We have a large space on the wall of our front porch that I wasn’t certain how I was going to decorate for Christmas. My husband suggested a large light up wreath. I looked online at purchasing a pre-lit wreath, one with and one without decoration. I also went through my stash of craft items and found several Christmas swags I had purchased earlier this year at an estate sale. Using the swag elements, a purchased wreath and bow, I decided to make my own light up wreath. Below I’ll share the steps I took and other supplies used, so you can make your own wreath too!
Supplies used:
- 36″ wreath (I got mine at Hobby Lobby during a 50% off sale)
- Large bow (Hobby Lobby, 50% off)
- 2 swags with assorted greenery and berries (I got mine at an estate sale, but they were originally from Hobby Lobby)
- strands of lights (I used a box of 100 and a box of 50)
- glue gun
- glue sticks (I use gorilla glue brand)
I purchased a 36-inch wreath from Hobby Lobby, two boxes of LED strand lights (one 100 light strand and a 50 light strand) and a large bow.
I set everything up on a small table in our garage. The first thing I did was wind the string of lights throughout the wreath. I plugged them so they were lit, which helped to make sure the lighting was scattered as evenly as possible and making sure the main plug was on the bottom so that it would easily plug into the outlet on our porch. I fluffed the wreath as I worked to put the lights on. Second, I attached the bow to the bottom center and placed a couple of dollops of hot glue to help secure the bow and keep it from flopping down.
I took two of the swags and using a pair of snips, started to disassemble the swag of it’s berries, branches, leaves and pine cones which I would then hot glue around the wreath. I mentioned earlier that I got these swags at an estate sale earlier in the year. It was a garbage bag of four of these swags, for $8!! The original tags were still on the swags; $29.99 at Hobby Lobby. Definitely a thrifty project!
After snipping off all the greenery, berries and scattering them on the table, I started taking pieces and just hot glueing them to branches of the wreath in no particular fashion, just eyeballing placement of the different pieces. The different branches and leaves from the swags helped to fill out the wreath giving it a bit more fullness and dimension. The berries helped to bring a nice pop of seasonal color. I hung the wreath on a nearby dolly and added additional greens and berries until I was pleased.
Finally, I took the wreath outside, hung it on an existing hook and plugged it in. The finished product brings a pretty, festive touch to our front porch for the holiday season. I’m hoping in 2021 to find a nice bench or table to add to this area.
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