Turn a DIY eucalyptus wreath base into a gorgeous Christmas wreath decorated with candy cane and peppermint ornaments.
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When I came across this gorgeous wreath on the Neiman Marcus website, I was starstruck. I love Glitterville, Christopher Radko, and other fancy designers whose products are drool-worthy. The price tag, not so much.
Plus, the Neiman Marcus wreath was sold out.
I decided to try and make a DIY version that was much more modest in appearance and cost. I think my eucalyptus leaf Christmas wreath turned out perfect! And it was about one-tenth of the price.
While I was out collecting craft supplies, I also snagged an unfinished wood nutcracker porch sign. He’s equally modest compared to those life-sized ones at all the home stores.
See how I made both for a simple but festive Christmas porch.
How to make this eucalyptus wreath
I took a shortcut and used a faux eucalyptus wreath as a starting point. You can use natural eucalyptus if you prefer and even shape it into a wreath using floral wire and a wire wreath frame.
Supplies
- 21-inch lamb’s ear and eucalyptus wreath blank
- 5-foot candy and berry garland
- 2.5-inch wide peppermint candy ribbon
- scissors
- shatterproof candy cane ornaments
- shatterproof peppermint candy ornaments
- paper twist ties
- wreath door hanger
Instructions
1. Wrap the garland.
Lay out the wreath base on your workspace and decide which way is up. It generally doesn’t matter, but it will help with deciding the ornament placement.
Start by wrapping the garland around the eucalyptus wreath. Weave it between the leaves and position it so that the berries are mostly on the front of the wreath. The wire in the garland should be enough to secure it in place.
2. Make a bow.
Cut a length of ribbon that’s about 36 inches long. Zig-zag fold it into 6 sections that are roughly the same size. I tucked the cut ends inside so that they were less noticeable.
Next, pinch the folded ribbon in the center and use a twist tie to hold it. Slide a second one in with the ribbon and use it to attach the bow to the wreath.
I wrapped mine around one of the existing wires in the grapevine. After the bow is attached, fluff out the folds of the ribbon to give it some shape.
3. Attach the ornaments.
Space the ornaments around the wreath in a way that looks balanced, but not too symmetrical. I used 2 candy canes, roughly equidistant from the bow. Then I put a peppermint candy between them – 3 total. When you’re happy with the placement, use twist ties to attach them to the grapevine wreath frame.
4. Hang the wreath.
Finally use a door hanger to display the wreath on your front door.
My porch is covered, so this is mostly protected from the elements. If we get an ice storm or it’s particularly windy, I plan to bring my porch decorations indoors.
Painted nutcracker
To go along with my candy and eucalyptus wreath, I picked up a wooden nutcracker and painted it to coordinate! It’s about 4 feet tall.
The colors I used are red, pink, lime green, black, and white. I used the paint I already had on hand, so it’s a mix of DecoArt and Apple Barrel. I used a small brush to get into the detailed areas, so it took me a few hours over several days to paint it.
Also pictured – this cute gingerbread house welcome mat!
Check out some other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
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