If you have read any of my other blog posts, you will know that I'm a big fan of wreaths. I love hanging them on my front door, changing them with the seasons. Wreaths feel so welcoming, like a warm "hello, come on in".
While I do have a few neutral all-season wreaths, holiday wreaths are my favourite! I first saw a version of this pinecone woodland wreath in a post by Better Homes and Gardens. I knew right away that this was the winter wreath I needed on my front door. In fact, this wreath inspired my whole winter woodland porch theme this year (see below or click here).
I had a bag of dried pinecones I collected from the park sitting in my garage, so I decided to use those, as well as a few different varieties of pinecone I picked up at the store in my mixed pinecone version of the wreath. I wanted the end product to feel full and have a circular shape. The original (here) used big sugar pinecones and had less of a kurated feel.
To start, here's what you will need:
1 wreath form (mine is 18" from the craft store)
1 roll 20 gauge wire
Pinecones (I used 4 bags from the store & a grocery bag full from the park - make sure to dry any pinecones you forage before using)
Glue gun and glue
9 red Christmas ball (various sizes and finishes)
3-5 red cardinal birds (you could use any bird you like - mine are from JoAnn's)
To create the wreath:
Step 1: Wrap wire around the outside ring of the wreath form and twist - this will be your anchor. Wrap the wire around each pine cone, looping the wire around the back of the form as you go. Try adjusting the pinecones so that they are facing different directions and tucking into one another so there are no spaces in between. Repeat process on the inside ring of the wreath form.
Step 2: Using wire, fit individual pinecones in between and on top of the two rows you have already wired. I tried to keep smaller pinecones for this stage so they nestled in between better. Again, try to have pinecones facing different directions so it doesn't look too uniform.
Step 3: Using a glue gun and lots of glue (especially if you are using the wreath outdoors and you live in a cool climate) attach leftover pinecones to fill in any gaps. I used more of the park pinecones I collected at this stage, as they were narrower.
Step 4: Using a light coloured grey spray paint, lightly dust your pinecones. I wanted to maintain a bit of the earthy brown colour, so I stood quite far away and let the paint spray just dust the wreath. Make sure you do this in a well ventilated space. Allow paint to dry. Repeat if you would like to add more colour.
Step 5: After paint is dry, use spray snow to add a bit of depth to the wreath. Let dry.
Step 6: Using glitter spray (or I used a paint brush and a bottle of shiny glitter glue, as that's what I had) add a final sheen to wreath. I wanted this to be subtle so it maintained a rustic woodland feel, but still had a bit of shimmer.
Step 7: Using the hot glue gun, position and glue red Christmas balls into place. I turned the balls so that the gold or silver topper (hook) was not showing. I think it added a more "berry-like" feel.
Step 8: Add cardinals, or birds you choose. The birds I found had wire attached to their legs, so I used that to attach them to the pinecones. However, with the front door opening and closing, they tend to fall off, so I will hot glue gun them to ensure they stay secure on the wreath.
Step 9: Attach your wreath to a door with a hook (mine is an over the door hook).
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
Krista
Winter Wonderland Porch (below)
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