How to Make an Ornament Wreath That’s Perfect for Any Holiday!

Learn how to make an ornament wreath with just a handful of supplies! It’s really simple and can be customized for any holiday, season, or event!

(Post originally published in August 2014; Updated and republished in September 2021.)

How To Make An Ornament Wreath That’s Perfect for any Holiday!

I loooove creating wreaths, not only for the major holidays, but also just to add some festive decor for the other fun times of the year as well, like birthdays or even a year-round variety.

I especially love making *ornament* wreaths.

They are SO easy to create and look quite professional and oh so fancy when complete.

Plus, you can customize them any way you’d like!

ORNAMENT WREATH EXAMPLES

Here are all the ornament wreaths that I’ve made in the past:

• A boo-tiful Halloween ornament wreath complete with a glittery spider
• A classically fancy fall ornament wreath
• A University of Kentucky basketball ornament wreath (Go Big Blue!)
• A rutic-meets-refined Christmas ornament wreath
• A springy yarn Easter Egg wreath (ok, not ornaments, but I followed the same general process)

These creations, however, were all PBPs (Pre-Blog Projects), so I don’t have complete tutorials for them.

Whomp, whomp.

However, that’s why I’m sharing this step-by-step tutorial with my NFL ‘House Divided’ wreath!

It walks you through the process for making an ornament wreath of your very own, and you’ll be whipping them out in no time!

Our NFL House Divided

As it’s quickly approaching football season again (“I’m feelin’ kinda Sunday…”), I made us a “House Divided” wreath since that is what we are, at least in our professional football allegiance.

I’m a Cincinnati Bengals fan, while my husband is sadly a life-long supporter of the New England Patriots.

You can check out more about our good-natured rivalry here!

Alrighty…enough background info, so onto the tutorial!

Here I’ll walk you through a step-by-step tutorial for how I created this ornament wreath, and this technique can be applied for wreaths of any occasion or celebration!

Ornament Wreath Supplies

Here’s what I use to make an ornament wreath:

• Grapevine wreath form
• Ornaments
  • I try and only use shatterproof ones, but glass ones can certainly be used too
• Filler of some type
  • Tinsel, faux flowers/leaves/grass, vase filler, etc.
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Scissors
• Optional:
  • Hook for hanging
  • Sign, bow, or other decorative elements

How To Make An Ornament Wreath:

Below I’ll provide lots of details for each step in the ornament wreath making process.

However, here’s a quick TL;DR version:

1. Clean and remove excess debris from a grapevine wreath form
2. Prep a variety of different ornaments by removing and discarding their hanging tops
3. Glue ornaments onto the wreath form in a cluster method with their tops toward the wreath form
4. Use filler (such as tinsel, faux leaves, decorative vase filler balls, etc.) to hide any holes or gaps between ornaments
5. Add additional decorations (such as a sign) if desired and/or add a hook to the back if needed, then hang and enjoy!

Which Wreath Form To Use?? GRAPEVINE!

For ornament wreaths, I prefer to use grapevine wreath forms as opposed to styrofoam, floral foam, DIY cardboard ones, or other varieties.

I like how they’re flat(ish), which I think creates a better final look and saves time and money, since fewer ornaments are used thanks to the smaller surface area needed to be covered.

However, not all grapevine wreath forms are created equal.

Shape isn’t the only thing to take into account when selecting your wreath form.

You also want to look for one that is flat as well as symmetrical.

Both my fall ornament wreath and my University of Kentucky basketball ornament wreath turned out beautifully, and they were each created using grapevine wreath forms.

I made my Halloween ornament wreath on a half of a styrofoam wreath form as well as my Spring Easter egg wreath on a whole styrofoam one, and while I love how they both turned out, they made me truly appreciate grapevine forms.

For this NFL wreath, I had originally planned on getting a grapevine wreath form that was your standard perfect circle, but while there I spotted some that were oval-shaped and thought it would be just perfect for this project.

Because, ya know, footballs are ovalish.

I found a decent footballesque one that was approximately 18″ x 15″ and headed to the checkout lane.

Step 1: Cleaning the Grapevine Wreath Form

It’s worth noting that grapevine wreath forms are not ready to go from the start.

They need a little clean-up first, but it’s really quick and easy.

I first grab a pair of scissors and start removing all the loose pieces of debris or those pieces that are sticking out of place.

Remember, symmetry is the name of the game here.

Curly q’s, dead leaves, loose twigs, or oddball pieces all need to go!

You’ll probably end up with a decent size pile of garbage once you’re finished with this step.

No matter how much I remove at the beginning, however, there’s always more that I either end up removing along the way or some falls out on its own during the addition of the ornaments.

Don’t sweat over that, and just try to remove the most serious offenders now and take care of the rest as they appear.

It’s amazing what a little grooming can do!

I always say this to myself after a trip to the hair salon as well. :)

Now my wreath form was ready to go.

The Ornaments

Since this wreath was going to be a ‘House Divided’ wreath featuring our rival NFL teams, I purchased some ornaments in both our teams’ respective colors:

• Cincinnati Bengals: black and orange
• New England Patriots: red and blue

I also got some silver ornaments to use on both sides of the wreath to add a little cohesiveness to the whole thing.

Not only did I get ornaments in different colors, but I also made sure there were different sizes and textures:

• Shiny
• Matte
• Glittered
• Disco ball (does this have an official term??)

To really drive home the point that this was an NFL-themed piece of decor, I also purchased some mini Bengals and Patriots helmets online.

I considered using some football ornaments scattered around as well, but the ones I found were either not shatterproof or had their hanging tops in a location that wouldn’t be conducive to being hidden well (more on this in a bit), so that idea was squashed.

Oh, and don’t panic at the below pic. I did NOT use all of these ornaments, so you will not need to rent a moving van in order to get your goodies home from the craft store!

