In under an hour, you can cut vines or willow branches, strip the leaves, and weave the stems into an easy homemade wreath base, ready for decorating.
This project will work with either willow stems or wild vines such as grapevine or virginia creeper. I’ve used the same DIY method for either material and have great results. I haven’t bought a wreath in years but I use these homemade wreaths on many special occasions.
The four steps used to make a willow or vine wreath are very simple. I used pieces of Japanese willow from my front yard in these illustrations, but the same process also works for other bendable twigs and vines. You may find virginia creeper or wild grapevines growing on your backyard fence or twining around your trees. These are perfect for wreath making.
How to Form a Willow or Vine Wreath
Step 1. Gather your supplies. The amount you need depends on the size of the wreath. For a smaller wreath, you’ll need half a dozen fresh willow sticks with leaves removed. If the sticks are dried, soak in water overnight or until they are supple enough to bend without breaking.
Step Two: Make a Simple Circle
Take your first piece of willow and bend it into a circle, tucking in the ends so the circle maintains its shape. Trim the ends to fit with pruners or scissors.
Here, I made two willow circles, choosing the larger one, 10″ in diameter, as the base for my wreath.
Step Three: Add More Willow or Vines
Add a second piece of willow to the first circle, tucking in the ends as before.
Repeat this step three or four more times, taking the opportunity to craft the shape of your wreath.
You may prefer a perfect circle, or more weight at the bottom and thinner parts of the stems at the top. Do what works for the final wreath that you have in mind.
Step Four: Completed Willow Wreath
You can now continue adding to your fresh wreath with pieces of evergreen foliage such as yew, boxwood or holly.
Or you can let the wreath dry to its finished shape, creating slightly bigger spaces as the willow or vines shrink slightly.
Wonderful Wreaths to Make Yourself
For more information on working with vines, particularly virginia creeper or grapevine, see How to Make a Vine Wreath. To see how your wreath might look when you add dried wheat, grasses and florals, check out this Dried Fall Wreath.
Shown, at left, is a colorful Autumn Wreath made from eunonymous vines and vibrantly decorated with silk flowers, artificial maple leaves, plus small dried rosebuds and pinecones.
Shown, at right, cream paper twist twines prettily around a grapevine wreath and makes a pretty bow for this Scarecrow Fall Wreath featuring a homemade yarn scarecrow.
Gold spray paint is your friend when you make a Homemade Gold Cherubs Wreath. Just wait for your willow or vine wreath to dry before spraying it with glittering gold.
If you love working with natural materials, consider making a Fresh Pine Wreath for Christmas. It is fashioned from purchased pine garlands which totally hide the base circle made from a wire coat hanger.
DIY Willow Wreaths Tutorial:
I highly recommend this short video called How to Make a Natural Willow Wreath. From the British charity, Wetlands and Wildlife (WWT), it shows the short but necessary steps to make a natural, bendy, beautiful willow wreath.
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