Wreaths Don't Have To Be Seasonal: How To Make The Décor Work Year Round

Nowadays, wreaths feel directly tied to winter festivities. As you hang up your lights, put out your yard decorations, and trim the Christmas tree, it feels natural to tack a lush wreath to your door. It's a welcoming addition. Then, once the holidays are over, your creative Christmas decorations, perhaps made with household items, go back into storage, waiting for their time to shine again next year. If you want to make a wreath feel more permanent, use a base of simple greenery or wicker that you can customize as the seasons change. New accents can quickly transform the ring into something appropriate for any holiday, season, or occasion. You can, for example, create a stunning fall wreath using foraged items from your yard or craft a glittery red heart-adorned Valentine's Day door decoration in seconds.

Wreaths haven't always been solely winter décor. They were popular in ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome, where they were used for far more than just cool-season celebrations. They were awarded to winners in athletic competitions, adorned wedding gatherings, and worn by royalty. In the Middle Ages, wreaths became associated with Christmas — they symbolized eternity and the circle of life. Even today, these circles of foliage are used in diverse religious and cultural celebrations. In short, there's no reason to limit yourself to decorating with wreaths only at Christmas. If you want a pop of greenery on your door or wall, you can use a wreath — though it does take a bit of work to make it look like you didn't just accidentally leave up your holiday decorations.

When you're shopping around for a simple wreath base, you have several options. For an easy pick that will look good no matter what, look for faux foliage that doesn't feel seasonally specific, like this Petalyn Artificial Boxwood Wreath. While a pine wreath could work, it might feel too wintry in the summer months. Something like boxwood or generic greenery will continue to look fresh and cheery with or without additional decoration. You won't have to replace it after a month or two.

For a more rustic look, consider a dry grapevine or willow branch wreath. These generally feel too plain when left undecorated. You have to put a decent amount of effort into styling a stick wreath — though they can work great as-is for spooky Halloween decorations. Bonus: this type of base doesn't deteriorate quickly, making it easy to repurpose season after season, even if the more perishable additions, like fresh flowers or foliage, don't last long.

Finally, you have the option of using a simple metal wreath ring, like this Upstout Wire Wreath Frame. These take a lot of effort and accessories to style, but they're highly flexible. You can use them to DIY a festive wreath for any season or celebration. Avoid permanently attaching decorations to the wreath with, for example, strong glue. You want to be able to modify the base easily over the months and years.

How you style your wreath will depend on the base you choose and your aesthetic preferences. However, it still helps to lean on tried-and-true themes to spark inspiration. Regardless of whether you're using fresh-cut or artificial florals and greenery, it can be helpful to check out what's in season to create a wreath that feels appropriate for the time of year.

Tulips would, for example, look gorgeous on a spring wreath, while holly berries make more sense on a wreath that will be displayed on a door or in a home in late fall and early winter. If you'd rather go for dried décor, weave in some vibrant preserved flowers for spring and summer. You could add in pinecones and yellowing foliage in the fall, then embrace tradition in the winter with dried orange slices.

You can also go more theme-specific for certain holidays. Retailers like Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, and Target always sell lots of low-cost decorations and crafting supplies when festivities like Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, and Independence Day roll around. Something as simple as themed ribbon or affordable wooden signage can turn a plain wreath into seasonally appropriate décor. It doesn't take much effort to completely change the look of your wreath; even when it's minimally decorated, it brings nature indoors year-round.