How to Make an {Easy} DIY Ornament Wreath
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
This easy DIY Christmas ornament wreath can be made for as little as $20, much less expensive than store-bought versions and easy to create custom colors!
DIY Ornament Wreath
Christmas is in full swing here at my house-blogging assignments have me scrambling to decorate and photograph our Christmas decor so please forgive my fast-forward over Thanksgiving!! I had been holding back on decorating the outside of my house but a few of my neighbors put up lights over the last week so I thought I was safe to hang this easy DIY ornament wreath on the front door this week!
This wreath is super easy to make-it took me 30 minutes and cost less than twenty dollars!
Update 2018: I made a video tutorial to help show how to make the wreath as well as an update on the number of ornaments and total cost! The pictures of the gold DIY Christmas ornament wreath are from 2018, the red and silver DIY ornament wreath is from the original blog post in 2013.
DIY Ornament Wreath Supplies
- straw wreath form
- hot glue gun/glue (I love this cordless glue gun!)
- ornaments-I used about 80 large and 15 small ornaments-buy in bulk for the best price
How to Make an Ornament Wreath
For my wreath I wanted it to be predominantly silver with touches of red so I used about twice as many silver ornaments as red. Be sure to use shatterproof ornaments and use a variety of ornaments for interest-glittered, matte, shiny!
Begin by hot gluing the large ornaments to the wreath form along the inside and outside edges of the wreath. Then slowly layer the ornaments until the wreath is covered. Once you have no more room for large ornaments fill in any gaps with the smaller ornaments.
I promise this is just as easy-peasy as it sounds. I’ve tried the method of stringing ornaments on a wire coat hanger and this turned out significantly better and was faster too! I’m so excited by how it looks with our red door and can’t wait to show you the rest of the porch decor I have planned!
DIY Ornament Wreath
This easy DIY Christmas ornament wreath can be made for as little as $20, much less expensive than store-bought versions and easy to create custom colors!
Materials
- straw wreath form
- hot glue gun/glue
- shatterproof ornaments- about 80 large and 15 small ornaments
Instructions
- Hot glue the large ornaments to the wreath form along the inside and outside edges of the wreath.
- Layer the large ornaments until the wreath is covered gluing to both the wreath itself and the surrounding ornaments.
- Fill in gaps with smaller ornaments.
- Glue a ribbon to the back for hanging.
Notes
- If making a larger/heavier wreath, tie hanging ribbon around wreath form before gluing ornaments on.
Here are some other easy DIY Christmas decorations you might like:
i want to do a blue and silver wreath. the straw is going to show through, can you spray paint it blue or silver???
Or wrap it in something ?? does it have to be a straw wreath? they make those foam ones, do they work?
I don’t think it will show through if you use the smaller ornaments to fill in the gaps. Otherwise you can always wrap the wreath in wide ribbon or cloth first. The only problem with the foam wreath forms is that the hot glue will melt the foam. If you wrapped it with fabric it might work though.
What and how do you hang the wreath?
you can either attach a hangar to the back with hot glue (I typically just use string) or tie a string around the wreath form before you start gluing on the ornaments.
What do I you use for the hanger? My daughter and I are both making one now!! 😀❤️
My ornaments are not wanting to stick with the hot glue! They just don’t seem to stay in place. Not sure what to do here… any suggestions?
Are you gluing them both to the wreath form and to each other as you add them Dana?
I’m not glueing to each other yet I’m still just trying to do the inner and outer rings.. they are finally sticking but I have to hold each one in place until the glue sets. This is more time consuming then I originally thought. I ended up using a foam wreath with twine wrapped around it.
I tried to email you a picture let me know if it comes through
Try using a polystyrene wreath form wrapped in tinsel garland. That gives the glue something to stick to. Mine turned out perfectly!
Great idea Debbie!
I be using a 12″ wreath for size reason. The large 60 mm ornaments are too big so what size should I use besides the very small balls? Thanks for your input.
I’m not sure of exact measurements of ornaments but I would keep an eye out for some smaller ones because you definitely want large and small ornaments on the wreath to give it dimension.
Beautiful Wreath!
So, where do people buy ornaments for wreaths?
I have looked all over. I want purple, green and gold for Mardi Gras.
Thank you, Julie
I’m not sure this time of year but that sounds like a gorgeous idea…if you can’t find them this year, perhaps stock up at the Christmas clearances next year to prepare? ~Melissa
Amazon and eBay usually has someone selling ornaments all year long or you could always spray paint them which is also very aggravating and doesn’t always come out looking like you thought they should. I love going to the dollar tree to stock up on goodies. Good luck!
