Custom Square Door Wreath

For years I’ve been wanting to make a square wreath for the front door and this year I finally did it!

 

The wreath actually started out with me buying two very cheap grave decorations (I know, a bit morbid) on sale the week after All Saints Day. I then picked those apart and which left me with gorgeous lush pine branches. Not to mention a bunch of giant pine cones. More on those in a later post.

 

I already tried making a wreath base many years ago for that door using four sticks and wiring them together at the corners and tying greenery to it but it wouldn’t hold together and ended up a big wonky mess.

This time I used a bit of very scruffy plywood which I cut like a frame to fit outside the window frame. To be able to cut the inside square I drilled holes at the corners and stuck the jigsaw in there and cut between them.

 

The plywood I had was painted white and as any gaps between the greenery would show against the black door I used black tape all around the frame. This also made the frame nicer to handle as plywood splinters when you saw it and this way I skipped all the sanding.

 

 

Here it it, the frame all taped out. As you can see the plywood I used had a piece missing at the bottom but I wasn’t bothered as it would be covered by pine clippings.

 

I cut the pine branches into smaller pieces and simply stapled them to the frame. Super easy!

 

 

First I did the top, the then bottom and last the sides. At the end I added some smaller pieces in any gaps.

 

 

I hung the finished wreath on L- hooks which I screwed carefully into the door above the window. I also added two L- hooks at the bottom of the frame to hold it down and to prevent the frame from flapping about when the door is opened.

I was a little worried if my construction would be strong enough but the wreath’s been up over a week now and it still looks great. Looks cute from the inside too.

I can tell my neighbors are a little annoyed that once again I’ve started decorating “too early”. I think it stresses them out. Haha!

Comments

[Monica]

Love the wreath. Can just imagine your neighbors saying "Drat, she is at it again." I would venture to say that they don't stand a chance with you next door. ;)

[Ali Edwards]

I love this Benita!

[Jo]

Excellent idea.. because let's face it, last thing you want is a wonky wreath right. ;o)
I'm dying to know though.. how does your neighbour's dissapproval manifest itself ?? Do they scowl at you over the garden fence ?? mean things.
Jo xx
Ooh and how was Harry Potter ??

[Nolwenn]

A square wreath is a great idea! It's not too early, Sunday is the 1st Sunday in Advent so it's time to decorate! I brought down the decorations boxes from the attic yesterday to decorate the tree and the house this week too :)

Oh yes, how was Harry Potter?

[Carlos]

Hp was great! Best so far according to Wille :)

[Carlos]

I can see the passers by looking at the decorations and their faces are all "It's not the holidays YET!"...

Loved HP!

[Lisa]

Looks great, but I have to say I'm with the neighbours. I know you're not THAT early, but I hate when Christmas is started so ahead of time that you are sick of it by mid December. I think first of Advent is lovely when you go around and see all the decorations, but mid November is pushing it. Here the shops were taking down the Halloween decorations on Nov first, and at the same time putting the Christmas decorations up. Kinda makes me cringe in the same way as seeing the decorations being left into March.

[Anne]

Be-a-utiful!!!!

[Siri]

Well you can’t make everyone happy - But I think most neighbours do get happy when you hang lights in your oak tree, and decorate with evergreens on you door this early. I guess it’s more if you overdo it… Like my father does... Their cabin up in the mountains look like a UFO landing place with all the string lights he puts up in the trees and around the fence... I think their neighbours are like " oh there he goes again - every year it’s "Griswold" all over again". I gave our Christmas card to everyone in the family this weekend, and some of them where complaining “Christmas cards this early”? I know it was just because they had forgotten it themselves. I think the door wreath you made looks beautiful! I think I’ll try something similar – except since I live in an apartment building I don’t have a beautiful front door like you – so it will have to be something decorative for the balcony. BTW did you and Wille decide on a sitcom?

[Iiris]

Hello from England! Your door looks very stylish. I usually pinch a lot of ivy that grows in an alleyway near us and make a wreath out of that. And at Chritmas I've got it here and there indoors, too.
I walked past this house the other day, and I could see through the window they had all decorations up in the living room, a very full-on glittery thing going on everywhere! And another house has all possible lights on outside, Santas, reindeers, you name it. Now THAT'S a bit early for me but then again, it's their home and I guess if they are very Christmassy people, then who am I to grumble even if I like it a bit 'less is more' myself :)

[Karin]

Helt underbart att du använde häftpistolen! Och snyggt blev det. Jag gillar verkligen hur du hittar egna praktiska lösningar. Tack för en inspirerande blogg!

[Älvan]

It's simply beautiful, and very elegant. When my family lived in a house, we used to wind pine around the banister and then wind fairy lights around it. Looked great. My husband doesn't really like Christmas, because his father died close to Christmas so we don't do any decorations, except for maybe an "adventsstjärna" and some hyacinths.

[Charlotte]

It looks fantastic! I'm going to start decorating this week too, November is nearly over after all!

[Nichole@40daysof]

I love it Benita! Most of us will start decorating this week in the US, because Thanksgiving is Thursday and Advent starts on Sunday. But a ton of my neighbors already have their light up. :)

[Tineke]

The square wreath is an absolutely gorgeous idea, Benita!! I may have to make something like this this year (if you don't mind a state-side copy cat ;) ). Lots of people here already have some Christmas decorations up.

