A beautiful wreath is the perfect way to welcome holiday guests to your home. And Think.Make.Share Designer Ashley H. is a little obsessed with making them. “I just love any good-looking wreath,” she says. “I’ve been trying to figure out why. Maybe it’s because they kind of remind me of my marriage: Creating one isn’t always easy. When you’re figuring things out, it can be a hot mess. But all the work is worth it when it turns out beautifully.” We asked her to lead a workshop (on wreath-making, not marriage—but we would take that one, too). And we’re delighted to share all these modern Christmas wreath ideas and inspiration from our artists.

MODERN CHRISTMAS WREATH SUPPLIES

For the most part, we made deconstructed grapevine wreaths. But stick around to the end for a bonus magnolia wreath design.

• Grapevine wreaths (in whatever size you’d like)
• Artificial greenery (evergreens, eucalyptus, ferns, berries—whatever you’d like)
• Foraged sticks and pinecones
• Wire (we used floral wire because it’s green and easy to manipulate)
• Wire snips
• Needle nose pliers
• Scissors, craft knives, pruning shears (depending on the greenery)
• Add-ons: Ribbons, ornaments, bells, cut-out words or letters
• Optional: Spray paint, glitter, shiny things

Pro-tips

• Faux greenery is great because it lasts forever. It’s not hard to find good artificial plants!
• I demolish things and put them back together. Sometimes to get greenery I like, I’ll deconstruct a garland for parts.
• Use different textures of evergreens and other plants. You can spray paint them to add dimension and interest.

How to make an asymmetrical wreath

• Start with a grapevine wreath. Cut and remove the vine wrapped around the wreath to hold it together.
• Carefully take away the smaller vines until you get to the big vines that form the foundation of the wreath. You could probably get simple three wreaths out of one typical grapevine wreath, but for a modern Christmas wreath I like the really clean branches.
• Use wire to secure the ends.

• Now it’s time to start layering your greenery. I usually start with long, fairly flat pieces.
• As you add layers, mix different textures and colors. Build it up, using wire to secure the each layer. The back side will be messy—and that’s OK.

• Once you’re happy with the greenery, choose your centerpiece—or pieces. This gives your wreath a focal point and—bonus—hides the wire.

Pro tip

The centerpiece is the fun part. Our artists tried all kinds of looks:

• Minimalist: All white ornaments, single ribbon, natural beads or wood shapes
• Natural: Pinecones, berries, eucalyptus
• Sparkly: Glitter-covered, metallic or snow-frosted greenery
• Rustic: Small bird house, antique bells, rusted metals
• Vintage: Family ornaments, thrift-store finds, vintage ribbons

The wrap-around vine one artist removed from her wreath formed a perfectly wonky star shape.

Bonus: How to make a magnolia wreath

One of our artist came prepared with a bunch of fresh magnolia leaves. Making this classic but modern Christmas wreath is simple:

• Gather bunches of three leaves and wire them together.
• Wire or glue them layer by layer to a styrofoam wreath form. I’d recommend wiring—winter weather isn’t always friendly to glue.
• Attach a ribbon at the back of the styrofoam form.

Bonus pro tip

Tighten the wire by hand, then use needle nose pliers to give it a final twist or two—that’ll help make sure your additions stay in place. But don’t tighten too much—the wire will snap. The great thing about using wire is you can change your mind and move things around really easily.

More wreaths

We are big fans of this particular decoration. And I’ll turn just about anything into a wreath: from embroidery or brass hoops to wicker chargers and chicken wire baskets. For more inspiration, check out a collection of different Christmas wreaths, an easy DIY felt wreath, and a yarn-wrapped succulent wreath (#allthetrends).

And of course we want to see yours. Share with us on Facebook or tag us on Instagram!

— Ashley H.