Learn to make this DIY Olive wreath from fresh olive branches and a few metal bells. This wreath can be used for many seasons and occasions but looks so fresh and natural for simple Christmas decor.
A few years ago I made a pretty, fresh olive wreath on a whim to add to my Christmas decor and it has been reposted and shared more times than I can keep track of. See the original post about my Fresh Green Christmas Dining Room here.
Last week I finally decided to replicate my original olive wreath, and I documented it in video form. Check out the video demonstration and tutorial below!
In case you prefer to not watch the video, here are some picture stills, with the written steps as well.
Supplies:
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Fresh olive branches (about 20 or 30 or 2 big bunches from a flower market)
Step 1: Gather Branches into Small Bunches and Bind with Wire
Wrap 3-4 branches together, binding the ends with the floral wire. Do this until you have 4 bunches.
Leave a tail of wire on each bunch that is about 6-8″ long
Step 2: Start Connecting Bunches Together
Tuck the end of one bunch into the middle of the other bunch (about half-way up) and attach it to a couple of sturdy branches using the tail of the wire.
Step 3: Wrap a Long Wire Loosely Around the Outside
To give the connected bunches a ‘tamer’ shape, wrap a new, long wire around loosely, starting at one end, going around the branches to keep them together, but not too tight to squish the leaves.
The idea is to ‘tame’ most of the bigger branches but leave the leaves wild. Pull out leaves from the wire as you go, to hide the wire.
Step 4: Test Fit the Bells & Close the Wreath
Once all 4 are connected, test fit the bells and ensure the size is right. I found I needed one more bunch of olive branches to get the size I wanted. I used a total of 5 bunches.
To close the wreath, tuck the end branches of the 1st bunch into the middle of the last branch attached and secure it with the tail wire.
Step 5: Fluff & Finesse the Wreath
Pull leaves out from under the wire, tuck ‘wild’ branches in, and add additional stems/branches to areas that look sparse by tucking them into the existing wire.
Step 6 (optional): Add Branches to Sparse Areas
If you have an area that is thinner or more sparse, grab a few additional branches, bind them together and tuck them into the wreath to fill the area. Get another wire to gently secure them into the existing shape.
Step 7: Loop Bells Together & Hang
String bells together by sliding one loop through another until all three are connected. Hang them first on the door hook.
Step 8: Hang Wreath
Once the bells are hung, hang the olive wreath on top and pull the bells out, so they hang over the bottom edge of the olive wreath. Add a satin bow at the top and let the tails hang down long.
Not a bad replication, right? The resulting olive wreath is slightly bigger than the original and a little less “wild”, but I still love the look for simple Christmas decor.
Let me know if you try it!
I saw this wreath several years ago and made one and I still love it. Simple but beautiful!