HGTV's Emily Henderson Shows Us How To DIY A Beautiful Classic Christmas Wreath

Wreaths are a symbol of Christmas and a staple of holiday decorating. The evergreen decoration is often placed on the front door or somewhere around the home to add a bit of festive cheer. What's great about the piece of decor is that it can be DIYed and customized to fit any aesthetic. Interior designer and HGTV star Emily Henderson shows how easy it is to make your own Christmas wreath in an Instagram video. Henderson starts with a faux wreath as a base, then cuts a wide ribbon from a piece of fabric and ties it around the top of the wreath. She ties thinner ribbons in contrasting colors to create a layered look and adds a statement ornament that hangs on top of the ribbon. She finishes the wreath with white twinkling lights before hanging the pieces up on her kitchen windows.

Henderson featured these wreaths in her newly-built farmhouse, which she decorated for the first time this year. The easy DIY shows how simple it is to capture the festive spirit of the season for your own home. For most crafters, they probably already have the materials required to complete the project on hand. For those that don't, the items can easily be purchased at a craft store or regular retailer. Plus, you can build off of Henderson's DIY to create a wreath that best fits with your specific home decor and holiday color palette, so it easily matches your other seasonal decorations. 

Starting with the base, Emily Henderson used a store-bought wreath. Though the exact one isn't available, you could use the Artificial Juniper Wreath from Target instead. Look for one with branches that stick out to look natural, and be sure to consider the size of the wreath in relation to where you want to hang it. Henderson hung her wreaths on her kitchen windows, and the decoration took up about ¾ of the top pane.

In the middle of each wreath, she hung pieces of blue and white striped silk taffeta that she cut into pieces that were about 6 to 8 inches wide and at least 15 inches long. Mood Fabrics has similar options, including the Striped Basketweave and Navy Barcode Stripes materials. You can also purchase rolls of velvet ribbon and cut them between 12 and 15 inches long, like the Christmas Dark Red Velvet Ribbon from Joann. Once you've gathered your fabrics and ribbons, tie them all to the top middle of the wreath, allowing them to cascade down the middle.

Henderson also attached one Flocked Finial Christmas Tree Ornament from Target in the middle of each wreath. These add both texture and an interesting shape to the design. She finished the project by wrapping Dewdrop Twinkling Fairy String Lights from Target around the greenery. Use battery-operated lights and hide the battery pack behind the greenery, as this will make it easier to hang the wreath wherever you desire.

For Emily Henderson, nailing the non-traditional color scheme was the best way to personalize her Christmas decorations. "I'm committed to not doing anything too chic or sophisticated/neutral while the kids are still little (maybe ever)," Henderson writes on her blog, Style by Emily Henderson. "It's a bit Scandi, ... [but] still playful ... with some more stylized moments adding in dark mauves, aubergines, teals, and blues." The colors she chose to decorate with aren't super traditional but they align with her style, which was more important for the designer. While Henderson chose that specific palette for her space, you can choose whatever you desire for your own home. If you love neutral tones, use ribbons in shades of beige. On the other hand, those that love a traditional look could focus on only using green and red ribbons and could add colored lights instead of white ones.

Further, you can also make the wreath your own by adding other decorative elements besides ribbons, ornaments, and twinkle lights. For instance, you could attach pinecones, holly berries, or poinsettias with hot glue. If you wanted to add scent to your piece, you could tuck cinnamon sticks into the branches. Or, for those who like a glamorous aesthetic, glittery ornaments or metallic ribbons could be used. Whatever you desire to add could be included on your personalized wreath.