How to Make a Door Wreath with Fresh Balsam

The ring and the balsam

If you searched how to make door wreath, the work starts with a metal ring, wreath wire, and fresh balsam tips. To make a fresh balsam piece, start with a metal wreath ring, wreath wire, fresh balsam tips, pine cones, and a bow. A common door size uses a 12 inch ring large enough to finish into a full entry display once the greens are wired around it.

Cut balsam into pieces about as long as your hand. Wire three or four stems together at the cut end to make one bunch. Keep the cut ends tight together so the bunch holds its shape before you place it on the ring. The fuller side of each bunch should face outward. As you place each bunch, turn it slightly so the greens spread beyond the ring and help build the finished size.

Around the ring

How do you make a door wreath from those balsam fir bunches? Lay the first bunch on the metal ring. Wrap the wire around the stems and the ring a few times so the bunch is held firmly. Do not cut the wire after each bunch. Keep the spool of wire attached and continue around the ring.

Lay the next bunch over the stems you just tied. The new greens should cover the cut ends from the bunch before it. Keep working around the ring until the metal is covered and the stems are hidden.

For a double-sided Rockdale wreath, alternate bunches from the front to the back of the ring. The wreath fills out and grows thicker as the greens go onto the front and the back. The back is built up with balsam instead of left flat. If a spot looks thin, add one more bunch there while the wire is still moving around the ring. It is easier to fix thin areas before everything is finished.

Local materials

Fresh balsam is the main material. The greens should feel flexible and have a shine to them, not dry or brittle. Shorter pieces help end the wreath and fill the inside of the ring, while fuller tips help build the outside shape.

Pine cones, natural accents, and a bow can be added after the greens are wired. These details should support the shape instead of weighing down one side. If one area looks too heavy, move the accent before the wire is tightened completely.

Pine cones and a bow

To attach pine cones, wrap a short piece of floral wire around through the scales of each cone. Twist the wire tight enough to hold, then push the wire ends down into the greens and fasten them to the ring or nearby stems. Space the cones apart so they look balanced across the finished piece.

Add the bow last so it does not get crushed while you turn the ring. Use wire on the back of the bow to tie it to the ring or to a firm section of stems. After the bow is attached, hold the piece upright and check that the loops and tails hang naturally.

How it hangs on a door

Once the piece is finished, check the weight before hanging it. A standard over-the-door hanger works for many wood or metal doors. The hanger should fit over the top edge without stopping the door from closing.

If the door has glass, a storm panel, or a tight frame, use the hanging method that fits that surface. A heavy fresh piece should not be trusted to a weak adhesive hook. If the display moves in wind, clear fishing line can be tied near the lower greens to keep it from swinging.

Keeping fresh balsam outside

Fresh balsam usually lasts longest outdoors in cool weather. A shaded porch, covered entry, or cool outside wall helps the greens stay fresher than a warm indoor room.

Keep the finished piece away from fireplaces, heat vents, strong indoor heat, and long direct sun. If the greens start to feel dry or brittle, it is time to replace the display.

When you would rather buy it

The same balsam, already cut, bunched, wired, shaped, and decorated, is what you get with door wreaths. Buying one finished saves the time of cutting, bunching, wiring,  and decorating the ring.

It also gives you a piece that is made well and ready to display.

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The balsam is cut on our farm in Maine. Rockdale Forest is that farm.