Making a twig wreath is the ultimate idea of the perfect fall season craft! It will give your door a fun and festive look for autumn, and one with great rustic appeal! it’s also ideal as a Thanksgiving holiday craft too! And did I mention, so many of the materials you’ll need are FREE – because nature has put them in our direction.
If you’re someone into nature hikes you’ve got a gold mine waiting for you in the form of branches and twigs already. Another thing, one duty we have as gardeners is the fact that every so often we have to prune excess vegetation in our yard periodically. That’s what happened to me, I ended up with a mess of branches from overhanging limbs from our neighbor’s tree that were droopy (and possibly blocking the sun from our crops)
The rest of the materials will be familiar already and used to embellish it. Without further ado, let’s get into the nitty of gritty of this craft.
Materials Needed
Before you start collecting all your twigs you’ll need a good base to build your wreath upon. I started off with a coat hanger, but I’ve found it’s much MUCH easier to use a round wire wreath form instead.
Other tools include: a Pair of pliers, a hot glue gun or strong adhesive like e6000 some craft wire with thin gauges, 22-24 work well
Set aside a little time and make this a fun activity for an afternoon, just collecting as many sticks and twigs as you can find around your backyard. Also, don’t forget about other natural adornments for your wreath in addition to the tree branches and twigs: pinecones, acorns, leaves, dried flowers, berries, etc. I broke all my twigs into five inch lengths which is a good length to work with.
You may want to wash them off to remove any residual debris like dirt, etc. I use Murphy’s Oil soap. It may take a day for them to thoroughly dry – or you can speed things up a little by putting them in the oven at a low temp (e.g 175 degrees)
Making the Twig Wreath Base
First I bent my coat hanger into a circle to form the base. Those of you using a wreath form can skip this part. The coat hanger didn’t go to waste – a lot of why I was drawn to it in the first place is due to the hook at the top built in, but I ended up securing it to a circular form.
diy branch wreath
Cut several pieces of wire into six inch lengths. Next, take a small handful of twigs (I’m going with about 4) and wire them together – this is called making a “bundle”. Secure the end of the wire in such a way that no one will be apt to be stabbed at some future time.
Make several other bundles the same way until you have created enough to cover the wreath base. (Give or take, I probably ended up with about 12-14.)
Now take a bundle and wire it securely onto the wreath base. Take another bundle, and being careful to overlap the first bunch so that the wire is covered, repeat this step.
Build Up the Layers
Repeat this over and over until your wreath base is finished. Tuck the last bunch of twigs underneath the first bunch to hide the wiring and fasten on. Clip the wire and tuck it in securely (I take my needle nosed pliers and make a curl on the wire ends) to avoid any potential injury.
If you find that the first twig bundle is too inflexible to be maneuvered this way, don’t sweat it, you can just glue some of your ornamental parts on in such a way that the wire will be concealed.
Next take the berries, dried flowers, pinecones etc. and arrange them around on the wreath, placing them strategically for max aesthetic appeal. Try to create a pattern with your objects.:Notice here how the objects are in clusters at the top, side and bottom which creates a focal point.
Use your hot glue gun or adhesive to attach them. When the glue dries you will have a very attractive twig wreath which will look festive either inside or outside your home. Use something equally rustic like grosgrain ribbon or jute cord to create the hanger at the top, you can tie a bow or add a few finishing touches like wooden beads.
Wow…pretty amazing how good what some people call “yard waste” something can look when strategically pulled together like this! To add an extra layer of protection, I coated it with Mod Podge.
Finishing Touches
As a finishing touch bonus you could also give it a pretty color coat with spray paint! Me, I love silver and gold – it’s perfect for autumn don’t you think?
Notice how I’ve used clusters of acorns (which I’ve painted, too) and small pinecones to add interest. and draw in the eye.I wanted to add a little more to it in the way of something soft and complimentary…so I added some ribbon and wire
Well there you have it….the essential piece of fall decor – a fall wreath made from elements of nature’s bounty – wood twigs and whatever other items you’ve found to complement it.
. How will you embellish YOUR wreath? Enjoy!