Gosh, I absolutely love this! I’m a fan of all things christmas and craft, but this year i’ve bought my own house so i’m even more focused on christmas crafts! I can’t wait to make this for my door.. i’ll have to go to the charity shops to see what decorations i can pick up for my homemade wreath! On the homemade christmas theme, I just wrote a blog post on stocking filler ideas on my website and tomorrow i’ve got one coming up on eco friendly christmas wrapping which is so creative and fun to do! You might be interested in taking a look if you have the time 🙂 Thanks for sharing this DIY with us! :)https://www.livingwithanna.co.uk/
How do you view the tutorial video?
Oh wow, the video had totally disappeared from the blog post, I have no idea how that happened! I’ve replaced it now Rachel, thanks for commenting so I knew! ~Melissa
I have checked your website and i have found some duplicate content, that’s why you
don’t rank high in google’s search results, but there is a
tool that can help you to create 100% unique articles, search
for: Best article rewritwer Ercannou’s essential tools
I love the wreath but what I want to know is how you make the garland around the door. It’s so pretty as well. I have lots of trimming left from my tree and love spreading it throughout my house why not do the out side too. Thanks.
Here is the tutorial for the garland Ashley! https://thehappierhomemaker.com/diy-pottery-barn-inspired-ornament-garl/
Thank you!!! Wish I could send pictures !!!
Hi! I was wondering if you take the plastic off the wreath before hot gluing? It looks like its still on there….and if so, doesn’t the hot glue not stick to the plastic? Sorry for so many ??….I made a gorgeous one years ago and the command strip fell last year and broke the wreath. I came across your idea for using straw. Got it today at Micheals (it seems like it would be messy if I take the plastic off?!) Thanks!!!
I didn’t take the plastic off Katie-I thought it would be messier with the straw exposed. I didn’t have any problem with the ornaments sticking to the plastic with the hot glue, honestly, it probably melts together a bit from the heat. Hope that helps!~ ~Melissa
You should definitely have more instruction. Like saying start along the outside and inside and work from there. Because now mine looks like crap.
I’m sorry yours didn’t turn out well Mallory, the instructions say to start layering on the inner and outer edges and then work your way in. I hope you’re able to salvage it. ~Melissa
Great idea. I tried the wire hanger one as well, but to me, it does not look as nice as this one. Can’t wait to make this, this weekend.
I have a question did you take out the hanging part of the ornament. I tried the one with the hanger and all the ornaments fell off. I looked for the ones that were al in one piece. I would like to try this can I take the hangers off and glue it that way
I didn’t take mine off at all Janet, I just positioned them in such a way to maximize the surface to surface contact when I was gluing so they’d be secure. Hope that helps! ~Melissa
You cld always glue the caps on as well
Looks great! Maybe spray paint your wreath the color of your main ornament?? That way you won’t see any straw. Best tutorial! Thanks!
Great tip Nicki!
It turned out beautiful. I’m making a blue and silver Chanukkah wreath for my door. I’m hoping it comes out as nice. Thanks for the instructions.
Please add me on your list.
I just added you Priscilla, if you ever change your mind simply click on “unsubscribe” at the bottom of any of the emails you receive. Thanks so much for visiting my blog!
Hi, I’m wondering if this will turn out just as well on a styrofoam wreath. Do you have a reason for choosing the straw?
Thanks for your great tutorial!
I had a bad experience using a cheap styrofoam wreath (hot glue melted it) so that’s why I used a straw wreath Emily…I’ve had readers say they used a green floral styrofoam wreath without any issues so that may work, I just haven’t tried it myself. Hope that helps!! ~Melissa
I loved your tutorial. I hadn’t seen one done as well before. I’ve made several of these over the years with vintage ornaments and old Christmas lights as “filler” – they make great gifts. I get my straw wreaths at thrift stores along with a lot of the ornaments. The wreaths aren’t usually wrapped in plastic so I wrap them with red or green crepe paper. Then I add a wire hanger wrapped around the top with a hanging loop and use E6000 glue to attach the ornaments. The one I hang at my house, I’ve had over ten years! Occasionally I need to re-glue an ornament but not often. I’ve never hung them outside though.
That sounds amazing Tina, I’d love to see a picture if you ever get a moment!