DIY Winter Wreath with Wood Flowers and Rustic Charm

Join me as we delve into the step-by-step process of creating a unique winter wreath using wood flowers, blending nature-inspired elements with a cozy aesthetic. 

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Welcome to our first post of 2024 at the Hand Crafted Society, where we’re starting the year with a theme close to nature’s heart: wood.

Here at the Hand Crafted Society, we’re not just a group of bloggers but a community of passionate creators who gather monthly to embark on creating together. This month, our focus is on wood. And trust me, the outcomes are enchanting.

What makes this project so special is witnessing each participant’s diverse perspectives and interpretations of the identical medium. It’s a captivating journey, and I can’t wait for you to explore the array of creativity that unfolds.

As you make your way to the end of this post, you’ll discover all of our projects. The images and links lead you to the project of each blogger. 

Materials Needed to Make A  Winter Wreath

Supplies Needed

• For the wreath base, I used an old picture frame. If you do not have one at home, you can find these frames at estate sales or your nearby thrift store. Add a touch of paint to achieve a rustic look, and you’ll be all set to start your project. If you prefer, you could use a grapevine wreath or a willow wreath as your base. 
• Sola wood flowers– choose a variety of flower styles. They come in a natural color, but it is so easy to paint a different color. 
• Pussy Willow branches (faux or real) 
• Branches or twigs (I collected them on a walk)
• White or cream acrylic paint (or any color you would like)
• White spray paint 
• Gray Spanish moss
• Two 4″ half-round styrofoam balls 
• Craft wire 
• Three inch wide ribbon to hang your wreath 
• Dried fall leaves
• Thumbtacks (to hang your wreath)
• Six inch long wood skewers

Additional Tools Needed

• Hot glue gun
• Glue sticks
• Wire cutters 
• Scissors 
• Paper or plastic cup
• A small amount of water

Winter Wreath Tutorial

Creating a base for your flower arrangement on the wreath

• I wanted my wreath to be all white and cream-colored. My frame was a bit yellow, so I added white paint to the edges. You can leave your base a natural color or spray paint it to match your decor. 
• Use two styrofoam ball halves or cut a ball in half.
• Hot glue the two halves of the ball onto the lower left corner of your wreath. 
• Add craft wire around the balls to secure them. 

Create your floral arrangement on the wreath

• Cover the styrofoam balls with Spanish moss using hot glue.
• Spray paint your twigs white. 
• Insert a few pussy willow branches and a branch or two of the bleached oak leaves (or branches of your choice) along with the spray-painted white branches. Insert them into the styrofoam going up along the edge of your frame. 
• Insert a few horizontal branches along the bottom edge of your frame. 

Dying Sola Wood Flowers

​(This is a DIY option) You do not have to dye them if you like the natural look.

TIP FROM WENDY’S CRAFT ROOM: Pre-soak the wood flowers in warm water before dying them. Sola wood is highly absorbent, and a quick soak helps the flowers absorb the dye more evenly. This ensures vibrant and consistent coloring throughout the petals.

• You can use any paint color you would like to dye your flowers. Add a small amount of acrylic craft paint into a paper or plastic cup and add a little bit of water. 
• Take an individual sola flower, dip it into the paint mixture, and swirl it around to get a good coat on the flower. 
• Since I wanted all white and cream flowers, I chose to use white paint. 
• Remove the flower and blot any excess off onto a paper towel. 
• Allow to dry. 
• If your flowers did not come on a stick, you can add floral stem wires to the base of the flower so you can work with them. 

Spray painting leaves and adding them to the wreath

• I gathered a few fall leaves from the yard and spray-painted them with a light coat of white paint. 
• Hot glue them into the wreath where you would like them. 

TIP FROM WENDY’S CRAFT ROOM:
Avoid applying a thick layer of paint to the leaves; retaining some of the details and the natural color is nice. Consider lightly wiping off excess paint after spraying for a more nuanced and visually appealing result.

How do you attach Sola wood flowers to a wreath?

• Start inserting the flowers into the wreath where you want to place them.
• I hot glued a 6″ wood skewer to some flowers and cut it to approximately 3″ long. This way, it is easy to insert them into the styrofoam.
• In addition, I also directly glued some of the flower heads without a skewer.
• Attaching the wood flowers at different heights gives the wreath dimension.

How to Make A Winter Wreath With Wood Flowers

Styling your Winter Wreath

I intended to showcase my newly crafted wreath on the front door, especially after giving our front porch a recent update that I absolutely love.

How to hang a wreath on the front door

There are several ways you can hang a wreath on the front door. However, we have a glass door, which is more challenging.

If a wreath is light weight, I will use a Command hook that I attach directly to the glass.

Since the wreath is rather heavy, I am going to use a 3″ wide ribbon.

I place the ribbon through the wreath and use three thumbtacks (for each ribbon end) and a hammer to attach the ribbon to the very top edge of the door.

This takes two people, one to hold the wreath and the other to hammer in the thumbtacks.

TIP FROM WENDY’S CRAFT ROOM:
You must ensure the thumbtacks are flat and trim any excess ribbon so the door will close nicely. I also added round felt pads to the back of the wreath so it does not damage the glass door.

If you love this project, you might also enjoy some of my other favorite wreaths:

Other Wreath Tutorials

• How To Make A Fresh Lemon Wreath
• How To Make A Rag Wreath
• Snowflake Wreath made of Pinecones

I hope you enjoyed this quick, easy wreath project using an old wooden picture frame and Sola wood flowers. Take a moment to see all the stunning projects the other talented gals created below, and mark your calendar for next month’s post on March 12th. You don’t want to miss it!