We are already getting a lot of snow here in our part of the Pacific Northwest. But that is OK because Thanksgiving is over and you know what that means? Full on Christmas! I adore fall. It is probably my favorite season, so I don’t want to rush it. Therefore, I never put up Christmas decorations or play Christmas music until the day after Thanksgiving, despite what the stores do.

This week in retirement, we are making Christmas wreaths at our house. They are quite easy, albeit messy, to make. My husband, Mr. U (as his students often called him), taught his agriculture students how to do this years ago. (A LOT of years ago, but who is counting?) They learned how to make wreaths and then sold them to the community to raise money for their FFA chapter. The students learned a skill, as well as how to run a business. And in the process, I learned how to make wreaths as well.

Making Christmas Wreaths in 5 Easy Steps

You will need the following supplies:

• fresh branches
• a wreath ring
• garden trimmers
• green wire
• wire cutters
• decorations: pinecones, holly, Christmas bulbs, a bow, or whatever sounds fun and interesting

Start by picking a lovely sunny winter day to gather copious amounts of tree branches. Fortunately, we have a lot of fir and cedar trees to choose from here in the PNW. (However, in the fall I really wish we had more colorful deciduous trees like they have on the East Coast.)

Once inside where it is warm, decide on a room where you don’t mind a big mess. We use Mr. U’s wood shop. Make some hot spiced wine and get the Christmas music going. Oh yes, back to making wreaths. Trim the branches to about 8-10 inches long and set them aside. If we had holly in our area, we would definitely use that too.

To start the wreath, wrap the wire around the metal ring several times to hold it in place. Keep the wire on the spool and just continue to unwind it as you go. Gather 5-6 of the branches together. Lay them on the ring and wrap the wire around them a couple times to secure them to the ring. Continue this process, slightly layering one small group of branches over the other until you are all the way around the ring.

Once you have layered the branches all the way around the ring, wrap the wire several times to secure it and cut it off. Hang the wreath up and step back to look. Trim the wild branches to get it a little more uniform. Advice from Mr. U – do not over trim because you want it to look natural. Sigh – once a teacher, always a teacher.

Next is the fun part. Wire in the decorations, such as pinecones, Christmas bulbs, a bow, or whatever. Get creative.

Now that your hands are dirty and dry, and the spiced wine is gone, hang your wreath on the door and enjoy your efforts. While you are at it, be sure to make an extra wreath or two to give away.

What are you creating this Christmas season?