SaveA wreath on a front door spends three weeks in the weather. That one fact decides the yarn, and it is the opposite of the usual answer: acrylic, not wool. Acrylic does not absorb water, does not felt, does not sag when wet and does not interest moths.
Part of our seasonal library.
Wool looks better for about four days and then looks like a wet jumper. Save it for anything hanging indoors.
Everything here is worked around a base, either a foam ring, a wire frame or a pool noodle cut and taped into a circle. Working a wreath without a base means it goes oval within a week under its own weight.
Classic green with berries
Easy3 hours
Forest green single crochet over a foam ring, with red bobbles sewn on.
Leafy layered wreath
Intermediate4 hours
Forty separate leaves sewn on in overlapping layers. The best looking and the slowest.
Granny square wreath
Easy3 hours
Twelve squares joined into a ring. Uses scraps and reads as festive without being green.
Pom pom wreath
Beginner2 hours
Dense pom poms on a wire frame. Fast, and it survives rain better than anything.
Nordic red and white
Easy3 hours
Alternating bands in two colours around the ring.
Mini wreath set of three
Beginner2 hours
Three 12 cm wreaths for interior doors or window panes.
Snowflake wreath
Easy3 hours
White cover with stiffened snowflakes attached around it.
Eucalyptus style
Intermediate4 hours
Sage green leaves, sparse and asymmetric. Stays up past Christmas.
Chunky tube wreath
Beginner2 hours
Super bulky worked over a pool noodle. Enormous and takes two hours.
Bauble cluster wreath
Easy3 hours
Small crochet baubles massed around one side of a bare ring.
Advent wreath, flat
Easy3 hours
A flat table ring with four candle positions. Cotton only, never acrylic, near a flame.
Tartan-effect wreath
Intermediate4 hours
Surface chains crossed over a plain green body.
What to work it over
| Base | Finished size | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foam ring, 25 cm | 30 cm | Low | Most wreaths, holds shape permanently |
| Wire frame | Any | Very low | Pom pom and leaf wreaths |
| Pool noodle | 45 cm plus | Very low | Oversized chunky wreaths |
| Embroidery hoop | 20 cm | Low | Flat minimal wreaths |
Acrylic outdoors, cotton near candles, wool only indoors and away from flame. Acrylic melts rather than chars, so it is the wrong choice anywhere near an advent candle.
Questions
What yarn is best for an outdoor crochet wreath?
Acrylic. It does not absorb water, does not felt and does not sag. Wool looks better for four days then looks wet.
How long does a crochet wreath take?
Two hours for a pom pom or chunky one, four for a layered leaf wreath.
What do I work the wreath around?
A foam ring from a craft shop for most, a wire frame for pom poms, or a pool noodle taped into a circle for oversized ones.
Will it survive rain?
In acrylic, yes, for a season. Bring it in if snow settles on it, because the weight stretches the stitches.
How much yarn for a 30 cm wreath?
About 150 grams of worsted acrylic, plus extra for leaves and berries.
Can I leave it up after Christmas?
A eucalyptus or plain green one, yes, through February. Anything with red berries reads as Christmas and starts to look forgotten.