Homemade fabric wreaths have been popular for years, especially around the holiday season. However, most instructions result in a plain, simple wreath: one or more holiday fabrics and a large bow. That might work for easy holiday decorations, but years ago with a tight budget and a need for handmade Christmas gifts, I spent a lot of time searching for something more creative than tying strips of Christmas fabric onto a clothes hanger bent into the shape of a wreath.
With a drawer full of sewing and craft supplies, some artificial flowers and leaves, and a few assorted fabric remnants, I tried my hand at a more decorative approach, using the holiday wreath as a foundation upon which to build. By taking the time and effort to add a more personal, decorative touch, my efforts resulted in several fantastic homemade Christmas gifts the receivers could display year round.
Personalized Fabric Wreaths Make Great Christmas Holiday Gifts
Various types of fabric wreaths make nice Christmas holiday gifts, provided they are specifically tailored to the individual receiving the gift. For instructions on how to make a basic wreath, click on this how to make a wreath link that leads to an article describing how I make them.
However, if Christmas materials are used, the wreath’s usefulness only covers the holiday season. By expanding on the idea of creating a handmade fabric wreath and using the receiver’s favorite colors or home décor, fabric decorative wreaths created in non-holiday materials and colors make them more personal.
Christmas Wreath Ideas and Holiday Gifts Begin With Personalization
My daughter-in-law’s favorite color is black, so I started designing a black-focused wreath with a yard of black material I already had on hand. To that material, I added a bit of white remnant and bought enough black and white print on clearance to finish the project. In addition, I picked up a small bouquet of black roses at the dollar store and some artificial silk leaves. A couple of left-over lady bugs from a previous craft project and a cute designer bee with eyes that wiggled were added to mix. I also bought a large black and white bow for the top of the wreath.
Clipping the roses off so that only 1/2” of the stem remained, the leaves were arranged in a circular pattern on both sides of the wreath. They were not placed directly across from each other, but arranged more on a diagonal. After placing several of the black roses on top of the leaves, the lady bugs and bee were scattered to fill out the wreath. I then set the bow in place, and gave the whole thing a light spray of glitter to make it shine.
My daughter-in-law was so excited with the wreath that she went out and bought a pair of expensive, clear-glass living-room lamps that enabled her to place black silk flowers inside the lamp base. She then hung the decorative wreath on the living room wall in between the two lamps.
The Holiday Season Offers Christmas Wreath Ideas, Plus More
The holiday season offers lots of decorating ideas in addition to the artificial flowers, leaves, and craft insects I used. Walk down any Christmas holiday aisle and you’ll find plenty of Christmas wreath, tree, and centerpiece decorations to choose from that don’t exactly carry a holiday theme:
- individually wrapped candy
- assorted velvet bows
- assorted ribbons
- pinecones, traditional brown or painted and glittered
- colored cookie cutters
- light Christmas ornaments: butterflies, bells, sports uniforms and players, bucket of beer, glittered fairies, snowflakes, angels, hearts, stars
Choice of decorations is as important as the fabric. So make sure to handpick the wreath decorations as carefully as the material for the wreath itself. While large craft stores contain endless ideas, department and discount stores (especially during the holiday season) also offer lots of ideas:
- small birds, butterflies, and other animals and insects
- crocheted or felt flowers and leaves
- fancy or unique buttons
- fabric appliqués
- small pieces of artificial fruit
- foam stickers: flowers, stars, zoo animals, music notes, fish
- craft studio kits: contain bows, rickrack, beads, ribbon flowers
- colored shoelaces
- pompons
- letters to spell out their name
- miniature refrigerator magnets
- Gel Clings or layered accents: assorted flowers, animals, insects, sports, ballet dancers
Holiday Fabric Wreath Ideas for Personalized Handmade Christmas Gifts
Holiday fabric wreaths have been popular for years, but most are plain and simple patterns, and only offer general Christmas wreath ideas. If looking for a more unique handmade Christmas gift, the holiday season offers many ideas for making fabric wreaths more decorative and individual. Think about the receiver’s favorite colors, home décor, hobbies and interests. Then take advantage of the holiday season’s offerings by taking the time to investigate the trinkets available in your local area.
