DIY Natural Grapevine and Birch Bark Wreath

Adventures in the Great Outdoors
Our DIY Natural Grapevine and Birch Bark Wreath

Welcome in the new season with this rustic, natural DIY wreath. This wreath is a great alternative to the standard burlap wreath, while still giving that rustic appeal. It provides both beauty and elegance with naturally sourced materials. Whether you purchased the items from a craft store or gather them responsibly in the great outdoors, this wreath makes a fun, satisfying project. I chose to add a few white pine branches for color as well as a small blue bird. You could add a bow or tuck in a pine cone or two; it’s purely up to you and your creativity. For me, this project was also cost effective, as the bird was something I had laying around the house, and the rest of the materials were gathered as part of a nature scavenger hunt with my children.

The starting point of our scavenger hunt was a large clump of wild grape vines growing at the end of our drive. We chose a few vines that were climbing up one of our spruce trees and starting to choke it out. I have found grape vine wreaths tend to hold up better than most other wreath-base forms.

Next, we came upon a white birch log that had fallen over in a recent rain storm. This provided us with a nice natural “ribbon” to wrap around our wreath. Shortly later, my toddler found a large white pine branch also courtesy of the same storm. This added more color to our basket of goodies. Soon it was time to head back and get creating. We soaked the grapevines overnight, shaped them into a circle wrapping the vines around each other so the wreath would maintain this shape, and let the whole thing dry thoroughly. Finally, it was onto adding our birch bark with the kids helping tuck in their pine branches and bird.

Our wreath was ready to hang on the front door to welcome Daddy home and serve as a pleasant reminder of our creative journey. As we get closer to the holidays, I will make a few adjustments to freshen it up, maybe a red velvet ribbon or a little wood burnt sign. Decor doesn’t have to cost a ton to look great, using natural resources like our ancestors did can be both fun as well as create great memories. So get out there, explore and create! What are you waiting for?

From our stroll around the homestead,

The Homesteading Hen and her chicks

Update: In case anyone is wondering, due to the cool weather the white pine branches are holding up fine and as green as ever even after more than a week.