Have you ever walked into Michael’s or Hobby Lobby during the holidays and been awestruck by the beautiful wreaths, only to be struck with sticker shock? Same.

Around Halloween I was on the hunt for a cute wreath and could not find anything cute for less than $60! I was so annoyed that all the wreaths I liked where so expensive when it looked like I could make them myself- and then it hit me, I could make it myself! I took inspiration from some of the wreaths around the store and on Pinterest, then got creative! The first kind of wreath I made was a ribbon wreath.

Here is what you will need, I purchased these items at Michael’s but they can be found at any craft store:

• A wire wreath base, I used a 16″
• A variety of different ribbons, approximately 2-3 rolls of each (I used 4 different kinds. One with a solid color, one with a pattern, one with a different texture, and then a thinner glittery one to add some bling and catch the light.)
• Scissors
• A ruler (if you want to be precise)
• A cute sign to go in the center (optional)
• Extra ribbon for hanging the wreath

To make the wreath you want to start by cutting the ribbon into pieces. I did not use a ruler, I eye-balled about 2-3 inches for each strip. I like the look of the different lengths of ribbon but if you want your final product to look more uniform I would recommend measuring. Once you have your ribbon strips start tying them on the wire frame. There is really no rhyme or reason to the way you tie them on, just make sure there is not one kind of ribbon all in one area, unless you are making a pattern. And that is it! SO simple! Once you have finished tying the ribbon all the way around the frame you can attach your sign for a cute final touch. All that’s left is hanging up your wreath and posting your handy work on insta! You can also substitute the ribbon for tulle to give it a more filled-out look. This wreath cost me about $35; HALF the price of a store-bought wreath!

The second kind of DIY wreath is an ornament wreath. Super cute and festive, especially with Christmas approaching! I made this particular wreath to support my alma mater, Washington State University (Go Cougs!) I used our school colors, crimson and gray and added in some silver. For this wreath you only need a couple things:

• Straw Wreath Base, 14″
• Round, shatter proof, plastic ornaments
  (I got mine at Hobby Lobby. I really like the set I got because it included glittery, shiny and matte versions of the colors I was looking for. There are always deals at Hobby Lobby so it is usually fairly reasonable. If you do not have a Hobby Lobby near you, Walmart also has cheap ornaments this time of year.)
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Garland for filler (mine is from Walmart)
• A way to hang the wreath, I used parachute cord- my husband is in the Army so I had it laying around!

For this wreath you will just need to hot glue the ornaments to the wreath base, gluing the ‘stem’ side down so it cannot be seen when the wreath is hanging. Just like the ribbon wreath you can make a pattern with the ornaments, or put them on willy-nilly like I did. Once you like how the ornaments look, cut up your garland and stuff it into the holes. If you are planning on putting your wreath outside, I would add some extra glue to your garland ‘puffs.’ Attach your hook (or parachute cord, ha!) and you are good to go! I added the Cougar logo to mine by printing it off the web and gluing to some sturdy cardboard.
This wreath cost approximately $25!

Voilà! TWO holiday wreaths for the price of one! You can use any type of ribbon or color scheme for these wreaths and you can make a wreath for virtually any occasion. You cannot mess these up, so be as creative as you want! I will say, these wreath can be a little time consuming, so sit down in front of your Christmas tree or menorah and have at it!

Let me know if you recreate either of these wreaths and send me a picture of your final product! Would you like a video tutorial on how to make these wreaths? What are you crafting this season? Let me know in the comment section!

XOXO, Cait B.

Make sure to download the Michael’s and Hobby Lobby mobile apps to receive coupons for extra savings! 50% off of ALL Christmas at Michael’s, going on NOW!