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Ever since the ancient Greeks honored their heroes with crowns of laurel, wreaths have been a favorite form of decoration. More recently, the wreath has become a traditional symbol of welcome during the holidays, and increasingly, all year long. Types of Wreaths Door Wreath The most popular outdoor wreath is the holiday door wreath, usually made from evergreen branches and decorated with sturdy elements that can withstand winter weather. Buying Wreaths Consider the environment where your wreath will be place. Avoid placing a delicately assembled floral wreath in a location exposed to high winds, or one accented with fabric bows in a rainy environment. For outdoor wreaths, balsam fir or other evergreen tips will tolerate the weather well without significant degradation.  Items fastened to a wreath should be affixed with wire or a similarly strong method. A small dab of glue from a hot glue gun or a thin piece of thread will never sufficiently attach decorations for an outdoor wreath. Making Wreaths Wreaths are produced by hand either with or without the use of a wreath-making machine. Simple wreathing machines consist of a foot-operated device that clamps greenery into the wreath frame or ring. Simple wreath-making machines cost $150 to $200. The cost of wreath rings varies depending on diameter width; 10-inch frames (which yield a 16- to 18-inch finished wreath) cost about $1 per unit. Each wreath takes about 6 pounds of tips. Balsam fir wreaths consist of tips, a metal ring and wire. A wreath is assembled by attaching bunches of tips to a ring. These bunches are held to the ring with the wire. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bulletin #7012 offers instructions are for making double-faced wreaths (wreaths with tip bunches attached to both sides). Single-faced wreaths are made the same way as double-faced wreaths, except tip bunches are attached only on one side. Wreath making methods may vary slightly, depending on the wreath producer.

Resources:

Maryland Cooperative Extension: Holiday Greenery Enterprise
Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service Holiday Greens