Write your own Christmas story with a DIY wreath in your favourite colours

If you can make this a family activity and get the children involved, they will feel a sense of pride every time they step through their door or a visitor compliments their wreath.

The lead up to Christmas can be overwhelmingly busy and daunting. It’s easy for to-do lists to get on top of us, letting us lose sight of the real joy of Christmas – celebrating our loved ones. So if you can, even it’s just half a day in the weekend, stop and set aside time for a festive DIY project. Not only will you reconnect with your family, but also end up a stunning festive wreath to enhance your interior!

As we all know, when decorating our Christmas trees, the colour theme drives the display. Traditional red, white and green can take centre stage, or try a retro pink and yellow scheme. How about dusky, muted hues – we’ve gone with the latter in our Christmas wreath. You might want to select colours that resonate with your interior colour scheme.

Nine Resene colours were chosen for this wreath: Resene Stromboli, Resene Yucca, Resene Pewter, Resene Nebula, Resene Rainee, Resene Rivergum, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Gondwana and Resene Cutty Sark. All are fitting beautifully within the grey-green colour family, the tones varying between each box.

If you can make this a family activity and get the children involved, they will feel a sense of pride every time they step through their door or a visitor compliments their wreath. Such joy is the ultimate Christmas gift!

Square box Christmas wreath

You will need:

• 27 square 6cm x6cm boxes (ours were from Look Sharp)
• Resene testpots in chosen colours – we used Resene Stromboli, Resene Yucca, Resene Pewter, Resene Nebula, Resene Rainee, Resene Rivergum, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Gondwana and Resene Cutty Sark. Door painted in Resene Permanent Green
• Resene testpot brushes
• Twine
• Hot-glue gun and glue
• Cardboard and scissors

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Paint each box in your chosen colours – we used Resene Stromboli, Resene Yucca, Resene Pewter, Resene Nebula, Resene Rainee, Resene Rivergum, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Gondwana and Resene Cutty Sark. Door painted in Resene Permanent Green.
2. Cut lengths of natural twine and tie to 11 boxes (these are the ones that will sit on the top layer of the wreath).
3. Cut out a large cardboard ring measuring 40cm on the outer ring and 32cm in the inner ring.
4. Paint your cardboard ring in one of the colours used on the boxes.
5. Glue the first layer of boxes to the cardboard (using our image as a guide).
6. With the 11 remaining boxes (with the twine bows on them) glue them around the wreath sitting on approximately every second box to create a 3D effect. Leave to dry.
7. Attach a piece of jute string and hang on door.

Round box Christmas wreath

If square is not your thing, then make the wreath using round boxes.

You will need:

• 14 mini round wooden boxes (8cm in diameter). Ours were from Kmart.
• Resene testpots in chosen colours – we used Resene Stromboli, Resene Yucca, Resene Pewter, Resene Nebula, Resene Rainee, Resene Rivergum, Resene Spanish Green, Resene Gondwana and Resene Cutty Sark. Door painted in Resene Permanent Green.
• Resene testpot brushes
• Twine
• Hot-glue gun and glue
• Cardboard and scissors

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Paint each box in your chosen colours.
2. Cut lengths of natural twine and tie to 7 boxes (every second box will have a twine bow).
3. Cut out a large cardboard ring which is 40cm on the outer ring and 32cm in the inner ring.
4. Paint your cardboard ring in one of the colours used on the boxes.
5. Glue the boxes to the cardboard with a plain box and then one with a bow on it.
6. Attach a piece of jute string and hang on door.

Project by Vanessa Nouwens. Images by Bryce Carleton. 2021