Mississippi has an abundance of beautiful native greenery—magnolia, cedar, Cyprus, pine, holly, arborvitae, and boxwood—the perfect materials for creating lush, natural Christmas wreaths.
This magnolia wreath takes little time to construct after gathering and conditioning the greenery, and it transforms an inexpensive craft store wreath into a showpiece. It may be created as large as you desire by using a wreath with a larger circumference and additional greenery. And, if your front door is not in direct sunlight, it will remain fresh the entire season, although I add additional fresh pieces of greenery if I am having a party or guests near the end of December.
The same construction techniques are also easily adapted for a lavish and full native greenery garland using a wired greenery craft-store garland as the base.
This is the perfect fun project to create with a few girlfriends. So, girls, get together with your clippers, gather beautiful native greenery, and create a magnolia wreath with a special Mississippi welcome for this Christmas season. It may just become as traditional as your Christmas tree!
Materials you will need:
EDI with Patty Roper’
Artificial green wreath from craft stores
Clear fishing line for hanging wreath
Garden clippers
Variety of native greenery (magnolia, cedar, Cyprus, pine, holly, arborvitae, and boxwood)
Large container of room-temperature water
Leaf Shine Spray
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Ribbon for bow
To create a Magnolia Wreath:
- Collect various pieces of fresh greenery. For a 16-inch wreath, collect about 20 sprigs of each type of small greenery, such as cedar, Cyprus, pine, holly, and arborvitae, and about 12 magnolia bunches.
- Condition greenery in a large container of room-temperature water for 24 to 48 hours.
- Attach the fishing line on the top of the wreath to hang over the top of the door by a small nail on the inside of the door.
- Beginning with the magnolia bunches, using the wire tendrils of the artificial wreath, secure one piece at the top, bottom, and center of each side (at 3 and 9 o’clock.) Fill in the spaces with the remaining pieces of magnolia, securing each with the wire tendrils.
- Spray the magnolia with the leaf shine and allow it to dry for a few minutes.
- With the hot glue gun, add each kind of the smaller greenery in the same method of top, bottom, 3 o’clock, 9 o’clock, and filling in. Save the pine until last because it is like adding lace.
- Wire the bow into the desired position on the wreath (top, bottom, or side).
For Hanging Wreath:
Place a small nail with a head about 1 inch from the top center on the inside of the door. Loop the fishing line over the nail and over the top of the door.