Beaded Christmas Wreath: A Six-Step Beginner Tutorial
Short answer: a beaded Christmas wreath is a 10 cm metal ring wrapped in green pipe cleaners, covered with a strand of 8 mm green and red glass beads, then finished with fairy lights, two velvet bows and a gold hanging chain. Six steps, 60 to 90 minutes, and it never needs water.
Watch the six-step tutorial
Gather your materials
- one 10 cm metal ring
- five green pipe cleaners
- green and red glass beads · 8 mm
- craft wire
- two velvet bows, ready-made
- fairy lights
- gold hanging chain
Bring: a small pair of pliers with a cutting edge and two shallow trays.
The fairy lights have a built-in lithium battery. You do not need to install a battery or connect any wiring. No glue gun or needle is needed.
Beads run short partway through? Refill beads and the add-ons shelf cover the extras.
Wrap the base
- Lay one end of a green pipe cleaner flat against the 10 cm metal ring. Hold it in place with your thumb.
- Wrap the green pipe cleaners around the ring in a single layer. Keep each turn snug against the previous one.
- When one runs out, twist its end together with the start of the next. Keep wrapping until the whole ring is covered.
- Tuck the final end behind the ring. Use the cutting edge of your pliers to trim any exposed silver wire ends, then tuck them inside the ring.
Check the base: it should feel snug and even, with no loose wraps or gaps.
Bead a short section
- Sort the green and red glass beads into two shallow trays. Cut about 1 meter of craft wire.
- Add mostly green beads, placing 1 red bead after every 8–13 green beads.
- Stop when the beaded section is about 30 cm long. Pass the craft wire back through the last bead to lock the section so the beads stay on while you wrap.
- If you need more craft wire, cut another length. Twist the two ends together flat, keeping the join slim enough for beads to slide over it. Do not knot this join.
Keep each section short. A long beaded length is more likely to tangle as you wrap.
Wrap, then bead again
- Start at the same point where you began wrapping the green base. Wind the beaded section around the base, turn by turn.
- Push the beads inward as you go, keeping neighboring beads close together.
- Once this section is wrapped, bead another short section as in Step 2 and pass back through its last bead. Then continue wrapping where you left off. Keep the join between sections snug.
- Repeat this rhythm: bead a section, wrap it, then bead the next. Continue until the beads touch their neighbors and no green base shows.
- After wrapping the final section, tie a knot. Tuck the knot and the craft wire ends underneath the wreath.
Check the coverage, not the number of wraps: beads touch, and the green base is hidden.
Add the fairy lights
- Wrap the fairy lights once around the beaded wreath.
- As you work around it, press the light wire into the gaps between beads. From the front, you should see the tiny lights without the light wire lying across the beads.
- Leave the switch box at the bottom of the wreath.
The lithium battery is already built in. No battery installation or wiring connection is needed.
Attach two velvet bows
- Position the first of the two velvet bows at the bottom front. Center it so the left and right sides are balanced.
- Wrap the wire attached to the back of the bow tightly around the wreath. Tie a firm knot at the back.
- Place the switch box against the wreath, behind the front bow.
- Attach the second bow at the same position on the back, directly opposite the first. The switch box should sit hidden between the two bows.
- Even out the loops and lift them into shape. Leave the finished tails exactly as supplied.
- Tuck any remaining exposed wire ends inside the ring.
Check both sides: the bows line up at the bottom, and the switch box is covered.
Attach the gold hanging chain
- Clip the gold hanging chain onto the top of the wreath.
- Lift it by the chain and adjust the position until the wreath hangs straight.
Ready to hang on a door or wall. No watering, and nothing to wilt.
Read the full video transcript
Opening
Today, we’re making a beaded Christmas wreath. Keep your pliers and trays nearby, and pause whenever you need more time.
