How to make an autumnal wreath

Welcome in your autumn guests

When the days get shorter, the weather gets greyer and you’re caught out by yet another rain shower, you could probably do with an injection of joy into your life. Let it take the form of a warm and cosy welcome from your very own front door in the form of a pretty autumn wreath.

As well as bringing a feeling of autumnal cosiness into your home, this wreath makes an excellent gift for a loved one during the year's third season. It brightens up the front door, a wall or the space above your bed. Read on to discover two DIYs for wreaths made with fresh and dried autumn flowers and plants.

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To make a DIY autumn wreath, you will need:

Floral foam wreath (for a wreath with fresh autumn flowers and plants) or a wreath made of straw, metal or reed (for a wreath with dried flowers)
Pruning shears or secateurs
Wire or rope (to secure flowers and twigs)
Classic autumn flowers (fresh and/or dried)
Classic autumn plants, such as skimmia and viburnum opulus
Ribbon, string or a hook (to hang your wreath)
Optional: faux autumn fruits or nuts
Optional: glue gun (to secure final details)

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DIY 1: autumn wreath with seasonal branches and flowers

The cheerful lanterns of physalis, golden chrysanthemums and stylish hypericum berries in this bouquet leave no doubt that it's autumn! This wreath is overflowing with classic autumnal plants and flowers with faux fruit giving a luxurious finishing touch, and it will give your guests a warm welcome hanging on the front door this season. Read on and find out how to make this wreath yourself in just five simple steps.

For this wreath we used the following autumn flowers and plants: physalis, hypericum, chrysanthemum, rosehip, skimmia, viburnum opulus and faux fruit.

Step-by-step plan for a DIY autumn wreath with seasonal branches and flowers

Step 1
Place the floral foam wreath in a container with water. Make sure the wreath gets wet evenly and gradually without being submerged, as this will enable it to better absorb water.

Step 2
Think about where you want the flowers and branches to be on the wreath. Cut them to the right length and put them in place firmly. Work in one direction for a cohesive result, turning the wreath either clockwise or anti-clockwise as you go.

Tip: When making the wreath, think of crafting a painting, with different textures and colours together forming a bigger picture.

Step 3
Satisfied with your composition? Ensure your flowers and branches are secure in their final position, wrapping some with wire if necessary. You can also use this wire to place ‘tufts’ of smaller flowers or branches onto the wreath. 

Step 4 (optional)
Using a glue gun, add any final details such as chestnuts, acorns, faux fruits or pine cones between your wreath.

Step 5
Attach the ribbon, string and/or hook to the top back of your homemade wreath. Make sure it's easy to hang on a front door, wall or anywhere else!

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DIY 2: autumn wreath with fresh and dried flowers

Once you've put all this effort into crafting a beautiful DIY wreath, wouldn't it be nice if it lasted for more than a few weeks? If you use dried flowers, you can reuse your wreath every year. For the wreath below, we used a combination of fresh and dried flowers

For this autumn wreath we used the following dried flowers: physalis, scabiosa, serruria, hypericum, chrysanthemum and aster.

Step-by-step plan for making an autumn wreath with fresh and dried flowers

Step 1
Arrange a composition of the flowers. Cut them to the right length and arrange them on the wreath in a way you like.

Tip: use the dried flowers as a base and finish the arrangement off with fresh flowers. Make sure the fresh flowers aren't attached too tightly, to easily replace them with new fresh flowers (or dried flowers) over time.

Step 2
Satisfied? Then secure everything down. You can do this by wrapping wire or string around both the flowers and the wreath. Make sure that all branches are facing in the same direction, for cohesiveness. Work clockwise or anti-clockwise, not both.

Step 3
Is everything secure? Find the perfect spot to display your wreath and hang it from a ribbon or string.

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Making an autumn wreath with dried flowers

Would you rather choose a wreath that stays beautiful for months or years to come? Then create a wreath solely from dried flowers instead of using any fresh flowers. This article with tips and tricks tells you exactly how to dry flowers in the best way and which flowers are best suited to being dried.

Tip: are you not particularly DIY-inclined, but still love the idea of having a beautiful autumn wreath in your home? Visit your local florist and they'll be happy to create a wreath for you with whatever fresh or dried flowers you want.

More gift ideas for autumn

Caught the DIY bug and want to make more gorgeous presents for your loved ones (or yourself!)? How about these delicious recipes for an autumnal high tea or a hand-built herb rack for your kitchen? Get stuck in and have fun!