With all of the Pinterest finds for this Holiday season I was most in love with homemade wreaths! Even if they were a little scary to try I was game for it. I bought some embroidery hoops from Michael’s and used green floral wire to attach the greenery. I started with a search around our back yard to find limbs and branches that I thought would work well. I wanted them all to be different but similar. I had the big Christmas tree in our backyard in mind first but that didn’t work out since the branches were too hard to form into circles and they were incredibly sharp. The softer branches were a lot easier to work with.
I started the first wreath by securing each branch to the hoop one by one but it wasn't a sfull as I was hoping for. After I thought I was finished I sat it to the side.
With the second wreath I knew I could try something a little different since it was the smallest of the three. I took some fresh rosemary from the yard and made 3 long pieces into a circle the same size as the hoop. Once I made sure the size was right I then secured the stems to the hoop with the wire. This was a lot easier and looked more natural also.
The last wreath is probably my favorite. I curved the branches to fit the hoops and tried to wrap them around to make sure the placement as right. Since these branches were softer I could lay it on the floor and take a look at it without having to secure it. This made it a lot easier to see where more limbs were needed and then I could wrap the wire around certain sections but still have some of the greenery loose.
After I was finished with the last wreath I went back to add a few more pieces to the first one using the same technique that I used with the last. It was still hard to make it full but I liked the way they all looked different.
The fourth wreath was made with fake garland and a hot glue gun. It was my first try and I was a little nervous about the real stuff but now looking at the final products I wish I wouldn't have used the fourth hoop with the garland. But oh well... now I know!
Once I finished with all of the wreaths I took some red ribbon and wrapped it around the hoop twice and used a staple gun to secure the ribbon on the hoop. Once I decided how long I wanted the ribbon to be I cut the ribbon and used the staple gun to attach the ribbon to the top of the window. This way there are no bows and the style is simpler. Exactly what I was hoping for.
Now that I have tried out these baby wreaths with greenery from our yard I have a few ideas for the rest of the house and I’m pretty excited about those too!! I’m going to try my best to do something a little creative and fun with the branches I cut from the Christmas tree in our back yard but you’ll have to wait a little later to see if that works out. Crossing my fingers!!!
Once again, I'm happy to join in the Holiday Cheer link up!
