Tag Archives: Christmas wreaths

Decor – Seasonal Front Door Decorations

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Festive decorations on the front porch are a wonderful way to welcome guests during the holiday seasons.  In this post I will showcase the seasonal front door decorations that I have used for our home throughout the year.

Shown below are three photos from past Christmas front door decorations I have used.  The first photo was taken in 2003 and shows the Christmas wreath and front door garland I used for our home in California.  Both decorations feature pine boughs, poinsettias and red berries.  The second photo was taken in 2008 and shows the Christmas wreath I used for our new home in the Midwest.  The grapevine wreath is covered entirely with pine cones and I added red berries and holly leaves.  The third photo was taken in 2012 and shows the pine wreath and I added several pine cones and red berries.  (For more information about my home’s Christmas decorations, please click on the following links: Christmas Home Decorations, Christmas Wreaths Décor post, Christmas Wreaths Craft post, and More Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Decorations from Past Years)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA    2008 Christmas front door wreath

2012 Christmas Front door wreath

The next photo shows the Valentine’s Day wreath that I used for the front door of our home in 2012.  It is the same pine wreath that I used for Christmas the previous year and I just added some large red glitter hearts.  I used the wreath as a front door decoration for the Queen of Hearts Party that I had for Valentine’s Day.  (For more information about the Queen of Hearts Party, please click on the link)

2012 Queen of Hearts party wreath

Below are two photos that show two of the different front door decorations that I have used during the Spring and Summer months at our home in the Midwest.  The first shows a very special and sentimental wreath that was originally used at my Mother’s funeral.  The floral wreath that I made features white roses that were my Mother’s favorite flowers – six white full roses to represent my parents and their four daughters, nine white rose buds represent their nine grandchildren and finished with green hydrangeas and berries in a lovely pastel shade of rose pink.  The second photo shows my most recent Spring/Summer front door decoration.  I had purchased a metal cone-shaped container which I filled with white and purple tulips.  (For instructions and supply list for this Spring Door Decoration, please click on the link.  Also, for more information about my home’s Easter decorations, please clink on the link)

2013 Easter wreath 1a    2014 Spring Front door wreath

Finally, below are two photos that show two different shaped front door decorations that I have used for the Fall season.  The first photo shows an unusually triangular shaped pine wreath that features several sunflowers, orange berries and a festive autumn bow.  The second photo shows another unique door decoration, it is an oval grapevine wreath that features a pumpkin wall hanging, orange mums and autumn leaves.  (For more information about my home’s Fall Decorations, please click on the following links:  Fall Home Decorations, Halloween Decorations and Nightmare Before Christmas Wreath inspired by the classic Disney animated movie)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA    2013 Front door autumn wreath

Craft – More Christmas Wreaths

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As I mentioned in a previous Décor post, Christmas Wreaths, I decorate our home during the Christmas season with several different wreaths hung throughout the house, some of these are traditional in style and other are more whimsical in design.  This Craft post will feature four wreaths with complete supply lists and instructions.

Gingerbread Men wreath

This Christmas wreath was inspired by one that I had seen on the 2012 HGTV White House Christmas television special.  The wreath featured was very simple in design and made from a pine wreath with several freshly baked gingerbread men placed side by side in a circular pattern to match the round shape of the wreath and interlaced with a red ribbon to secure the gingerbread men in place.

2012 White House gingerbread wreath

For the Gingerbread Men wreath, I used an 18”artificial pine wreath, a dozen paper-mâché gingerbread men, bronze metallic paint and paint, 18 bronze jingle bells and red ribbon in two widths (one roll of ¼”inch wide  to lace through the gingerbread men and one roll 2” wide to hang wreath).

Gingerbread Men wreath - supplies

First, the paper-mâché gingerbread men were painted in a beautiful bronze metallic paint to resemble the color of real gingerbread.

Gingerbread Men wreath - paint

After the paint has dried, position the gingerbread men around the wreath and interlaced the red ¼” wide ribbon between each of them to secure to the wreath.  Next, I add the bronze jingle bells throughout to complete the wreath.  The Gingerbread Men wreath will be displayed on the cabinet in our kitchen this holiday season, this room is usually decorated for Christmas with a candy cane and gingerbread theme.  To hang the wreath I used the 2”wide ribbon tied in a loop and finished with a bow.

Gingerbread Men wreath - final 1

Nutcracker wreath

Each Christmas, since our daughter was a small girl, our family tradition has been to a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet during the holiday season.  Over the years sometimes the show is a professional production or a cast of ballerinas from the local college or amateur dance company.  We always look forward the story, music and the dancing of the Nutcracker Ballet.

