Why an evening spent making a Christmas Wreath might just be the loveliest way to begin the Festive Season
There’s a moment every year when Christmas really begins.
For some, it’s putting up the tree. For others, it’s the first mince pie, hearing a favourite Christmas song or finally giving in and lighting the festive candle that’s been waiting patiently since October.
For us at Mad Lilies, it has always been the scent of fresh spruce filling the flower shop.
And for over 14 years, our Christmas wreath making workshops in Surrey have marked the beginning of the festive season at Mad Lilies. The doors to our Gathering Room open, the tables disappear beneath armfuls of winter foliage and suddenly the shop smells unmistakably of Christmas.
There’s hot port warming, mince pies waiting and, for a couple of hours at least, the rest of December’s to-do list can stay firmly outside the door.
And perhaps that’s exactly why we still love them so much.
Why We Still Love the Tradition of a Christmas Wreath
Long before Christmas decorations became quite as elaborate as they are today, bringing evergreen foliage into the home was a simple way of celebrating the season.
And there is still something rather special about a fresh wreath hanging on the front door.
It’s the first glimpse of Christmas before anyone has even stepped inside, a little welcome to friends, family and anyone arriving at your door throughout December.
But for us, the most beautiful Christmas wreaths aren’t necessarily the most perfect.
They’re generous, natural and a little wild around the edges. Blue spruce twisting in one direction, eucalyptus escaping in another, berries nestled amongst the foliage and perhaps a dried orange or pinecone tucked in somewhere unexpected.
Think Homes & Gardens Christmas rather than glitter and baubles.
A Return to a More Natural Christmas
Over the past few years, we’ve loved seeing Christmas decorating return to something a little more natural.
Fresh foliage. Beautiful ribbon. Bowls of pinecones. Dried oranges. Candles glowing on the table. Branches brought in from the garden.
Rather than filling our homes with things that will spend eleven months of the year packed away in a box, there’s something wonderful about decorating with ingredients that actually belong to the season.
It’s very much the philosophy behind our own Christmas wreaths.
We start with fabulously fragrant winter foliage such as blue spruce, pine and eucalyptus, before adding seasonal ingredients such as skimmia, pepperberries, pinecones and dried orange slices.
The final flourish is beautiful velvet ribbon.
Simple ingredients, perhaps, but put together properly? They make something rather magical.
Why Make a Christmas Wreath When You Could Simply Buy One?
A perfectly reasonable question. Particularly when you happen to be sitting in a florist surrounded by Christmas wreaths.
But making one yourself is about far more than the finished wreath.
Our lives become incredibly busy in the run-up to Christmas. There are presents to find, cards to write, food to organise, people to see and an alarming number of things that apparently must be done before 25th December.
A Christmas wreath workshop gives you permission to stop for a couple of hours.
Bring your best friend. Your mum. Your daughter. Your sister. Come with a group or simply come on your own.
Enjoy a glass of hot port, have a mince pie and spend an evening doing something wonderfully creative with your hands.
There’s conversation, laughter, the occasional rogue piece of spruce and inevitably someone who announces halfway through that their wreath is a disaster before producing something absolutely beautiful.
One of our favourite moments is looking around the room towards the end of an evening.
Everyone started with essentially the same materials, yet somehow every wreath is completely different.
And then they all head off into the Surrey night carrying enormous wreaths and looking rather pleased with themselves.
That part never gets old.
“But I’m Not Creative…”
We hear this all the time.
Usually from the person who ends up making one of the loveliest wreaths in the room.
You absolutely do not need to be a florist - or even consider yourself particularly creative - to come to one of our Christmas wreath making workshops.
Our experienced Mad Lilies florists will take you through the process step by step, from creating your base and adding your foliage to choosing your decorations and getting that final ribbon just right.
We’ll teach you the floristry techniques, but we don’t want everyone to make an identical Mad Lilies wreath.
The lovely bit is making it yours.
Some people keep things beautifully simple and green. Others discover a previously unsuspected passion for pepperberries and dried oranges.
There really is no right or wrong.
What Happens at a Mad Lilies Christmas Wreath Workshop?
Our workshops take place in The Gathering Room at Mad Lilies on Banstead High Street in Surrey, and by the time you arrive everything is ready for you.
Your apron is waiting, the tools are out and the tables are piled high with gorgeous seasonal ingredients.
With a glass of hot port and a mince pie to hand, our florists will demonstrate how to create your wreath before helping you through each stage yourself.
You'll learn how to build up layers of blue spruce, pine, eucalyptus and other seasonal foliage to create that wonderfully full, abundant shape.
Then comes the particularly enjoyable part, making it your own.
You'll choose from our selection of natural berries and festive finishing touches, which may include skimmia, pepperberries, pinecones and dried orange slices, before finishing everything with beautiful ribbon.
By the end of the workshop, you'll have created a fresh handmade Christmas wreath ready to hang proudly on your front door.
And you'll have learnt the techniques to make another one next Christmas, should you catch the wreath-making bug.
Be warned. It happens.
How to Keep a Fresh Christmas Wreath Looking Beautiful
Once you've spent an evening making your masterpiece, naturally you'll want to keep it looking its best throughout Christmas.
Here are a few tips from our florists:
Keep it cool.
Fresh wreaths are happiest outdoors. Avoid hanging yours directly above a radiator or in a particularly warm porch.
Give it a little drink.
Lightly misting the foliage with water every few days can help keep it fresh, particularly during dry weather.
Choose a sheltered spot where possible.
A little protection from very strong wind, heavy rain and direct winter sunshine will help your wreath stay beautiful for longer.
Don't worry about a little change.
Part of the charm of a natural wreath is the way it gently evolves as the foliage dries. Eucalyptus in particular can look just as beautiful dried as it does fresh.
With a little care, your wreath should take you beautifully through the festive season.
Christmas Wreath Making Workshops in Surrey for 2026
If all this has put you in the mood to make your own, we'd love you to join us.
Our Luxury Christmas Wreath Making Workshops return to Mad Lilies in Banstead this November and December, with our florists ready to help you create something gorgeous for your front door.
Everything you need is included: fresh seasonal foliage, natural festive ingredients, professional floristry tools, apron and ribbon, along with the all-important hot port and festive mince pies.
Workshop guests also receive 10% off Mad Lilies in-store and online purchases on the day, so arriving a little early for some Christmas shopping is highly encouraged.
Our Christmas wreath workshops have become one of our favourite Mad Lilies traditions and places are always limited and sell out fast!
So gather a friend, choose your date and come and make something beautiful with us.
Christmas starts here.