Wreaths are one of the classic Christmas decors. So, this year I decided to make one that would go with my Coastal Christmas theme. Nothing is more Charleston than spanish moss – so I knew that was where I had to start.
We gathered a ton of spanish moss out in the neighborhood. We pulled it off trees and stuffed it into plastic grocery bags. We got 2 bags worth.
However, this moss has a lot of little red bugs in it. So, we brought it home and immediately killed the bugs. How, you might ask? By boiling it! We brought a large pot of water to a boil, then added a bunch of moss for 60 seconds.
Then, we laid it out flat on newspaper to dry. It dried over night (and look at how yellow the water turned! Though it actually smelled really good!
Once it was dry, we started to make the wreath. First, I wrapped some floral wire around the foam wreath form. I made a small figure 8 with a loop to hang the wreath from.
Then, I used white glue and a foam paintbrush to attach the moss to the wreath. Paint on the glue, stick on the moss, and then push with your hands to get it to stick well. I let it dry overnight, flat on the table.
We couldn’t hang it outside, because we didn’t want to take down the Panthers wreath, so we hung it on the bedroom door! I love it inside!
To make it a bit more Christmas-y, I added some small red ornament balls. I added them to the wreath using small straight pins.
What kind of wreath are you hanging this year?

How to make a Spanish Moss wreath
Curious about what it takes to make a spanish moss wreath? Here is how to make it - and how to clean the moss to be sure it is free of red bugs!
Materials
- Foam wreath form
- White glue
- Paint brush
- Spanish moss
- Floral wire
Tools
- Pot of water + stove
- Tongs
- Scissors
Instructions
- Add moss to a pot of boiling water. Boil for 60 seconds. Set on paper or towels to dry completely.
- Wrap floral wire around the wreath to create a little figure 8 loop to use to hang wreath.
- Use paint brush to spread white glue over foam. Add moss and push with your hands to get to adhere well.
- Let dry flat on a table overnight.
- Optional - add small ornaments. You can use straight pins or hot glue.
Notes
If you buy spanish moss, you don't need to boil it. This is just if you harvest it from outdoors.
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Hello, I’m Morgan, half of the creative force behind CharlestonCrafted.com! With a passion for DIY that dates back to 2012, I’ve transformed three homes and now I’m dedicated to helping others craft their dream spaces. Let’s turn your house into a home together!