For the Nutcracker wreath, I started with an 18” artificial pine wreath.  At my local craft store I found a collection of eight Nutcracker ornaments that depicted the main characters of the ballet.  I placed these evenly spaced around the wreath, and then I added small white berries and completed the wreath with a “frosty” white bow.  The Nutcracker wreath will be displayed on the door to my daughter’s bedroom during this holiday season.

Nutcracker wreath - supplies    Nutcracker wreath - final

Boyd’s Bear wreath

I have a collection of Boyd’s Bear ornaments, in the past I have displayed them scattered among a pine garland on the fireplace mantel in our California home.  (For a photo of the fireplace garland please check out the Décor post, Displaying a Boyd’s Bears Collection – Part Two)  Since we moved to the Midwest a few years ago I have not displayed the ornaments and this year I decided to use the ornaments in a different way by displaying them on a Christmas wreath.

For the Boyd’s Bear wreath, I started with an 18” artificial pine wreath.  I arranged eight of my Boyd’s Bear ornaments evenly around the wreath and secured them with wire.  Next, I added small wooden snowflakes scattered in between the ornaments.

Boyds Bears wreath - supplies    Boyds Bears wreath - final

Teddy Bear wreath

Over the years I have collected some small teddy bears, last year I displayed them on a tabletop Christmas tree which I set on the top of the roll-top desk in out master bedroom.  (For a look at a photo, please check out the Décor post, Displaying a Boyd’s Bear collection – Part Two) and this year I decided to display the collection on a Christmas wreath.

For the Teddy Bear wreath, I started with an 18” artificial pine wreath.  I evenly spaced the small teddy bears around the wreath with the Santa and Mrs. Claus teddy bears at the bottom.  At the top, I left a space for a small “Happy Holidays” sign.  Next, I added four pine sprays with berries and added four large pinecones to the wreath.  Finally, to complete the wreath I added several red berries scattered around.

Teddy bear wreath - supplies    Teddy bear wreath - final

These four Christmas wreaths are a great way to use a specific theme and ornaments and hopefully inspire you to take a trip to your local craft or retail store.  There are some additional examples of themed wreaths in a December 2012 Craft post, Christmas Wreaths, with complete supply lists and instructions.  The three wreaths are a Dickens Village Wreath and a North Pole Wreath using miniature Department 56 building ornaments and a Disney Wreath, using Hallmark ornaments of Disney characters.

Decor – Christmas Wreaths

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At Christmas time, I decorate with several different wreaths throughout the house; some are traditional in design while others are more whimsical.  There is always a wreath on the front door to greet our holiday guests in a festive way along with the other front porch decorations.   Every year it is a different one and I have a couple of wreaths that I rotate from year to year.  One it is a large pine wreath decorated with pinecones and red berry sprays, another one is a wreath covered completely with velvet holly leaves and then another is a pinecone wreath with holly leaves and red berries.

Christmas wreaths are not just for the front door – try using them in other rooms of the house.  We have a fairly large size kitchen that is open to the family room and there are several areas that I decorate for Christmas.  One area had a long counter work space with two chairs (this is where my daughter does her homework while I am cooking dinner).  I have a Department 56 gingerbread train that is displayed in the space above the cabinets with two large pine boughs and red “sugared” berries.  To complete this area, I hang two holly leaves and berry wreaths from the doors of the cabinets.  The decorations are out of the way so they don’t take up any counter space and the wreaths are hung from long hooks so the cabinet doors can still be opened.

    

Other ideas for wreaths:

  • Use several baby themed ornaments on a wreath to hang from the door to the baby’s room.
  • Use several Barbie ornaments on a wreath to hang from the door to a little girl’s room.
  • Use several Matchbox cars attached to a wreath to hang from the door to a little boy’s room.
  • Use seashells and starfish for a beach themed wreath in the bathroom.
  • Use screwdrivers and wrenches (check before using!) for a tool themed wreath in the garage.

Last month I posted a Craft project for a special Memory Wreath decorated with small photo frame ornaments.  For Thanksgiving I used family photos but for the Christmas season you can use photos from your children’s visits to Santa or maybe use your children’s school photos taken over the years.  It is a wonderful way to remember special times and to see how much your children have grown and changed!

For more wreath projects, please look for this week’s Craft post.  I will show you how to create three unique wreaths using a collection of themed ornaments – two different Department 56 wreaths using small ornament houses from the Dickens and North Pole collections and also a Disney character wreath.

So, please let me know what you think of these wreath ideas or send me a photo of ones that you have made – I would love to see them!