Photo credit: Nkuku
A wreath is a stylish addition to our homes and, as it’s no longer reserved for the front door, it can bring a touch of the outdoors into any room. I love how this beautiful festive bedroom by Nkuku shows just how well a wreath can work indoors - even above a bed. With its natural-looking arrangement of twigs and dried flowers, this design could easily be on display long before Christmas or be enjoyed well beyond the festive period.
So what exactly is a wreath and where did the idea of using it as a decorative piece come from? In its simplest form, it’s an assortment of foliage, flowers or other materials arranged in the shape of a ring. Wreaths have a long history, with leafy crowns worn as symbols of honour in ancient Greece and Rome. In Christian tradition, Advent wreaths are laid flat as a table arrangement with four candles representing the four Sundays before Christmas, while wreaths created from wheat or straw feature in harvest celebrations.
Today, you can make your own wreath, purchase a ready-made fresh one or invest in an everlasting faux design that you can reuse year after year. This wreath from The White Company, pictured below, is a lovely example and shows how beautiful a wreath can look laid flat as a table centrepiece.
Photo credit: The White Company
You can make a wreath using foliage such as fir sprigs, bare twigs or dried leaves for the base. Dried fruit, flowers, berries, and other ornamental pieces, such as baubles, glass bells and bows, can be tucked in among the greenery. Ultimately, you can make your wreath as personalised and decorative as you like, choosing colours and textures that suit your interior.
In addition to fresh and faux, dried wreaths are a lovely option that you can make yourself or purchase. In this article, I’m sharing Christmas wreath ideas for 2026, from classic foliage designs with dried oranges to pre-lit wreaths and ones adorned with bows and baubles. There are suggestions on where to display them in your home, and I’ll also talk you through how to make your own with guidance from Bloom & Wild’s head florist. You’ll find frequently asked questions at the end, too.
Different Christmas wreath designs
Photo credit: Lights4fun Ltd. Image Shot by Oliver Perrott
Before we look at where to display your wreath, followed by several beautiful designs, here’s a quick guide to several different wreaths and the materials they are made from.
Soft green eucalyptus wreaths with silvery foliage, including fir and eucalyptus with natural twigs, like the one here from Lights4fun.
Traditional wreaths with touches of red with evergreen sprigs, holly and glossy red baubles, bright red berries or red flowers.
Natural dried flower wreaths with bare twigs, dried flowers and papery seed pods, like the one above the bed.
Pine cone wreaths in warm, earthy tones, made up of different pine cones and other natural elements.
Traditional evergreen wreaths with evergreen fir, holly, dried oranges and clusters of red berries.
Mistletoe wreaths with white berries.
Wreaths with metallic elements, such as gold leaves, bells or ribbons.
Felt wreaths, with green leaves made from felt.
Wreaths with white flowers, such as poinsettias combined with fir and dark berries.
Metallic gold wreaths with gilded leaves and pearlescent baubles.
Mixed foliage wreaths with fairy lights woven through green.
Light wreaths made entirely from a ring of warm white lights.
Decorative floral wreaths in pink, cream and green that you could display all year round.
Where to place a wreath
Photo credit: Dibor
Depending on your home and the space available, you can hang a wreath on a wall, coat hook or prop it up on a surface as a freestanding accessory. Alternatively, it can be laid flat on a table. Above and below, you can see two examples of beautiful wreaths from Dibor displayed in different rooms. An existing hook in the hallway, like in the image above, is an ideal place to hang one. If you want to hang a wreath on a wall without drilling a hole, you could use a removable adhesive hook, although there is a risk of the paint lifting when you remove it. For doors, you can buy a special wreath hanger that slots over the top of the door. Listed below are more places to display your wreaths, as you may well want more than one in a different design.
Photo credit: Dibor
Front door: Centre it on the door and attach to a hook with a ribbon or a wreath hanger if you don’t want a nail in your door.
Hallway coat hook: Hang the wreath on a ribbon or string on a hook alongside coats and scarves.
Staircase: Attach a wreath or a group of three wreaths to your staircase banister or railings at different heights.
Above a console table: Hang your wreath low so it feels part of a display or prop it up against the wall.
Above the mantelpiece: Prop on the mantel or fix it on the wall over the fireplace and leave a little space between the wreath and any garland on the mantel.
Bedroom wall above the bed: Centre it above the headboard or position it off-centre for a stylish, less obvious look.
Dining room wall: Hang it where you can see it from the table and repeat one of its colours in your table decorations.
On a shelf: Prop it against the wall beside a small stack of books, a vase or a lamp.
