DIY Simple Cedar Wreath

Is there anything quite as breathtaking and beautiful as fresh greenery wreaths? With just an armful of cedar boughs and some floral wire, we can put together an elegant but simple cedar wreath. Just the vibrance we need in the dead of winter and best yet, practically free!

DIY Simple cedar wreath hanging in front of an antique mirror with a red velvet ribbon.

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Do you ever find yourself swooning over those beautiful natural holiday wreaths? I love decorating with natural elements. In fact, a beautiful natural wreath is one of my favorite things of any season. And when cooler temperatures start to knock on our doors the first thing I’m thinking about is a fresh greenery wreath and garland.

I see those iconic pictures in my head that are synonymous with the Christmas season. But I had no idea creating my own homemade wreath was going to be such an easy project. You might even call it a gorgeous Christmas wreath hack! (But it really isn’t a hack, I’m just super frugal).

Where Can I Get Fresh Greenery for Free?

Cedar trees pretty much grow everywhere here where I live, they’re literally every few feet on my parents’ rural property. So I have no trouble finding a tree that could stand to lose a few cedar clippings to make my own wreath or fresh garland.

But maybe you live in a warmer climate, or simply haven’t got a place to get fresh cut cedar. Never fear, there are still some great places you may be able to gather an armful of evergreen branches to pull together your own fresh Christmas wreath.

And when you’re pulling together a spectacular fresh cedar wreath don’t forget to cut enough for some gorgeous fresh cedar garlands!

Cedar boughs winter wreath with red velvet double bow.
Fresh cedar winter wreath with bright burgundy double velvet bow.

How to Resource Greenery for Fresh Cedar Wreaths

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all your options. A simple wreath can be made in many ways. And I’m always a huge fan of shopping your own stash first! What do you have on hand?

  • Local Hardware. Our local Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards carry a large selection of Christmas trees and they trim every tree they sell. All of those clippings just go in the trash. Definitely ask about taking it home for yourself!
  • Christmas Tree Lots. The same thing happens here, they trim trees so you may as well take advantage and save it from the trash.
  • Tree Trimmings. If you’re a lover of fresh Christmas trees ask for your own trimmings and repurpose them into a wreath!
  • Local Community. I often ask for or offer things locally to my community. You may find someone with property rurally that would be happy to let you take some tree trimmings!
  • Your Front Yard. Don’t overlook pretty greenery, it doesn’t have to be cedar branches. You could use clippings from Pine trees, Evergreen trees, or any number of other beautiful bushes or trees that are green in the winter months.

Note: Optional if you haven’t got access to fresh greens, faux greenery or even faux garland would definitely work.

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Supplies

All of my craft supplies were purchased at my local Dollar Tree, but most of this can be purchased from any craft store as well.

How Do You Make a Cedar Christmas Wreath?

If you want the easiest way to create a wreath then you may want to choose a wreath form. Having that stability really will make the project smoother. I opted to try the challenge of using as little as possible and I didn’t want to purchase anything extra.

However, I made two wreaths. One is a beautiful fresh wreath made entirely from cedar branches and floral wire for my dining room. And one was an easy embroidery hoop wreath for my front door.

A simple and easy embroidery hoop wreath for my front door with a Merry Christmas sign hanging in the middle.
Nothing says “Happy Holidays” like a pretty sparkly Merry Christmas hanging right in the center of your beautiful wreath.

Step One | Start Building Your Form

Since I took the challenge to make my simple cedar wreath without a form, you have to kind of make your own form. It’s a matter of layering in a ‘circular’ formation. And then using several pieces of wire throughout to give it stability.

Layering Your Circle

01 Start by cutting your florist wire into 8-10″ strips, though this might vary depending on how large you want your natural wreath to be.

Fresh cut cedar branches being formed into a rough shape of a circle to create a handmade wreath.
When you have enough fresh cedar branches down start connecting with floral wire and twist it super tight to hold them.

02 Then lay down your first branch and layer 2 or 3 more on top. I was laying the branches face up so the woody branch part was in the back of the wreath. Try to create a very rough circular shape.

03 When you have about 1/3 of the wreath laid out start taking a piece of wire and running it under the branches. Hold the wire taut and twist the wire 4-5x. Then leave it open for the next branch to be layered on. Do that 3-4x spaced apart.

