How to make an easy DIY magnolia wreath for your holiday front door.
What do you do when a neighbor cuts down a behemoth magnolia tree? You take a moment, shed a tear for the poor tree (that had to get cut down) and then gather some of the branches to make a magnolia wreath for your front door. I've already tried my hand at making a magnolia leaf garland so I wanted to do something different this year. If you're more visual, check out my how-to video.
I'm so excited to be joining in with Kendra, Joy in Our Home, today for her Christmas Festival Blog Hop. There's 25 talented bloggers sharing their holiday homes, as well as recipes, all week long so make sure you come back to check out all of the holiday decor.
I always like to make and and hang a wreath on our front door for the holidays so I'm always looking for fun and easy DIY ideas to try. When I came across the downed magnolia tree in our neighborhood I knew it would be perfect for this year's holiday front door.
As with most of my wreath crafts, this is simple to do and cost me almost nothing to make. The only thing I had to buy was my grapevine wreath.
Supplies to make a DIY magnolia wreath
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- fresh magnolia leaves with stems
- grapevine wreath (I used an 18")
- hot glue gun
- wire to make hook
When I made my DIY magnolia leaf garland for our kitchen window I used fresh green magnolia leaves that slowly dried over time. The leaves for this wreath were already dried out by the time I got around to making it. There were some brown, and even some black spots, and lots of curling so I sorted through them and picked out the ones that were decent.
I had to keep reminding myself that these were real leaves and that it was ok if they weren't perfect (because 90% of them were not).
Before I started to add leaves, I made a hook on the back of the wreath with a small piece of wire. It makes things a lot easier if you do this first.
With the hook done, I started to assemble my wreath.
To begin, I just simply applied some hot glue to a magnolia leaf stem and stuck it in the grapevine wreath. I worked in one area at a time adding leaves to the top, inside and outside. Almost in "rows".
It doesn't look like much in the beginning, but don't panic (I speak from experience). It will look better after you do a few rows.
Every so often I would turn a leaf over to show the gorgeous brown side to contrast with the green. I just eyeballed it and placed them where I thought they looked good.
Every few "rows" I would step back and check my work. I wanted to make sure the leaves were all going in the right direction.
I slowly worked my way around, using big and small leaves, until the wreath was full. It probably took me about an hour to glue all the leaves in place.
I checked for any empty spots and fixed those by adding a leaf.
It turned out to be bigger and fuller than I thought but I love the look, and the dried leaves worked out well. A lot better than I expected.
It's also nice to think that an old neighborhood tree that was cut down lives on in my wreath.
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Don't forget to check out my other fresh magnolia leaf craft...
DIY Magnolia Leaf Garland
Kendra, Joy in Our Home, is next on the list so stop by and check out her holiday DIY. Also, make sure you come back during the week to check out all of the awesome holiday ideas.
Christmas DIYs on Monday
Joy In Our Home | 2 Bees In A Pod | My Creative Days
County Road 407 | Chatfield Court
Christmas Front Porches on Tuesday
The Tattered Pew | The Crowned Goat | Little Brags
Follow The Yellow Brick Home | The Painted Hinge
Christmas Recipes on Wednesday
Crisp Collective | Love In My Oven | Countryside Cravings
Walking On Sunshine Recipes | Beyond The Butter
Christmas Mantles on Thursday
anderson + grant | White Arrows Home | Elizabeth Joan Designs
City Girl Meets Country Boy | Red Brick On The Lake
Christmas Tablescapes on Friday
The Inspired Hive | Curly Crafty Mom | Making It In The Mountains
Carol R says
My favorite decoration! Just beautiful
It will be just as beautiful when all the leaves are dried. Yours is just as nice if not better than a purchased one. So clever. ?
Kristi says
Thanks so much! I'm really happy with the way it turned out. I hope it lasts until next year.
Pat M. says
A beautiful beautiful wreath - and all natural. Will it fall apart when it dries completely, or can it be preserved for future use? I haven't seen one this nice in the stores. You are so talented and crafty.
Kristi says
Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Pat! It shouldn't fall apart (at least I hope not ;)). Magnolia leaves dry nicely so it should last until at least next year if not longer.
Laura Harrie says
The wreath is awesome, beautiful colors and textures!
Kristi says
Thanks, Laura! I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. Much better than I thought. 🙂
Kendra | www.joyinourhome.com says
I absolutely love your wreath, Kristi! I’ve had my eye in one for a long time but I don’t want to spend a crazy amount on one! Yours is beautiful and looks perfect on your door! Thanks so much for joining me this week, friend! Always wonderful to have you!
Kristi says
Thanks so much, Kendra! I didn't want to pay a lot for one either so I'm glad that I was able to find leaves right off the tree (for free). I always enjoy your blog hops. Thanks so much for including me in this one.
Debbie Halcomb says
I love this wreath Kristi. Marking it just in case I find some leaves to make one.
Kristi says
Thanks so much, Debbie! You are crafty too so you could totally do this. 🙂
Carrie @ Curly Crafty Mom says
What a great coincidence to find some branches of magnolia leaves for your wreath! I've made a magnolia wreath, but not with real leaves and I didn't have the option to turn my faux leaves over for a little brown highlight- which I LOVE in this wreath!! So gorg! Enjoyed doing this fun holiday blog hop with you! 🙂
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Kristen says
This so good! i like the idea of using the dried leaves instead of just buying a faux one. Nicely done!