In a window: Suspend it from a ribbon so it sits within the window frame and can be admired from outside.
On a dining table: Place it flat as the centrepiece on your table and fill it with candles in the middle.
How to make your own Christmas wreath with Bloom & Wild
Photo credit: Bloom & Wild
Making your own wreath is a lovely way to put a personal stamp on your holiday decorating. I asked Bloom & Wild’s flower expert, Lucy Hook, for a step-by-step guide to making a traditional Christmas wreath. Before we begin, here is a list of foliage options for the base.
Different types of fir: blue spruce, conifer, noble fir, pine or cypress.
Other evergreen foliage: holly, mistletoe, eucalyptus, maple leaves, ivy or bay.
Step 1
"I always start with a full, fresh foliage base; I like fir for its rich colour and scent. Before you add anything else, give it a proper look over and pull any stems that are pointing the wrong way, you want an even base to build on before the fun bits go in."
Step 2
"Once your base is sorted, start adding in things like pine cones and dried poppy seed heads. I like to cluster them in twos and threes rather than spacing them out evenly; little groupings feel far more natural and give the eye somewhere to land."
Photo credit: Bloom & Wild
Step 3
"Dried orange slices are one of my favourite additions; they smell incredible and hold their colour for weeks. Bend a little floristry wire around each slice and twist to secure, leaving one end roughly three times longer than the other. Feed that longer end through the wreath base and bend it back in, so nothing pokes through and scratches your table."
Step 4
"Save your berries for last; tuck small clusters in and around your other materials for pops of colour. Then take a few longer, wispier pieces -whatever foliage you've got to hand works nicely - and slot them in between everything else, letting a few trail out over the edge. Keep going until it looks properly full; that's what brings the whole thing to life."
Step 5
"Before you hang it, prop your wreath up somewhere and stand back to look at it properly, it's so easy to miss gaps when you're working close up. Once you're happy, keep it somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. Everything will naturally dry out and mellow in colour over the coming weeks; that's not it fading, that's just part of the charm of a real, natural wreath."
Photo credit: Bloom & Wild
Above are the finished wreaths displayed on a staircase in all their glory. Bloom & Wild also sells its own kits so you have everything you need fresh to make your own: wreath base, wire, and a selection of fresh and dried stems (such as pine cones, dried oranges, and poppy heads alongside scented eucalyptus and pine). Click here for details.
Copper and Sage Green Christmas wreath
Photo credit: Floralsilk
This full grapevine wreath by Floralsilk is one of my favourites. It’s stylishly layered with a mix of textures, such as the twig accents that give it a natural feel. There are two types of pine, velvet bows in rust and sage green, frosted pine cones and magnolia leaves. The metallic touches are particularly lovely at this time of year, with gold leaves and two aged gold bells adding a little festive glamour.
A pine cone wreath
Here is a characterful rustic wreath from Cox & Cox that would work just as well for autumn decorating as for Christmas. Along with the natural pine cones, seed heads and dried foliage, there are small dried citrus slices. Display it above a console, on a door, or even flat on a table; it makes a versatile addition to your seasonal decorations.
A mixed leaf and foliage wreath
Photo credit: ©Lights4fun Ltd. Image Shot by Oliver Perrott
This crisp autumn/winter wreath can be displayed in the autumn and admired through the winter months. Crafted from natural-looking sprigs and foliage, it has a soft colour palette with little lights adding a warm glow. I like the mix and tones of the different leaves, which would complement many interior styles. Like several faux wreaths, it comes with a matching garland which you can place nearby for a cohesive feel.
All bauble wreath
Photo credit: Next
Featuring a mix of glossy, matte, and metallic-finish baubles in forest green, rich bronze, light gold and deep red, this wreath, by Scottish Everlastings Ltd from Next, glistens as it catches the light, making an opulent statement on a door, wall or mantelpiece. For a modern touch, pair it with a dish filled with baubles in similar tones.
A felt wreath with an oversized bow
This felt design is an unusual alternative to a traditional Christmas wreath. I like the softness of the holly leaves in two different muted green tones, punctuated with red berries. An elegant deep red velvet bow adds a luxurious finishing touch to this beautiful, understated design.
A wreath made from lights
Photo credit: Atkin and Thyme
This pre-lit white berry wreath from Atkin and Thyme is perfect for illuminating a corner of your home. A real showstopper, it has no fewer than 550 frosted warm-white berry lights on a black iron frame. The timer allows you to set the lights to switch off automatically after eight hours; so sit back and enjoy the glow. I particularly like the idea of hanging a pre-lit wreath in a window so it can be admired from both inside and out.
