How to Make an Asymmetrical Christmas Wreath with Fresh Greenery

The holidays are all about carrying on traditions and making new ones. Just like your Scandinavian-inspired holiday décor or unconventional-yet-festive color palette, take a break from the typical evergreen wreath and decorate for the season with a pretty, nature-inspired creation.

The best part: With a quick trip to your local flower market or even the Christmas tree vendor down the street, you can craft your own gorgeous wreath. Floral designer Sierra Steifman shows us how to make a stunning asymmetrical wreath like the loose, organic arrangements she creates at her design firms, Poppies & Posies and The Floral Society. Follow these step-by-step instructions to put together your own magical holiday décor and perhaps start a new tradition.

Gather Your Supplies

To create a wreath, you'll need strong floral clippers to cut greenery to size; a spool of wire and wire cutters for fastening your foliage; and a wreath form. We used a 10-inch form ($10, amazon.com), but you can go bigger or smaller depending on the size of the wreath desired. If you aren't covering the entire form with foliage, Steifman recommends using a copper form for a more decorative look.

These supplies are optional, but we recommend waterproof floral tape ($6.99, amazon.com) to help secure your foliage, and ribbon scissors if you're using ribbon as a finishing touch. Lastly, work on a clear surface that's easy to clean such as a kitchen counter.

Select a Variety of Greens

For a multidimensional wreath like ours, you'll need a variety of greens in varying colors and textures. Steifman layered hemlock fir, cedar, and juniper as the base. She then embellished with eucalyptus silver bell pods, thistle, and true blue eucalyptus.

But where do you find all these beautiful greens? Besides your local farmer's market, "you can buy 'tips,' which are cut branches, any place that's selling Christmas trees," says Steifman. "And if you live by spruce trees, you can also forage for pine cones or berries." Another trusted resource that Steifman turns to for pinecones and dried flowers is afloral.com. "I like adding berries and decorative textures," says the expert. Some of her favorites include silver brunia, thistle, rosehip, and dried flowers like strawflower, poppy pods, lunaria, and bunny tail.

Make Your Bundles

Now that your work surface and materials are prepped, it's time to make bundles. First, cut your greenery based on the size of your form. We used a 10-inch form and cut materials 4- to 8-inches long.

Start with the flattest greens, layer on the second variety, and top with the fullest. Secure each bundle with wire; repeat. Make at least eight to 10 bundles depending on the size of bundles, keeping in mind the bigger the bundles the fewer bundles you'll need to cover the wreath.

Build Your Wreath

Cut the wire to 8-inch strips. Pick a starting point and attach one bundle to the wreath form using wire, making sure to coil the wire around at least three times or until it feels secure. Working in the same direction, continue to add bundles. Make sure to hide wire by overlapping. Layer so that the tips of the next bundle cover the stems of the previous one. Work until you've covered the wreath form.

Add Decorative Elements and Hang

Now for the fun part: The finishing touches. For an asymmetrical look add adornments mainly to one side. Stick pretty accent pieces like pinecones into the armature and secure in the back onto the wreath form using wire. Sierra stripped leaves off the bottom of the true blue eucalyptus stem before adding them to the armature. Once you're happy with your wreath, tie ribbon, and hang.