How to Make an Easy Evergreen Ornament Wreath
This easy DIY Christmas ornament wreath uses an evergreen wreath base and is a great addition to your front porch holiday decor!
I guess I’m on a DIY ornament wreath kick, as this is the third one I’ve made this holiday season! It’s actually been super fun to make different kinds of ornament wreaths, testing out different bases and the best materials for the job. But honestly, it’s hard to choose a favorite, because they’ve all turned out amazing! (Though, I’m definitely loving the simplicity of this one. And that ribbon bow?! So pretty!)
In this tutorial, I’m showing you how to make an ornament wreath using a faux evergreen wreath. Check out this ornament wreath tutorial if you’re using a foam base or this ornament wreath tutorial for wire wreath forms.
Not sure what type of wreath base to use? I compare all of them below! Keep reading for all the details and step-by-step instructions for this gorgeous ornament wreath.
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What you need to make a Christmas ornament wreath
- faux evergreen wreath form: I purchased mine from Hobby Lobby after Christmas when everything was 90% off, so this $14 form was only $1.40! Hobby Lobby labeled this as a 24 inch wreath, but I’d say my final wreath measures closer to 22 or 23 inches wide (I guess even craft supplies exaggerate their size sometimes 😜).
- shatterproof ball ornaments: also purchased during the Hobby Lobby clearance sale, so this $16 box was only $1.60! (So, if you’re doing the math, the total cost of this easy project was less than $5 total! I’m a fan!) I only used one size of ornaments for this wreath, but you can use a mix of large ornaments and small ornaments if you prefer. You could use glass ornaments or even vintage ornaments, but I’ll always try to persuade you against them in favor of shatterproof ornaments, since it’s a lot less heartbreak if your wreath ever falls or gets dropped by accident.
- hot glue gun and extra glue refills (you’ll go through quite a bit)
- 1.5 inch wired ribbon: my fun pom-pom ribbon came from Joann’s (RIP Joann), but this is actually my favorite place to buy high-quality wired ribbon for wreaths!
- two chenille stems/pipe cleaners
- ruler or measuring tape
- a drop cloth or tablecloth to cover your work surface: When I made my styrofoam ornament wreath and wire ornament wreath, I didn’t cover our kitchen table with anything except scratch paper and had glitter everywhere, including the gap where you can add a leaf in–a fun surprise when I went to expand the table for my son’s birthday party a few weeks later. 😆
What is the best base for an ornament wreath?
Such a great question! I’ve now made ornament wreaths with a styrofoam frame, a wire frame, and this evergreen wreath form (or pine or fir, whatever you want to call it).
Evergreen wreath form
I will say that the evergreen wreath is the least messy of the three (because the faux greenery is so dense, you won’t get any hot glue dripping through like the others).
It was definitely the quickest to assemble (though they’re all pretty fast).
It was nice that the ornaments on this wreath didn’t touch so I didn’t have to worry about gluing them together (but that’s just personal preference – if you want to use more ornaments similar to the other wreaths, you’d probably be gluing them to each other for more stability).
Another pro for the evergreen wreath is that you don’t need to wrap the wreath form or use any kind of filler – your filler’s already built in! (An evergreen wreath is more traditionally-Christmas, so if you’re making an ornament wreath for a different holiday or season, I’d recommend one of the other bases.)
And finally, I think the spaced-out ornaments (at least in my design) make this the best option to add a ribbon bow to for a fun pop of color.
Wire wreath form
This was probably the least expensive of the wreaths to make since you can use the wire wreath form from Dollar Tree (unless you snag an evergreen wreath on a 90% off sale, then they’re sixes).
This ends up being the smallest of the wreaths, and I think the compact size is kind of fun. It uses about the same amount of ball ornaments as the evergreen wreath, but I did have to add in the small and mini ornaments as filler.
A wire wreath frame is really easy to wrap with a tinsel garland or ribbon, so small gaps aren’t an issue.
Though I used hot glue with all my ornament wreaths, if you did want to use floral wire instead, I’d say a wire wreath form would be the easiest base for that (I compare the merits of both hot glue and floral wire in my first ornament wreath post).