A mistletoe wreath
Photo credit: Cox & Cox
I always love the look of mistletoe at Christmas, but having dogs means I avoid bringing the real thing into the house, so this faux mistletoe wreath from Cox & Cox is ideal. The soft green foliage and white berries are attractive in their own right, while gold baubles tucked in between add that extra Christmassy touch.
Gold leaf and bauble wreath
Photo credit: Rowen
An opulent all-gold Christmas wreath, like this one from Rowen, will bring a luxurious feel to your front door or interior this Christmas. To create your own gold design or add metallic accents to a fresh foliage wreath, combine baubles, pine cones, berries and dried leaves sprayed gold.
A wreath with white poinsettias and glass bells
Photo credit: Stars for Europe
Sprigs of thuja and noble fir have been used to transform a simple straw base into a lush winter wreath. White poinsettias, placed in small test tubes filled with water, create a striking display. To help the cut poinsettias last longer, the experts at Stars for Europe recommend dipping the stems into hot water at around 60°C for about five seconds immediately after cutting, then into cold water. You could also use other winter flowers, such as hellebores or cyclamen.
Red berry wreath
Photo credit: Next
Traditional with a twist, this faux wreath by Laura Ashley combines red berries in different sizes with rustic pinecones and pine sprigs for a natural, textured look. I once had a real berry wreath and loved the vibrancy and festive cheer it brought to my home. This design captures that same Christmas charm.
Softly toned wreath with wooden flowers
Photo credit: Dibor
This dense wreath is one of my favourites. I like the subtle tones and the mix of textures, with delicate wooden flower petals and pearl berries set among large pine cones, forest green furze and boxwood leaves. Its natural colours make it a good choice for displaying throughout the year, and it is an example of how easily a wreath can become part of your everyday decor.
A pre-lit Christmas wreath to light up the Front Door
Photo credit: ©Lights4fun Ltd. Image Shot by Oliver Perrott
Last but not least, even if you have an indoor wreath, don’t forget your front door. This pre-lit Christmas wreath from Lights4fun gives your guests a festive welcome before they’ve even walked through the door. Check the manufacturer's instructions to ensure that it is suitable for outdoor use.
FAQS
Photo credit: B&M
How do I choose the right size wreath?
Consider not only the size of the wreath but the space around it, as leaving enough room will help make it more of a focal point. On a door, allow room for the frame and handle to remain clear. You might find a paper template helpful to judge the size before buying or making your wreath.
Can I personalise a ready-made Christmas wreath?
You can buy a simple foliage wreath and personalise it by adding a bow, baubles or a few favourite decorations. You can also refresh a wreath you already own by changing the ribbon or adding a different accent colour to match your interior scheme.
Can I leave a wreath up after Christmas?
Many of the wreaths featured in this article can be put up before Christmas and enjoyed afterwards, especially those featuring dried flowers, twigs or foliage. Just remove any obviously festive details, such as baubles or bells.
How can I hang a wreath on my front door without putting a nail in it?
You can buy a wreath hanger that fits over the top of your front door, with finishes ranging from black to brass and silver. Check that the hanger will fit the thickness of your door so it can close properly.
Are pre-lit Christmas wreaths safe to use outdoors?
Check that the wreath, lights and battery pack are all suitable for outdoor use, and protect them from rain. Ensure you keep the battery compartment securely closed. For wreaths indoors, keep battery packs away from heat and out of reach of children and pets.
LET’S SUM UP
I hope you were inspired to have at least one wreath displayed in your home this Christmas. If you’d like to read more of my Christmas decoration articles, do head over to the following:
Stylish Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas and Trends for 2026
Natural, Rustic Christmas Decorating Ideas for Every Room
FESTIVE TABLESCAPES - a mix of unusual ideas and inspiration to create your own
FESTIVE MANTELPIECES - a mix of unusual ideas and inspiration to create your own Yuletide mantel masterpiece
Festive Candles and Candle Holders: How to Decorate with Candlelight in the festive season
I'm Sandra, an interior stylist, writer, photographer and Sunday Times bestselling author. Having worked freelance for magazines including Elle Decoration and House Beautiful, in my blog posts I share inspiration from the interior shows, practical styling ideas and decorating tips to help you create a home that feels beautiful, personal and pulled together.
I also take you on tours of beautifully styled homes from around the world, offering inspiration and styling ideas to steal for your own space. Ultimately, I’ll show you how a little bit of styling can be transformational and take your home to a whole new level.
If you’d like to find out more about me click here
