Add a touch of elegance around your home this holiday season, and learn how to hang wreaths on cabinets with this step-by-step guide.
Hanging mini wreaths on cabinets is a charming way to incorporate holiday or seasonal decorations in different areas of your home. You can easily bring holiday cheer to your kitchen, bathroom or laundry room by simply hanging a few wreaths on cabinets here and there!
Follow these tips and techniques to hang wreaths on cabinets, including the best size wreath to use as well as what materials you’ll need.
Hanging wreaths on a set of glass cabinets in our kitchen is something I have wanted to do for years. This Christmas, I finally gathered all the necessary supplies to make it happen.
Why did I wait so long?! Honestly, I don’t like to accumulate too much stuff that requires storing. Adding more mini wreaths to our holiday decorations wasn’t at the top of my list of priorities. Last year, I wrote about How to Hang Wreaths on Chairs, which convinced me to hang wreaths on our cabinets this year.
Seeing as how I felt my life was not complete without cute, fluffy wreaths adorning our kitchen cabinets, it was time.
When to Decorate Cabinets with Wreaths
Decorate with mini wreaths around your home any time of year by simply changing out the type of greenery the wreath is made out of as well as decorations and ribbon on the wreath.
For instance, boxwood or olive leaf wreaths look lovely hanging on cabinets during spring and summer, while weathered oak leaf wreaths evoke images of fall and evergreens are beautiful to hang on cabinets over the winter months.
Seasons aren't the only time to hang wreaths from your cabinets. You can decorate your cabinets with wreaths anytime, including
- Valentine's Day
- Easter
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Big Game day celebrations
- Thanksgiving
- 4th of July
- Other special occasions
The Best Wreaths for Cabinets
Choosing the right wreath to hang on cabinets is part art and part science.
Art in that you choose the materials, from the wreath style to the embellishments and ribbon, and science in that you can follow the rule of thirds for size and placement on the cabinets.
Rule of Thirds
In interior design, the rule of thirds is employed to effectively balance a space.
You can pretty much split any plane or surface into thirds for the sake of design and decorating. For example, if a large scale item occupies two-thirds of the space, other item(s) should use part of the remaining one-third to balance the space (or weight, but not literal weight) the other object occupies. Balancing objects in such a way gives the eye a break while taking in whatever is in view.
I have always decorated using the rule of thirds before I knew it was a thing, such as when I was a little kid decorating my bedroom. You can see the rule of thirds in use in the Stylish Nightstand Decorating Ideas the Pros Use post.
In the case of hanging wreaths on cabinets, there are a few things to consider when deciding on the wreath to use:
- Size - The size of the wreath is arguably the most important consideration. You don’t want a wreath that is too large that it overlaps the cabinet frame, but you also don’t want a wreath that is too small. Balance is key here. Choose a wreath that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye when held up to the cabinet door.
Use the rule of thirds when determining the right size wreath to hang on cabinets. Two-thirds the width of a standard 36” cabinet door is 12 inches. However, you may want to exclude the frame so the wreath sits inside of it. Using that frame of reference, an 8” to 10” wreath should look balanced on most cabinets.
Two 10” wreaths look balanced on our glass front cabinets.
- Style or Material - Evergreen wreaths of pine, cedar, Norfolk, and others, evoke the season of winter and the Christmas holiday. That said, there is nothing wrong with using a winter floral or deciduous wreath if that’s what you like.
- Theme - Be it a holiday, anniversary celebration or birthday party, choose a wreath that fits the theme or create your own! Christmas is a common time of year to hang wreaths on cabinets, but on Valentine's Day you could hang a pink, red and white wreath. Easter is another opportunity for a lovely spring floral wreath or go all in with fluffy greenery on St.Patrick’s Day!
Supplies and Materials to Hang Wreaths on Cabinets
Hanging wreaths on cabinets takes around 10-15 minutes. In my experience, decorating the wreaths with ribbons, bells and bows takes considerably longer than the steps involved in hanging the wreaths.
Here are the tools, materials and supplies you’ll need:
- Wreaths - Depending on whether your cabinets are a standard width, typically 8 inch to 12 inch mini wreaths look best on cabinets. The wider the door, the larger the wreath. Keep in mind whether you want the wreath to sit inside the door frame or overlap it. Our mini cedar wreath sits inside the frame, but it’s a personal preference.
- Command hooks - By far the easiest way to hang wreaths on cabinets is to use 3M Command hooks. Make sure you select the correct Command hook that can withhold the weight of the wreath and any decorations you will use, including bells, stems/picks, bows, and ribbon.
- Measuring tape - You will need to measure the height of the cabinet door to get a sense of how much ribbon you’ll need, plus a little extra to account for placement of the Command hook on the cabinet. Keep in mind you will want to place the hook where it will not interfere with the door frame. We’ll get to this in the step-by-step section below.
- Safety pins or glue gun - To effectively secure the ribbon to the wreath by which it will hang on the door, you will need glue or another fastener. Hot glue is the popular choice, but I did not want to make it permanent or ruin my gorgeous ribbon. Instead of hot glue, I used a strong safety pin. Once hung, the safety pin is imperceptible. Use what works best for you as long as it is strong enough to hold the wreath.
