A bought wreath is fine, but one you have made from a wander round the garden looks better and costs almost nothing. It is a calm afternoon's job, and the house smells of pine for a fortnight afterwards.
What to gather
You want a mix of textures that will not wilt indoors. A walk around the garden and a hedgerow usually turns up plenty without stripping anything bare.
- Evergreen foliage: holly, ivy, conifer, bay or rosemary.
- Berries: holly, rose hips or pyracantha for colour.
- Cones, seed heads and a few bare twisted twigs for shape.
The simple method
Start with a wire ring and a roll of mossing wire, both cheap from a florist or garden centre. Bind damp moss around the ring to make a base, then wire small bunches of foliage on, each one overlapping the stems of the last so it all faces the same way.
Finishing touches
Work your way round until the ring is covered, then tuck in the berries, cones and a ribbon. Keep it slightly loose and natural rather than tight and uniform; a wreath that looks gathered, not manufactured, is the whole point.
Making it last
The moss base holds moisture, so a wreath made this way stays fresh for weeks. Give it a misting with water now and then, and keep it out of direct afternoon sun. Forage responsibly: take a little from several plants rather than stripping one.