Foam wreath form
I like that foam wreath forms give a nice rounded shape to ornament wreaths. It’s hard to tell from photos, but I’d say that this wreath looks the most full in person, so it really stands out on a front door.
A foam wreath form costs about $5 or $6 so you’ll spend a little more than at least the dollar store wire wreath form.
The filler I chose makes my foam ornament wreath look more like an evergreen wreath, but you can easily make this without by pre-wrapping with ribbon or a tinsel garland (I’d recommend it).
If you do want to use any type of filler with stems (like wreath picks), though, it’s really easy to push them into the foam without the need for glue.
Hopefully that information helps you choose which wreath base to use for your ornament wreath! Or, try them all and see which process you like better!
How to make an evergreen ornament wreath
Fluff branches
Before gluing any ornaments on your wreath, you’re going to want to make sure all your branches are fluffed out and straightened (oftentimes, these wreath forms will come looking super squashed from the store).
Glue on ornaments
Position all your ornaments on the wreath where you want them (the pine branches will hold most of them, but a few will want to roll, so this is just to get a general idea). You can use as many or as little ornaments as you’d like.
Begin gluing ornaments on, one by one, by applying hot glue around the top of the ornament (and over the ornament cap if you want) and pressing it into the wreath form. There’s no need to remove the other ornaments before you start gluing, and keeping them on will help you remember the placement!
This part went so fast, way easier than my other ornament wreaths!
If you’re going to be adding a ribbon bow, you may want to leave a gap where you plan to attach it. I forgot and had to kind of push one ornament out of the way to make room (worst case, I would’ve just pulled it off or cut it out since the bow would hide that spot anyway).
Make a wreath hanger
Choose which position the wreath looks the most balanced in and what will be the top of the wreath (I rotated mine just a little).
Fold a pipe cleaner in a “W” shape. The middle of the “W” is going to become the top of the door hanger loop. With the other two ends together, stick them around the top wire at the back of the wreath form and wrap them around the rest of the pipe cleaner a few times to secure the hanger to the wire frame. Push the pipe cleaner ends towards the wreath so they don’t scratch your door.
(This is the same way I made my wreath hanger for this grapevine Valentine’s wreath, but I realized I didn’t take process pics either time! If you’re confused, you can just as easily make a door hanger with a ribbon or string.)
Make a bow
I have lots of bow tutorials that would look great on an ornament wreath!
For this one, I made my Long-Tailed Wired Bow with a couple size adjustments. The original bow has a 6″ tail, two 10″ loops, and a 14″ tail. For my ornament wreath, I sized the bow up by making an 8″ tail, two 10″ loops, and a 22″ tail.
Follow the process in the full tutorial (or go watch the video!) to make the bow. I also have an inexpensive e-book you can purchase HERE that includes all 12 bow-making tutorials for your convenience!
Here’s a visual of my making the 8″ tail, two 10″ loops, and a 22″ tail (which makes the first section of the bow):
Twist a chenille stem around this first section to hold it together, then repeat the process to make a second section. Carefully unwind the chenille stem and add the second ribbon section to it, positioning the short tails together at the top. Dovetail the ribbon ends.
I attached the bow to my wreath at the top middle, but you could also place your bow on the side or bottom.
My wreath form has two wire frames at the back that the evergreen branches are attached to, so I twisted the bow around the lower one. Just stick the chenille stem ends through the wreath around the frame and twist at the back to secure. Trim the ends with wire cutters or scissors and tuck the ends towards the wreath so they don’t scratch your door.
I think I made my short tails a little too long so I kind of crimped them gently so they weren’t sticking out as much. I also curled the long tails of my bow for a little extra interest and movement (just use your fingers). If needed, you can hot glue the tails to some ornaments (maybe just in one or two spots) to hold them in place.
Looking for the best wreath ribbon? This is my favorite place to buy it from!
DIY Wreath With Ornaments
I hope you’ve been inspired to make your own ornament wreath! I’m so happy with this new addition to my Christmas decor. It’s so simple to make, but you wouldn’t know it with how professional it looks!
If you have a lot of ornaments to use up and want some more ideas, be sure to check out these other ornament wreaths:
DIY Christmas Wreath With Ornaments
Blue and White Winter Ornament Wreath
Don’t forget to pin and save for later!