I ended up actually using less than half of what you see below.

A rough count shows I used a total of about 25 small ornaments, 28 large ones, and eight football helmets.

Step 2: Prep The Ornaments

I prefer for my ornament wreaths to have the tops of their ornaments hidden, so I always remove all the hanging tops first.

That way I can just grab an ornament and get to gluing.

However, I have seen ornament wreaths that leave the tops on and proudly display them as part of the design, so it’s really just whatever look you’re going for and all personal preference.

Do what your crafty heart tells you!

Here are the ornaments (and helmets) that I prepped at the start.

I grabbed a variety of textures and sizes for each color, and I ended up not using all of some and additional ones of others.

As I mentioned, I like to have a big pile of ornaments sans tops and ready to go on my table, that way I can just grab and glue and keep the creative process going.

Step 3: Glue The Ornaments to the Wreath Form

Now that all the prepping is done, it’s time to start creating your ornament wreath!

I always use a hot glue gun when creating my ornament wreaths, and for this particular wreath I used 3-4 all-purpose 4″ glue sticks.

To attach each ornament to the wreath form, I put a dollop of glue near the now-bare top…

…and then push it securely in place onto the wreath form.

After holding it still for 5-10 seconds, the glue begins to cool and harden and the ornament is now stuck on there goooood.

Also, since I’m using shatterproof ornaments, they all have a seam running down the center where the two halves are connected.

This doesn’t bother me because you can’t really even see the seams unless you’re standing mere inches away, and I’m more concerned with having this wreath last for many years to come.

Therefore, I gladly sacrifice having a perfectly smooth ornament for one that won’t shatter and ruin my beautiful one-of-a-kind wreath that I worked so hard to create.

However, if the seams bother you, go ahead and purchase some glass ornaments!

The process would still be exactly the same, just be extra careful when handling them during the creation stage as well as when taking the wreath in/out of storage.

Adding the Ornaments Using The Cluster Method

Now that we’ve talked about how to add the ornaments, let’s discuss where to put them.

I like to add my ornaments in clusters as opposed to circles.

Some people prefer to fill the whole outer edge of the wreath form in ornaments first, then fill the inner edge, then go back and complete the middle.

I, however, have found the cluster method works best for me and helps me with placing my different types of ornaments.

Most importantly, it keeps everything even and balanced and gives the final wreath more symmetry and a less manufactured look.

Here’s what I mean by cluster method: I first cover one whole section of the wreath form at a time (outside, middle, and inside) and then work my way out to the right and left from there.

To do this, I first add about three or so ornaments, then add some more to the right, then go back to the first group and add some more to its left.

Then I just make my way around until everything is covered:

I like to mix the textures, sizes, and colors and try to keep a nice variety where the same style of ornaments aren’t touching each other.

Variety is the spice of life after all!

While adding each ornament, I also try to hide the top round part that once housed the hanging piece by nestling it under a fellow ornament or on the wreath form itself.

I do my best to try and conceal the seam if at all possible too, but if not, oh well.

I don’t let it stress me out, and you shouldn’t either!

Also, it’s important to try and glue on the ornaments so they’re glued to the wreath form instead of high on top of another ornament.

Definitely add extra globs of glue where needed to keep everything connected and secure, but don’t forget to try and glue each ornament to the grapevine wreath form if at all possible.

This helps keep the final wreath as flat as possible (which looks better in my opinion since it’s not bulging way out in an area), and it also allows you to use fewer ornaments (and saves you $$$) since you’re not building up on top of the ornaments themselves.

Most importantly, it adds more stability and structure to the finished wreath and will help prevent ornaments from popping off.

For this particular NFL wreath, I added all the ornaments first, then went back and placed the decorative mini helmets front and center.

Step 4: Add Filler to Close Any Gaps or Holes

As I’m placing my ornaments into their final positions, I don’t get too concerned with any gaps between them.

A strong structure and symmetry are more important than gaps or holes because it’s filler to the rescue!

I always add a filler at the end when creating my ornament wreaths because:

1. It adds texture and dimension
2. It fills any gaps or holes
3. It’s cheap and easy to find
4. It provides cohesion and brings the entire wreath together
5. It just looks cool

So, any holes that remain after adding the ornaments will get plugged with my filler, which in this instance is some white Christmas tinsel.

I’ve also used some fake leaves as filler before, as was the case with both my fall ornament wreath and Halloween ornament wreath, and some fake grass for my Spring Easter egg wreath.

Anything that is soft, lightweight, and sticks out will work just fine, so get creative!

To add this filler to the wreath, I simply cut off 1″ to 2″ pieces of tinsel and stuck them in any large holes between the ornaments without any glue.

I also added some along the back edge as well as some to the inner edge to soften everything up a bit.

Once I was happy with their placements, I pulled each piece out one at a time, added a dollop of hot glue, then returned it to its final location.

Optional Step 5: Add More Decorations

At this point, your ornament wreath may be finished. Congratulations!

However, you may be like me and want to add some additional decorative pieces, such as a sign or bow.

For this particular NFL wreath, I really wanted to drive the point home that this was for a HOUSE DIVIDED, so I took an additional step and created a sign (out of a cereal box!) to hang in the center.

To see all the details on how I made this sign using a cereal box and my beloved Silhouette Cameo, check out this full tutorial.

I’ve also used this same method and made some faux aged copper snowflake ornaments as well as some faux rusted metal state ornaments…it’s pretty handy, inexpensive, and cool!

Finished DIY Ornament Wreath!

And here’s how my final NFL ‘House Divided’ ornament wreath looks!

I’m pretty pleased with it, and it looks fabulous in our house from fall to the Super Bowl!

Even though the Bengals always break my heart long before February rolls around…

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