thick thread–I used about 20 inches of tan waxed linen thread to help me secure the picks and make the bow. However, you could use jean- or leather thread, too.

▪ Scissors

Directions

I first laid out the berry picks on my work surface, alternating colors, so that I could get an idea of how many picks I would probably need.

Gold berry picks
Red berry picks

Then, I twisted five stems of berries together, alternating colors, so that they formed a spray of berries. (See below photo.)

I attached the bottoms of the sprays on both the right and left sides of the wreath with hot glue. I usually use the standard glue sticks that come with glue guns. However, this time I chose to experiment with Gorilla Glue sticks and I think I’m going to like using them. With a longer drying time (45 seconds), the glue gives crafters more time to correct positioning mistakes that could occur when they’re working on a project and it is reportedly more durable than other types of glue. Next, I secured the top of the left and right sprays to the wreath with a small piece of waxed thread to hold them in place while I added more glue under the leaves of both the left and right sprays.

In order to fill in areas that looked sparce, I pushed up the leaves and berries on some of the remaining berry pics and pulled them all the way off of the stems. I then arranged the leaves and berries into little clusters and glued the clusters onto the wreath. (See below photos.)

Once the berries and leaves were attached to the wreath, it was time to make the bow. I used a roll of tan burlap ribbon adorned with white lace because I already had it in my craft supply stash. But, you make your bow out of any type or color of wired ribbon that compliments your berries (or any other wreath decor you decide to use). I first made a big loop, using about 16 inches of ribbon, and tied a piece of thread around the middle of the big loop to cinch it so that I could form the base loops of the bow. I then took a piece of ribbon that was about 4 1/4 inches long, wrapped it around the center of the emerging bow, and glued it in place. (See below slideshow.)

Secure loops with thread.
Hold ribbon in place for about 50 seconds to make sure it dries.
The bow looks pretty, but could be bigger.

Next, it was time to make additional loops for the bow, so I cut off approximately 6-7 more inches of ribbon to make the loop for the left side. In order to make sure I used the same length of ribbon for the right side (and have identical angles for the ends), I placed the piece for the left loop on a stretched out piece of ribbon and measured out the same amount of ribbon for the right loop. I then placed the loop for the left side behind the left loop on the initial bow and glued it into place. I repeated this step for the right side. (See below slideshow.)

Make your bow bigger by adding more loops behind the loops that you already made for your bow.
To make sure the right and left loops are the same size, make one first and then use the piece of ribbon as a template for the other loop.

Once the bow was finished, I added the remaining gold berry sprigs to the bow by tucking their stems inside the small verticle ribbon loop in the center of the bow and glued them into place.

After that, I used the glue gun to attach the finished bow to the top of the wreath. Rather than leave the ribbon tails hanging down straight, I created “peaks” and “valleys” in them by manipulating the wired edges of the ribbon. Finally, I added my hook to the back of the wreath at the top and happily hung it on our front door.

Would you like to create your own winter wreath? If so, take a moment to explore some of the craft supplies available on Amazon.com that could help you do that. I’ve included links to a few of them below for your convenience. (FYI, since I am an Amazon Associate, I will earn income from qualifying purchases if you click on any of the below products and place an order.)

12″ Grapevine Wreath