Happy Friday, people! Raquel Benedict here, Wit & Delight’s resident designer. Today I’m sharing a DIY project I did this week that’s perfect for those of us with a lot of holiday spirit but just a little bit of time.

While I’m a big fan of this time of year, I don’t tend to go too overboard with holiday decorations. My roommate and I live in a not-so-big apartment, and while we did put up a tree in our living room (those twinkle lights at night 🥺), we didn’t want to overcrowd our place with lots of other holiday decorations (although nothing against it if that’s your thing!). I did, however, think a wreath would make a lovely, welcoming addition to our front door.

And the nice thing about a wreath like this one? It looks perfectly fitting not only for the holidays but also well into the winter season. Below, you’ll find the breakdown of how I assembled this festive creation. If you have any questions or DIY ideas of your own, please, please let me know in the comments! I’m all ears. Happy crafting!

Step 1: Purchase Your Supplies

I have to be honest with you—most of the time when I enter the craft store, I do not have anything specific on my list. I wander, letting my logged Pinterest pins and deals of the day guide me. This time was a little different, as I did know I wanted to make a wreath, but I did not have a list of wants on hand.

With a wreath in hand, my only philosophy as far as details went was to grab stalks and bits that stood out to me—things that fell somewhere in between “glitter explosion” and “grandma’s traditional tree at the cabin.”

Instead, I browsed the seasonal section with an open mind. I pretty quickly decided to grab a ready-made wreath as a base—the wreath wires looked labor intensive, and folks, sometimes you’ve just gotta go easy on yourself and do what works best for you. With that in hand, my only philosophy as far as details went was to grab stalks and bits that stood out to me—things that fell somewhere in between “glitter explosion” and “grandma’s traditional tree at the cabin.”

A few tips to keep in mind when selecting decorative details:

Choose a color palette — Holiday decor doesn’t all have to be red and green (!!!). I chose a rustic-inspired gold and white palette with pops of warm tones like red and orange. But I think a wreath with silver, natural browns, and blue (or something along those lines) would be pretty as well!

Play with texture — Personally, I think wreaths are most successful when they play with many different materials and textures. For example, I chose a lot of woodsy materials like gold branches and sprigs of white flowers, but opted for the white poms and red berries for a more modern addition. In the store, I also decided that I was going to try to bake oranges and add them, to really bring the design down to earth.

Don’t go overboard — The seasonal aisles can look pretty hectic this time of year, but try to keep your materials to 5-6 tops. I actually had 11 different varieties in my basket when I was done browsing, and it was fun to narrow down and choose which ones looked best together. Go wild! But then pare it down.

Step 2: Prep

After I got my oranges in the oven (250 degrees for about 2 hours, or until they feel dry), I laid out all the bits and bobs that I bought to see what I was working with. I chose to disassemble everything so that I could rework them into a more fluid composition. Make sure to have some scissors and hot glue on hand, too!

Step 3: Assemble

There doesn’t need to be a strict rhyme or reason to this part; I’m all about using your imagination and going along with your whims! However, as a general guideline, this is the process I went through when making this wreath.

1. I started by adding the large decorative elements onto the wreath—the branches and sprigs that made up the base for everything else. I chose a focal point and stuck each part in (without glue!), going in opposite directions.

2. I then evenly distributed the gold branches on each side with the same process.

3. Next, it was time to add the stars of my materials: the poms and red berries. I laid them out in the focal point that I had chosen with the branches, pairing them up so that each bundle of berries looked like it had one pom “flower.” I took the flashiest pieces that I had (the gold, sparkly branches), started in the center, and then placed them in a sort of fading ombre effect going outward. I like that the glitter leads your eye around the circle of the wreath rather than getting stuck in the focal point.

4. After that, I filled in some of the empty looking parts with the little white bulbs I picked up.

5. When the oranges were done drying out, I tucked them in and around all of the existing pieces. I concentrated them in the—you guessed it!—focal point, and then began placing them further apart as I progressed around the wreath. Getting further away from the focal point, I decided to cut some of the oranges in half to make it feel lighter.

I encourage you to make a wreath with your own twist on details and materials! Head to your local craft store and see what items catch your eye. But if you’d prefer to make a wreath that looks like this one, here’s what you’ll need:

Supplies:

• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Baking sheet
• Oven

For the wreath:

• Pre-made wreath
• Oranges
• Gold branches
• Wood branches
• Sprigs of white flowers
• White poms
• Red berries
• Ribbons (Optional, for hanging)

I love how this came together, and with only a few simple materials plus a bit of creativity. I’ve seen similar wreaths sell for upwards of $100, and this is a more cost-effective (and more fun, in my opinion) way to add a beautiful decoration to your home that’ll bring you joy during the holiday season and all winter long.

Raquel Benedict

Raquel is a forward thinking graphic designer and creative. When she is not working, you’ll probably find her on google flights in search of the next adventure, experimenting in the kitchen, or gushing at all the dogs at a local brewery trying their newest citrus IPA. You can find her on Instagram, at @raquelbenedict.ai.