Even during the holiday season, first impressions are important. And since the front door is usually the first thing guests will see when they enter your home, it's a place most people adorn with an elaborate wreath they probably paid an arm and a leg for.
Sure, you could spend said appendages for a wreath of your own. Craft stores and home improvement warehouses have plenty of fresh and faux pre-finished holiday wreaths for $50 or more.
Some of these projects are so easy a third-grader could do them. I know, because one of them, the plastic bag wreath, I actually made in third grade. It took my little 8-year-old hands weeks to do it, but I did it!
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What's currently on my front door is a beautiful length of twisted grapevine, cut from my parents' grapevines. It's rustic, and simple enough that I can change the adornments with the season. This view is my autumn wreath, with faux acorns, leaves and pine cones. I just picked up a couple mini glitter ornaments and other things for my winter wreath, in the dollar section in the front of Target.
If you don't want to spend a lot, or if you don't have your own heirloom grapevine wreath base to start with, I have some great wreath ideas to inspire you. The great thing about all of these wreaths is that they're non-perishable, so you can tenderly pack them up in January and store them until next December!
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Marshmallow wreath - A couple bags of marshmallows and a hot glue gun and you've got yourself a sweet wreath. Add a little extra dimension with full-sized marshmallows and mini ones.
Ornaments wreath - Remove the hanger piece of the ornaments. With a wreath form, hot glue ornaments all the way around, starting with the bigger ornaments and filling extra space with smaller ones. Be sure to leave the back bare so the wreath will lay flat.
White Christmas wreath - Using pins, attach white feather boas around a wreath form (they used four boas for a 16-inch form). Then add accessories of your choice, like a group of wired-together Christmas ornaments.
Plastic bag wreath - When I made this in third grade it was with deconstructed plastic sandwich bags, but this is even better because it gives new life to those pesky plastic grocery bags. Cut the handles and logos off your plastic bags, and fold them in half to form a loop. Dig a small hole into your wreath form, and insert the loose ends of your loop. Then, using pinking shears or textured scissors if you have them (regular scissors would work, too), cut the loop. Repeat, repeat, repeat, then fluff!
A wreath of a different shape - A distinctive frame with a little paint work and aging, some ribbon and a few ornaments, and you have a beautiful, personalized welcome for friends and family this holiday. You can swap out the ornaments and use this "wreath" for other seasons, too.
Tip: Wreath forms can be expensive. Make your own with a length of foam tubing or a pool noodle and some duct tape.
What's on your front door this holiday season? Inspire others with your decor!
