Customize your own holiday door décor with just a few materials — including one that’s absolutely free and widely available this time of year: ball moss.
Forget a store-bought wreath that looks like everyone else’s. Customize your own holiday door décor with just a few materials — including one that’s absolutely free and widely available this time of year: Ball moss.
It’s usually found in little balls on the ground and sometimes still attached to a small branch. If not enough have fallen to the ground, you can harvest them directly from your trees where they cling to the branches for support.
You’ll need:
- Ball moss
- Wreath form (I recommend a wire form)
- Wired burlap ribbon
- Raffia
- Bur oak acorns
- Jingle bells
- Floral wire (cut in 12-inch lengths)
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Step 1: Gather all Elements
First, prep your elements or decorative pieces you’ll be adding to the wreath, in this case the raffia and burlap bows, acorns, bells and ball moss. Gather your materials.
Step 2: Raffia
Pull out a few strands of raffia from the bunch and form loops by folding back and forth until it’s the size you want. Take a small piece of raffia and tie it around the center to secure; leave a little extra length for attaching to the wreath form. Alternatively, you can use floral wire to secure the bow to the wreath form.
Step 3: Burlap and Acorn
For burlap ribbon bows, loop the ribbon back and forth (about three loops each side) and secure in the center with floral wire. For an added element I hot-glued an acorn cap in the center.
Now add the acorns. Take one end of the floral wire and twist it in a circle molding it to the stem end of the cap. If a piece of the stem is present you can wrap it around that. Set aside. Liberally apply a dollop of hot glue to the wire-loop-covered area. Quickly press the wire into the glue. Hold for a few seconds until set. For an extra special touch, I dry brushed these acorns with dark brown paint. (For a spring wreath, use pastel paint!).
Step 4: Acorn on a wire
As for the star of the wreath — the ball moss — this little gem is widely available and belongs in every winter wreath. Simply wrap floral wire around the branch (if present) or wedge the ball moss directly into the wreath form.
Step 5: Ball moss on wire
Don’t forget the jingle bells – simply thread the floral wire through the loop on the end of the bell.
Step 6: Attaching the bells
Now that all your elements are prepped, weave the burlap ribbon in and out of the wire form. Leave some of the wreath form exposed so you can attach the wreath elements.
Step 7: Foundation Burlap-Ribbon
Generally wreaths have a top and a bottom so decide where those points are on your wreath and attach the elements accordingly.
Step 8: Hang it up!
Lastly, use a section of wire to create a hanging loop and secure it to the back of the wreath form and hang on a picture hook.
Now, stand back, and ooh and ahh over your one-of-a-kind decorative arrangement.
