Christmas wreaths and garlands

How to choose a Christmas wreath

The wreaths here are artificial, mostly PVC and polyethylene needles on metal frames, with a few wood and grapevine bases, from about 25 cm to 60 cm across. Most cost between £14 and £37, and the median is about £23. Plain green and snow-tipped wreaths sit at the low end; wreaths with built-in LEDs and a timer sit at the top.

Fresh wreaths come from florists and growers and dry out over the season. An artificial wreath can go back in its box in January and hang again next year.

Size, depth and weight

Hold a tape measure against the door first. On a door 90 cm wide, a 30 cm wreath looks small, a 60 cm wreath covers two thirds of the width, and 40 to 50 cm sits between the two. Most listings give a depth of 5 to 10 cm, which matters if the wreath has to clear a knocker or a letterbox.

Listed weights run from under 400 g for a plain 50 cm wreath to about 1.4 kg for a 60 cm pre-lit pine one, so check the weight before you pick a hook.

Wreath hangers and hooks

• An over-door hanger is a metal hook that sits on top of the door. It needs a gap there, and the pack should state a weight limit.
• On a door with a tight seal, a ribbon loop over the top or an adhesive hook rated above the wreath’s weight works instead. Wipe the door first, because adhesive holds best on a clean, dry, smooth surface.
• A magnetic hook holds a wreath on a steel door only, not on wood or uPVC.
• On a wall, a screw-in hook with a wall plug is the most secure choice for a heavy wreath.

Light-up wreaths: battery, mains and weather

Battery wreaths in the listings carry around 40 LEDs, a timer and several light modes (the listings mention 8), and they work anywhere without a socket. A mains wreath, such as one with 380 micro LEDs and a 5 m cable, needs a socket within reach of the door.

Read the line that says indoor, outdoor or both. Several wreaths are indoor only, and the 380-LED mains wreath is rated IP20, which gives no protection from water, so it needs a sheltered spot such as a porch. A porch also keeps rain off ribbon and berries.

Styles and finishes

Green pine with snow-tipped needles, pine cones and red berries is the standard look. The listings also include poinsettia wreaths, silver and white frosted ones, rustic wood and grapevine bases, and wreaths dressed with bows, baubles or a small lantern. A plain green wreath disappears against a green door, so choose red, white or metallic accents there.

Christmas wreaths and garlands by position

A wreath is round and hangs flat. A garland is a length of greenery that drapes, and the garlands in the three collections below run from 1 m to 16 m.

• For a mantelpiece or door frame with the lights already wired in, see pre-lit Christmas garlands, mostly 1.8 m to 2.7 m and battery powered.
• For a banister, Christmas garlands for stairs run from 1.8 m up to 16 m, and that page shows how to work out the length you need.
• For plain greenery that you dress yourself, Christmas garlands in pine, snow-tipped and berry styles cover mantels, shelves, doors and table runs.

Buy the wreath and the garland in the same needle type and colour where you can, so a snow-tipped wreath on the door is not followed by a glossy green garland on the mantelpiece.

Christmas wreaths: a checklist before you buy

• Diameter and depth, measured against the door or wall.
• Weight, compared with the rating on your hook or hanger.
• The indoor, outdoor or sheltered outdoor line in the listing.
• For lit wreaths, battery or mains power, and a timer if you want one.

Keep the box. A wreath stored flat, or hung inside a bag so the needles are not crushed, keeps its shape from one year to the next. Take the batteries out of a lit wreath before it goes away.

For ideas on where to hang one, see Christmas wreath ideas for your front door. To make your own instead, read how to make a Christmas wreath at home.