- Ribbon - Pretty ribbon will hold the wreath on the door, while also lending its signature style to your decorations. Choose any kind of ribbon but one that can hold the weight of the wreath and embellishments. I used three different ribbons for an elevated, layered look. (You know, because I’m extra. No apologies, though.)
A stunning 2 ½ inch wide soft dusty blue taffeta ribbon holds the wreath and makes a pretty bow behind a 1 ½ inch tan and white grosgrain striped ribbon. I also layered in a ⅞ inch wired solid taupe satin ribbon with an elegant side stitch that gives the wreaths a whimsical feel.
- Decorations (optional) - Stems/picks, bows, bells, and more can all be used to decorate wreaths. Again, make sure the Command hook you use can hold the weight of whatever you are using to decorate your wreaths.
- Putty (optional) - If you frequently open/close the cabinets with wreaths, some others use putty or other non-damaging tape to gently adhere the wreath to the door. You may have to try a few different things to see what works best. Since our glass cabinets are used infrequently, I did not adhere the wreaths to the doors.
How to Hang Mini Wreaths on Cabinets
Follow this step-by-step guide to easily hang wreaths on cabinets.
- Choose a Command hook.
Determine the proper Command hook you will need based on the weight of the wreath, combined with any decorations you plan to use, such as bells, bows, stems/picks, and other ribbon. - Determine the hook placement and adhere it.
On the inside of the cabinet, determine where the Command hook should be attached so as to not interfere with opening/closing the door. Attach the Command hook upside down to the top middle inside of the cabinet. Attaching the hook upside down allows you to hang the wreath from the ribbon. If the hook was facing up, the ribbon would simply slide right off.
Tip:
Decide where you want to place the wreath on the cabinet. Common wreath placement on cabinet doors is top one-third, middle or bottom-third. I prefer the look of hanging wreaths at the bottom-third of cabinet doors. To me, it looks more pleasing to the eye.
Hold a wreath up to the cabinet at different heights to see what placement you prefer. Better yet, have someone else hold one (or two) wreaths side-by-side and look at them from farther away.
- Decide how you will attach the ribbon to the Command hook and measure.
There are many ways to do so, but one of the most popular options I found was to knot the ribbon around the hook firmly. Some people use a suction cup somehow, though I didn’t read into how that works.
Depending on how strong your ribbon is, another option is to place a small “+” shaped hole in the ribbon.
Measure the cabinet now and be sure to include how much additional material will be needed to account for the method you chose to hang the wreath with ribbon on the Command hook—a knot or small “+” shaped hole or some other method—plus a little extra to overlap the ribbon as you attach it to the wreath itself.
In my case, I measured about 26 inches, adding a little extra for stability where it will hang. There, I made a “+” shaped hole in the ribbon to hang it on the hook. It is nearly invisible and allows me to reuse the ribbon later. Since the ribbon I used is very thick, there is little chance it will tear and cause the wreaths to fall down.
A "+" shaped hole in the ribbon close up
Alternative view of "+" shaped hole in the ribbon close up
This is how the "+" shaped hole works when the wreath is hanging
Alternative view of how the "+" shaped hole works when the wreath is hanging
- Attach the ribbon to the wreath.
Take one end of the ribbon and wrap it around the wreath to meet with the ribbon on the other side, overlapping an inch or so to enable you to adhere the ribbon together. Use hot glue, an extra strong safety pin, fabric glue, or some other adhesive to firmly adhere the ribbon together where they overlap. Arguably, a very strong glue is the best adhesive to use for this project. I used a strong safety pin since I did not want to ruin my pretty ribbon with glue.
Caution:
Make sure whatever adhesive you use is strong enough to withstand the weight of the wreath and any decorations or embellishments you will use to decorate the wreath with, including bells, more ribbons or stems/picks.
Tip:
To ensure you have enough ribbon to hang the wreath by, do a dry fit. You will need another person to help you do a dry fit, but it is worth it. Do a dry fit by keeping the ribbon on the roll and using a safety pin to hold the ribbon to the wreath temporarily. Then, using the roll, take it up to the top of the inside of the cabinet where the Command hook is. Based on how much ribbon you have used and how much you need to secure the ribbon to the hook, either cut the ribbon or mark it in such a way that when you’re done with the dry fit, you know where to cut it.
- Time to decorate the wreath!
Add a bow, other ribbons and decorations, such as bells or stems/picks. Use glue or some other adhesive or fastener to ensure a strong hold.
For our wreath I used about 26 inches of a stunning 2 ½ inch wide soft dusty blue taffeta ribbon that holds the wreath and makes a pretty bow. The blue ribbon sits behind a 1 ½ inch caramel tan/white striped grosgrain ribbon that I cut to about 58 inches. I also layered in a ⅞ inch solid taupe satin ribbon with an elegant side stitch cut to about 42 inches that gives the wreath a whimsical feel. I love how ribbons drape dramatically down the glass cabinet face!
- Hang the wreaths and you’re done!
Now, admire your work!
You should be able to leave the Command hook up year round, just test the hook for stability each time you change out the wreath.
All you need to do is change out the wreath with a seasonal version, plus decorate it with new ribbon or other embellishments that fit your theme.
I plan to hang wreaths on cabinets for other holidays and seasons, and I can’t wait to decorate them with pretty ribbons!
Did you do anything different to hang wreaths on your cabinets? Leave a comment below!
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