I love to use natural elements for Christmas whenever possible but I also hate having that brittle look after the first week or so. This year we will be gone for a good part of the holiday season so I didn’t want to come home to a dried-up fire hazard. Here are my tips on how to make a faux wreath look natural even if it isn’t.
#1 Take the time to fluff your wreath
The left side of this wreath is what it looked like out of the box. The right side is fluffed.
#2 Gather some natural elements
Add some foraged natural elements that will make it through the season
I have six pomegranate bushes. Poms look pretty even after they dry. My bay tree is always happy to be trimmed this time of year. My neighbor’s juniper holds it’s color all through the season. Everyone has some spare twigs waiting to be trimmed.
#3 Purchase some faux stems that “look natural”
You can find these at Target, Hobby Lobby, Michaels etc. The key here is don’t just shop the holiday section. Most of the berries and evergreen stems are sprinkled with fake snow & fairy dust. The berries in this section do not normally look real. Look for different gradiations of green so your wreath will have some depth.
None of these came from the “holiday” section. The stems on the left and right are from Hobby Lobby. The one in the middle I have had for a while.
Here is the finished wreath.
Here you can see how the bay and twigs lend a more natural look to the wreath.
I glued the fresh poms on with a glue gun. All of the other materials I just poke in. That way if I want to change it out next year I don’t have glue gobs everywhere.
The same plan can be applied to a faux garland. The garland you saw in my entry on my Christmas Tour Part 1 was also embellished with the same elements. This garland came from Park Hill. It was already nice and full but I always like to add some natural elements to offset the faux look.
Twigs and faux elements bring a depth of color to the garland.
These small Park Hill Collection wreaths are very natural looking with their natural pine cones and variety of faux greens.
The addition of natural twigs, a big wide chartreuse ribbon, and the same faux elements create some interest.
I will be back on Friday with the rest of my Christmas tour including my Christmas wrap. I will show you how to embellish a grocery store wreath as well.
You read How to Make a Faux Wreath look Natural first here on Rough Luxe Lifestyle.
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Great info, Cindy! Your wreath is beautiful, so obviously your system works! 🙂 Thanks for all the great tips!
Thank you Barbara! Merry Christmas!
Very pretty, this post arrives at the perfect time, as my husband purchased a faux wreath this afternoon here in Innsbruck. When home in Italy, I will follow all your tips!!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, Robin
Hi Robin
Happy Holidays Friend! Innsbruk must be beautiful this time of year. I am impressed that your husband purchased a wreath, now you need to put hime to work decorating it!!
Wow..great tips that are easy to implement and cost friendly (if not free)! I think I will be taking a bag and small shears with me on my early morning walks through parks and green spaces to “help” with the over growth and pine cone litter problem😊. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Linda
I have to admit I always have a pair of shears in my car. I have another foraging friend that shares her secret spots as I do with her. Sometimes we have to go undercover!! Happy foraging!!
So pretty! I too have switched to faux mixed with fresh. I love the fragrance of real but have found that I can bring in some greens and with a scented candle or two the fragrance of Christmas is here.
Karen
Karen you make me feel better about going faux. The natural green smell only lasts for a week at most and then they turn brittle. I still love adding some fresh but just have to be a little more practical when we won’t be around much this year. I gave up my real tree years ago. My kids didn’t even realize it when they were in college as I kept the pine scented candles and room spray going!
Love this. I’m an Arizona teacher with a stunning pine tree in the courtyard at school. Hope they are on board with the foraging idea when I bust out my lopping shears during lunch! The branches and twigs are also lovely so I’ll be looking for those as well.
Hi Didi
I am sure those trees at your school could use a good trim tee hee…Happy Holidays!!
Such a great step-by-step and the results are so beautiful! I need to remember the importance of “fluffing”!
All these tips are just great. We can have our fake and eat it too!
Thanks
Amanda
WONDERFUL TUTORIAL!
I wish I had YOUR ENERGY!!!
XX
Wow Cindy so great I am stealing these ideas. They look so pretty and natural and I love how you can keep them season after season and just change them up a bit. I am sharing this on my Facebook page! Inspiring and a great tutorial. xo
Cindy! Your wreath is beautiful! And what a difference fluffed vs unfluffed. Love the rustic natural look!