Continue to layer on top of the branches leaving the floral wire open after twisting each time for additional layering to make a wreath.
Layering fresh cedar on top of the already filling circular pattern to make a wreath with only floral wire.

04 Keep adding on around the circle. Secure the pieces with the floral wire by holding them taut and twisting. Continue to leave the wire open after twisting to allow for more layering.

05 Once your circle is complete, reinforce the entire frame with additional wire around the entire length. Twist the wires and hide them in the greenery.

The finished fresh cedar branch wreath after being made with just branches and floral wire.

06 Pick up the wreath and make sure the form is completely stable. If it still feels wobbly add more support and ensure you’re pulling the wires taut while twisting.

Note: I left the smaller branches for filler when the wreath was completely done being built.

Step Two | Adding On To Your Beautiful Wreath

It never hurts to add a little bit of additional Christmas cheer to your wreath.

I chose to add a bright pop of color with this lovely burgundy velvet ribbon. I was able to fumble my way through tying it into a double bow. And then attached it to the ribbon I used to hang it right in the center of the wreath.

Double velvet bow atop a fresh cedar wreath

But I’m also a huge fan of off-centered bows off to the side of the wreath as well. Or additional natural wreath add-ons like dried oranges, cranberries, pinecones, etc.

Christmas Wreath Inspiration

I know I stood back and admired my beautiful creation, as you should if you make your own. But I can’t help but look at all the possibilities I can make next year, or the next holiday season. Because let’s face it, wreaths are great pretty much every season of the year!

Where do you go to find your inspiration? Typically I search in two different places Instagram and Pinterest. Let me know in the comments what your favorite Christmas wreath style is! I’d love to hear.

FAQ

Depending on the temperature of where the wreath is being kept fresh cedar wreaths and garlands can remain fresh for 3-8 weeks. But there are ways to help cedar prolong its freshness like misting it with an anti-transpirant spray and keeping it in cooler temperatures.

Absolutely. Wreaths can be made with little to no money spent if you’re creative and take the time to put them together. Premade fresh cedar wreaths can cost anywhere from $40 to the hundreds.

In an indoor setting, most fresh-cut cedar will last around 2 weeks of time unless they’re in a cooler temperature room. You can also use an anti-transpirant or anti-desiccant spray to prolong the freshness of your greenery.

You can spray anti-transpirant or anti-desiccant sprays to keep your fresh cedar wreaths and other seasonal greenery from losing moisture. Sprays like this were developed specifically to protect plants in drought-prone areas and can be used to prolong the freshness of cut greenery as well.

Yes. If you mist your greenery with water it helps keep it fresh longer. However, it’s better to use an anti-transpirant or anti-desiccant spray specifically designed to keep greenery fresh longer.

Handmade Christmas Crafts and Decor Ideas

If you love making handmade Christmas crafts or your home decor, I have a few ideas to inspire you! And also, hopefully, entice you into a few extra activities on your holiday season list. You know you want to!

Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope I have given you some inspiration, ideas for creativity, and maybe a push to start creating your own wonderland one piece or project at a time.

Don’t forget to come back for more great projects like these DIY Projects and many more!

Julie

Author photo of a 38 year old woman with shoulder length dark brown hair, blue eyes, she's wearing a grey shirt with pockets.
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Meet the Author

Hi, I’m Julie! Mother to five beautiful kids, Homeschool Educator, Writer, Handicraft & DIY Enthusiast, Photographer, Thrifter, and Furniture Restorer. Follow along for fun DIY projects creating a handmade home on a budget! Read more about me here→

4 Comments

  1. I had planned on eventually doing a post on my own blog on DIY wreaths and when I do I’ll remember to link to this post as it’s better than I would end up doing!

    Reply

  2. I just recently started realizing that I have cedar and juniper all around me! It’s amazing what you can find for free from mother earth when you stop to look! This wreath is gorgeous and I cannot wait to try it next year.

    Reply

    1. That’s fantastic! Yes! It’s so fun to realize that what you need is usually right there next to you if you’re looking. You totally should, it was actually really simple and basically free!

      Reply

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