[Ramona K]

Go for it girl! I love the square wreath and the use of staples Benita. Wreathes are simply not my strong point. Was trying to think of an excuse to get out of a wreath making session this week. Now I feel inspired. Something along the lines of those lovely rude embroidery sets you can now buy in Sweden perhaps?

[jja]

I like it :-)

[Bride of COG]

Wow. That looks fantastic. Love the way it frames your name on the glass and the crispness of the black/white/green.

That's my problem with Holiday decorations - I always feel so happy when I put them up, but so sad when I take them down and he house looks so empty without them. So I say, start early - prolong the pleasure.

[Petra from NL]

Cute shot from the inside! Will you just throw away the frame at the end or will you try to keep it for next year?

[devil]

The neighbors need to get over themselves. It's just a pretty wreath, for Heaven's sake. It's not a life-sized, nativity set in the front yard with Christmas music blaring from the hidden speaker in the manger.

I love your wreath and think it's very classy-looking. :)

[Carlos]

We did! We got the first season of How I met your mother and er're hooked! Just ordered the second season and now we're waiting eagerly for it to arrive. Hopefully before the weekend!

[Carlos]

I think I'll pry off the greenery and hold on to the frame for another year.

[Lisa Flaherty]

I love it! So simple and elegant. The shot from inside the house is beautiful. Pshaw to the neighbors! With the snow on the ground your lovely decorations simply say "Season's Greetings".

[Christine]

We have put up all of our Christmas decorations. We will be traveling for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so we put up before Thanksgiving Day. This way we can enjoy them for a decent amount of time, and are not rushed with all we have to get done.

The only thing I hate is Christmas in the stores in October!! And Christmas music playing early. I understand people wanting to decorate early, esp when it is outside. You put up all the lights and things before the snow and cold come.

[Sara]

Give her time... :)

[Sara]

Love it!

[Marianne]

What a lovely idea. Ours would have to be really big though LOL We have a big window in our front door.

[Siv Aksdal]

Ahh you beat me to it. I have been planing a square wreath for the last two years but never got the chance to get it done.
But at least now I don't have to go threw the trial and error part of making it cause you already did all the footwork.
Looks great!!!

[Laurel]

It looks beautiful - I love it!

[Helen]

Very nice, good idea with the base.

[Kristin]

I love everything about the way your front door looks.... the wreath is beautiful and creative, and the black door with really neat hardware and your etched glass is simple and stunning!

[designchic]

That's amazing...love it!! I'm jealous that you've already started decorating. I've got to get on the stick ~

[Catherine]

lol

[Amy Herbst (Herbst Handmade)]

What a great idea! About decorating early, I think you are doing just fine... our next door neighbors have had a set of penguin Holiday lights up continuously for the last TWO years (originally claiming their son really likes penguins). Currently they still have a few Halloween remnants up as well... We've started calling it the "Holiday House". (HA)

[Lisa]

Oh. My. Lord. That sounds reeeally scary.
Here, in the UK, some people favour giant blow up snowmen and santas- maybe smtng your neighbours would enjoy?
I'm Swedish, so Halloween is quite a novelty to me, and I went ALL OUT. Graves in the front yard, huge window decorations. I ran into our next door neighbour, and told him to come by trick-or-treating with his kids. His response was "Oh NO, we're not into all that", said with a disapproving frown. Smtng tells me he probably doesn't approve of my Midsummer pole in June...
I think there is a very definite time limit for any type of Holiday decorations, tacky can be fun, but only for a veeery short time.

[BCOME]

Once again a great idea - love it !!! Maybe I should follow your path and staple our entire entrance door full with pine branches, to cover it's ugly surface :-)

[Amy Herbst (Herbst Handmade)]

I know! But.. all joking aside... these folks adopted a son with Autism and they are currently foster parents to a family of 4 children (!). They have HUGE hearts, so we figure they can decorate however they'd like. If it were anyone else, the penguin lights might have "gone missing" long ago! ;-)

[darci]

You aren't early, I couldn't believe it when someone decorated the lobby of our apartment on the 11th of this month. I was a little shocked, at least now it's almost a month before Christmas :)

[Lisa]

Ah, if a member of the family has autism, it might have something to do with leaving the decorations up. I mean, some people with autism react really badly to change, so if he likes the penguins it might be a huge stressor to him if they came down.
And either way, if someone has four foster kids, they probably have more important things to do than clear decorations.
I completely understand it makes you a lot more tolerant of their tack...

[paula]

"i think it stresses them out!" jijijijiji, you put a smile on my face... hilarious!

[Double Glazing Warwick]

I love your idea. I totally agree with your styles and for me its okay to buy cheap stuffs for your holiday decorations. And also, I love your door especially after you've done some decorating to it. Maybe for others its a little too early to do some designing for the holidays but I think its okay because you'll have bigger time to prepare for Christmas.

[chris]

Hi. I'm a follower of your site. Would it be possible for you to email me the answer to this question? What kind of camera do you use and what photo program do you use to put the cute little frames and dates on them? Do you know of any online free photo programs? Love everything you do. Have gotten inspiration many times fr4om your site! Keep up the great work! I look forward to it!
Thank you, Chris