How To Make a Boxwood Wreath

I have been wanting to make a boxwood wreath for a long time now. Boxwood wreaths can be a bit pricey to buy, so I thought it would be a good idea to make my own. If you are lucky enough to have a boxwood bush growing in your yard, you can use clippings to make a lovely green wreath. Unfortunately, I do not have a boxwood bush.

Last week, I cruised through the local neighborhoods and nurseries, hoping to spy a live boxwood bush. I didn’t have any luck. So, on to Plan B: making my wreath using an artifical boxwood garland.

Artificial boxwood garlands are usually easy to find at craft stores. I paid about $10 for a 6-foot long garland using a 50% off coupon. I only used half of that 6-foot boxwood garland to make this 12 inch wreath. The good news is I can’t see a difference in real boxwood vs. the fake boxwood.

This turned out to be a simple wreath to make. If you can use a hot glue gun, you can make this wreath. All you are doing is adding a dab of hot glue to the end of a boxwood sprig and attaching it to the wreath, over and over until it’s covered. Give it a try – I have added lots of pictures so you can see the process.

A boxwood wreath can go on your front door or, I think it is a wonderful way to bring green indoors anytime of year. The wreaths look good hanging on doors, rustic barnwood frames, and mirrors (look on Pinterest for tons of ideas on decorating your home with wreaths.)

This boxwood wreath is an easy DIY Christmas wreath to make for the holidays. Using an artificial boxwood garland does have its advantages over using preserved boxwood. For one, an artificial boxwood wreath can last for years. I am really happy about the way my first boxwood wreath turned out, and hope you find this tutorial helpful as you make one for yourself.

How To Make a Boxwood Wreath 

Project Level: Easy  Project Time: about an hour

Tools and Materials Needed:

• 3 foot long artificial boxwood garland
• 12-inch Green Foam Wreath
• Hot Glue Gun
• Scissors

Directions:

1. Gather tools and materials needed. Use scissors to cut boxwood sprigs away from the garland.

2. Use a hot glue gun to apply a dab of glue to the stem of the boxwood sprig; attach it to the foam wreath, holding in place if necessary while the glue hardens. Note: Hot glue can (and will) melt the foam wreath. A little bit of melting is to be expected and it’s okay. I avoided too much melting into the foam wreath by allowing the hot glue to cool down for a few seconds after applying it to the boxwood sprig and before attaching the boxwood sprig to the foam wreath.

*Tip: I avoided burning my fingertips on the hot glue by using the pointed end of my scissors to help me hold the boxwood sprig in position on the foam wreath while I waited for the hot glue to harden the sprig into place.

3. Continue to attach boxwood sprigs to the wreath, working methodically, all the way around the wreath until the front is covered. Be sure that each boxwood sprig is pointing in relatively the same direction. Go back and fill in any holes or gaps with more boxwood sprigs if necessary.

Note: If the sides of your boxwood wreath will be visible when the wreath is hung, you will want to attach boxwood sprigs to cover the sides all the way around the wreath. However, if only the front of your wreath will be noticeable, there’s no need to cover the sides. I did not need to cover the sides of my wreath (shown in photos.) 

Use a wall hook, wreath hanger or loop a ribbon to hang your wreath. Some people decorate with boxwood wreaths year-round by simply changing out the color of the ribbons used to hang their wreath. Red for Christmas, pastels for Easter, etc.

One of my favorite homemade wreaths to date is this Tulip Wreath. I used all red tulips, but any color or mix of colors looks beautiful hanging on your door. If you’re a fan of budget-friendly wreaths, check out how to make a coffee filter wreath (total cost about $3, but you’d never guess it was made out of coffee filters!)

If you have any questions about how to make a faux boxwood wreath, please feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible. If you make one, be sure to stop by and let me know how your boxwood wreath turned out.