D.I.Y. Wreath Centerpiece

Our own Anna Stockwell, editorial assistant at GardenDesign.com, shows how to make a tabletop wreath.

As a country girl in the city, I wanted to bring some of the woods into my Brooklyn apartment. So, when I went home to New Hampshire for Thanksgiving, I brought back clippings of spruce, hemlock, holly, fir, bright red hawthorn berries, juniper, and fragrant rosemary sprigs from my parents' garden. In the northeast, most of these same greens can be purchased at your local greenmarket or snipped from your garden, but you can easily substitute whatever greenery you have available. I did buy an additional bunch of blue-berried juniper branches from the greenmarket to add to the wreath, as the branches add a nice touch of color and a wonderful scent. A standard floral form on a plastic tray serves as the base for the tabletop wreath and can be found at Michaels or any local crafts supply store.

To follow the step-by-step instructions for making your own tabletop wreath, see the full gallery by clicking "Next" above.

Gather your supplies and arrange on a clean, spacious work area.

We used:

-Greenery (about a gallon-sized plastic bag's worth of evergreen branches)

-Floral foam wreath base

-Four taper candles

Dark and lustrous, hemlock branches (left) are nice and flat and are well-suited for the base layer of a tabletop wreath, while fragrant fir branches (right) serve as filler.

Shiny and iconic, holly (left) is an obvious addition to any holiday arrangement. One of the few plants that offer color in a snowy winter landscape, holly has long been associated with mid-winter celebrations. It symbolized protection against evil among the Druids and later, symbolized the crown of thorns worn by Jesus. Holly is well-suited for wreaths and has a long vase life, remaining green and healthy for several weeks, as long as it is adequately watered. Alberta spruce (right) adds a nice feathery texture.

Use hawthorn berries (left) to add a festive burst of color to any holiday arrangement. Though the berries will shrivel and dry within a few days, they will still hold their shape and color. Hawthorn sprigs will need to be dethorned before using, by cutting off the thorns with scissors or clippers. (If hawthorn berries are not available, winterberries are a good substitute.) Rosemary (right) and other herbal elements add a lovely fragrance and texture to any wreath.

The blue undertones of juniper add subtle shading to a holiday arrangement, as well as a sweet fragrance.

Before you place any greenery, lightly mark a spot for each candle (if using) on the floral foam. Once you set the candles into the foam, they will create large holes, so plan carefully. (The foam is sturdy enough to hold a candle, so there is no need for a separate candle holder. Once the first candles burn down, you can easily replace them by placing new candles in the openings.)

-Place candles in dry foam. (This way, the foam will expand around the candles when watered.)

-Bring the floral form to the sink and hold it under the faucet until saturated, about two minutes.

-Dump any excess water out of the center.

-Start adding the greens.  With a pair of heavy duty scissors or small garden clippers, snip the greenery into small 4-inch pieces, pull off any extra needles from the ends of each stem, and insert into the foam.  Work around the wreath in one direction, arranging from the bottom to the top, covering the whole circumstance in greenery.

Layer different greens on the form until you feel you have the right balance of color and texture, then add the red berries last. Make sure there are no spots where foam is visible and add more greens if needed.

Water the wreath at least once a week by pouring a cup of water into the center of the wreath, so that it can be absorbed by the foam. The wreath should stay fresh for at least four weeks. Display proudly!