Step 1 · Wrap the base
Start with the green pipe cleaners and your 10 cm metal ring. Hold one end flat against the ring with your thumb. Wrap in a single layer, keeping each turn snug against the last. When one runs out, twist its end together with the start of the next. Keep wrapping until the whole ring is covered, then tuck the final end behind it. Use pliers to trim exposed silver wire ends. Tuck those ends inside the ring. Check for loose wraps or gaps before moving on.
Step 2 · Bead a short section
Separate your green and red glass beads into two shallow trays. Cut about one meter of craft wire. Thread the glass beads onto the craft wire. Add one red bead after every eight to thirteen green beads. Stop when the beaded section is about thirty centimeters long. Pass the craft wire back through the last bead. Pull it snug so the beads stay on while you wrap. If you need more craft wire, cut another length. Twist the two ends together flat, so beads can slide over the join. Do not knot this join. Keep each section short to avoid tangles.
Step 3 · Wrap, then bead again
Start where you began wrapping the green base. Wrap this beaded section around the base, one turn at a time. Push the beads inward and close together as you go. Keep wrapping until you reach the end of this section. Now bead the next short section, using the same green and red pattern. Pass the craft wire back through its last bead to secure it. Then continue wrapping from where you stopped. Repeat this rhythm: bead a section, secure the last bead, then wrap it. Keep the joins between sections snug, too. Stop when neighboring beads touch and no green base shows. After wrapping the final section, tie a knot. Tuck the knot and the craft wire ends underneath the wreath.
Step 4 · Add the fairy lights
The fairy lights have a lithium battery built in, so there’s no wiring to connect. Wrap the fairy lights once around the wreath. Press the light wire into the gaps between beads as you go. From the front, you should see the tiny lights, with the light wire hidden. Leave the switch box at the bottom.
Step 5 · Attach two velvet bows
Place the first of your two velvet bows at the bottom front, centered from left to right. Wrap the bow’s attached wire around the wreath and tighten it. Tie a firm knot at the back. Press the switch box against the wreath, behind the front bow. Place the second bow at the same spot on the back. Fasten it directly opposite the first bow. The switch box should sit hidden between the two bows. Even out the loops and lift them into shape. Leave the finished tails as supplied. Tuck any exposed wire ends inside the ring. Check that the bows line up at the bottom.
Step 6 · Attach the gold hanging chain
Clip the gold hanging chain onto the top. Lift it by the chain and adjust until the wreath hangs straight. It’s ready for your door or wall.
Questions I get about this project
Do I need to install a battery in the fairy lights?
No. The fairy lights come with a lithium battery already built in. The small box tucked behind the bows is the switch box, not a battery pack, so there is nothing to install and no wiring to connect.
How long does the beaded Christmas wreath take to make?
Plan on 60 to 90 minutes. The pipe cleaner base is the slow part, and once you find the rhythm of beading a section and wrapping it, the rest moves quickly.
Do I need a glue gun or a needle?
No. Everything is held together by twisting pipe cleaners and craft wire. You need a small pair of pliers with a cutting edge for trimming wire ends, plus two shallow trays to sort the beads.
What if I run out of craft wire part way through?
Cut another length and twist the two ends together flat. Keep the join slim enough for beads to slide over it, and do not knot it. A knot leaves a bump you can feel through the beads.
How do I know when the base is fully covered?
Check coverage, not the number of wraps. The wreath is done when neighbouring beads touch each other and no green base shows through from the front.
Can the wreath hang outside?
Hang it on a door or a wall indoors, or on a covered porch. Glass beads and the light string are not made to sit in rain or hard frost, so bring it in when the weather turns.
Want the materials already measured out? The Beaded Christmas Wreath DIY Kit has the ring, pipe cleaners, beads, craft wire, both velvet bows, the fairy lights and the gold chain.
Making a set? Pair it with the Beaded Christmas Tree with Lights, or shop all beaded plant kits.
New to beadwork? Start with what a beaded plant is, then try how to make a beaded bluebell stem. Free step-by-step projects live in the BobbleSprig DIY Tutorials hub, and more handwork guides sit on the Bobble Sprig journal.
