How to hang a door wreath

I love a wreath.  I really do!  It’s the easiest way to add freshness and uniqueness too the landing of your home.  It says, “Welcome” like nothing else can (except for your smiling face answering the door!).  The tricky part is how do you hang the wreath?

What To Use to Hang Your Wreath

There are easy metal wreath hangers that hook on the top of your door like this one, but they aren’t always the right length for your door or the hook is too small for either the width of your door or the size of wreath you want to hang.  I found this cute and clever adjustable one at Pottery Barn AND you can have it monogrammed.  I love anything you can monogram to make it your own!

However, I like to hang my wreath with a simple piece of 1.25″ grosgrain ribbon which you can get at any craft store.  You could use any color ribbon but I prefer to use a black ribbon which is the same color as my door, and therefore the ribbon blends into the ‘background’.  I after all, you want your wreath and decorative bow to be the focal point!

Now, how long to make that ribbon?  This is tricky.  And I’m picky.  Hang it too high, and your wreath looks like it’s floating.  Hang it too low and it looks like it’s sagging.  I prefer the center of the wreath to be just above eye level. An easy way to measure this is the average door is 80″.  The distance from the door handle to the top of the door is 44″.  Half of 44 is 22.  That is where the center of your wreath should hang.  BUT!  that’s not the length of your ribbon.  Find out how wide the middle circle of your wreath is.  Divide that number by half and then subtract that number from 22.  That is the measurement of your ribbon from the top of the door to under your wreath.  Double that final number in-order to hang the wreath and then add 2″ for the part that is going on top of the door in the door jam.  THAT gives you the length of your grosgrain ribbon.  Make sense? 🙂 Here’s a diagram to help:

Install That Puppy!

Next, is the install.  Loop that ribbon around the inside top of your wreath so that the ends come together at the top and the wreath can hang freely at the bottom of the loop.  With your door open and you standing on a step-stool, find the center of the top of your door.  If it is a wooden door, you can simply use a flat tack or two and push/hammer the tack thru the two ribbon ends into the top of the door.

If you don’t have a wooden door (like me!  Our door is metal), you can screw a flat head screw into the top of your door till it is almost flush with the top of the door.  I then cut a small, .25″ to .5″ slit in my ribbon on the top and the bottom pieces, approximately .75″ from the end of the ribbon and I feed the end of the screw thru both slits and the wreath should hang freely.  Shut the front door and say hello to your new Welcome Door!

xo, Melissa