5 More Ways to Dress Up a Basic Evergreen Wreath

Last holiday season I gave myself a challenge: take a basic evergreen wreath and personalize it. I had so much fun with this project, I thought I would do it again this year.

In case you missed it, here's a quick snapshot of I came up with:

Based on page views, your favourites were the Lady Bug Wreath and the Blue Jay Wreath. 

I also did a Partridge and Pear Wreath, A White Rose & Berry Wreath and a Fruit & Berry Wreath (the links will lead you to the how-to's).

This year, the challenge again began with a very basic evergreen wreath, which I purchased at the grocery store for $10.99. 

My wreath came with a rather sad, crumpled bow and a few token pinecones. But the hard work was done for me, so I am not complaining. All I had to do was to dress it up and make it pretty!

So what did I come up with for the 2015 holiday season?

A Snowy Owl Holiday Wreath

(Here's a link to the how-to)

A Holiday Bell Wreath

(Here's a link to the how-to)

An Antique Rose Holiday Wreath

(Here's a link to the how-to)

A Butterfly Holiday Wreath

(here is a link to the how-to)

And finally, a Teddy Bears and Toys Holiday Wreath.

This one is for the children or grandchildren in your life!

(Here's a link to the how-to)

So what's your favourite?

5 Ways to Dress-up a Basic Evergreen Wreath

Basic evergreen holiday wreaths are available here at most grocery and big box stores.

One of the best thing about these store-bought wreaths is that all the hard work is done for you. 

They're also affordable- I picked this one up at Walmart for $12.98. 

But, they are a little ho-hum. 

So for fun, I gave myself a little assignment: 5 ways to dress up and personalize a basic, store-bought evergreen wreath.

The first thing I did was to give my wreath a bit of a haircut. As you can see, it was looking a bit like a shaggy dog! You could barely see through the centre.

The first design I came up with was themed on birds and the color blue.  

How-to in a nutshell: (For more detailed instructions and a materials list, click this link.) Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches and red berries into your store bought wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones and branches where snow would naturally collect. Once dry, use florist's wire to tie the pinecones into the wreath.

Remove the rope hanger from a little cardboard birdhouse ornament, poke a hole in the bottom and inserted a florist's pic. Add a dab of hot glue to secure the pic onto the birdhouse. 

Insert the birdhouse pic into the wreath and allow it to catch in the evergreens. Clip 3 bluejays and 3 little bluebirds onto the dogwood and berry branches (I found these at Michaels craft store).

Finally, attached a blue bow with some florist's wire. 

My next idea was to use a mix of fruit and berries to add a little pop of color to all that green.

How-to in a nutshell: (For a more detailed how-to and a material list, click this link.) Take some white craft paint to dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Once dry, use florist's wire to tie them into the wreath.

Insert some boxwood sprigs to add a some leafy texture. 

Next, add in red and orange berry branches and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow and red mini-apples (I found these at Michaels craft store). Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it for a minute or so until the glue sets. Insert the finished apple pics into the wreath. 

Attach a red bow with florist's wire. 

I think roses are a lovely holiday flower. This wreath combines white roses with red berries.

How to in a nutshell: (For a more detailed how-to and a materials list, click this link.) Take some white craft paint to dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Once dry, use florist's wire to tie them into the wreath.

Insert some boxwood sprigs red berries into the store bought wreath and allowed them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

I bought a stem of little white silk roses and a stem of white forsythia (I found these at Michaels craft store). I cut the large stem into a number of shorter branches and inserted these branches into my wreath. 

I did the same for a stem of pearl berries and glittery gold eucalyptus (also found these at Michaels craft store)- cutting one large stem into several smaller branches. 

I then added the smaller stems of pearl berries and glittery eucalyptus. 

Finally, I fastened a white bow with some florist's wire. 

My third wreath is inspired by the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song that has the refrain 

"and a partridge in a pear tree". 

Okay, this probably isn't a partridge, but it is close enough.

How to in a nutshell: (For a more detailed how-to and a materials list, click this link.) Take some white craft paint to dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Once dry, use florist's wire to tie them into the wreath.

Insert some boxwood sprigs and red berries branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow mini-pears (I found these at Michaels craft store). Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it for a minute or so until the glue sets. 

Insert the finished pears pics into the wreath. 

Gather three feathers together in your fingers. Hold them at the top of a florist's pic and wrap the fine wire around and around to create a feather pic. Insert several feather pics around the circumference of the wreath. 

Clip on your partridge.

Attach a red bow with florist's wire. 

I thought that my final wreath should have a garden theme- this is a garden blog afterall- so I decided to do a red ladybug wreath with a pretty plaid bow.

How to in a nutshell: (For a more detailed how-to and a materials list, click this link.) Take some white craft paint to dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Once dry, use florist's wire to tie them into the wreath.

Insert some boxwood sprigs and red berries branches into wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a single large stem of glittery eucalyptus (found at Michaels craft store) and cut it into a number of shorter branches. Insert the shorter eucalyptus branches into your wreath. 

Take a large branch with gold glitter (found in the floral department at my local grocery store) and cut it into a number of shorter pieces. Add them into the wreath allowing them to catch in the evergreens.

Take the red wooden ladybugs (found in the craft section of my local Dollar store) and apply a dab of hot glue onto the back. Place them on the gold branches and hold them in place for a few seconds until the hot glue has set. Note: If you can't find ladybugs, festively colored butterflies might be fun (look for butterflies at Michaels)

Attach a plaid bow and jingle bells to the wreath with some florist's wire. 

While I was working away making these holiday wreaths I came up with at least 

five more themes...ah well, maybe next year!

Have a wonderful weekend!