Balsam Fir Christmas Wreath Making 101

Ever wonder how a wreath is made or how the "tips" are gathered.
The following is the short course for both operations

Courtesy of University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Balsam Fir Tip Gathering

The end portion of a balsam fir branch is called a "tip."  Tip lengths range from 12 to 20 inches. These pieces are placed together to form a tip bunch and wired onto a ring to make a wreath.

Balsam fir can have many different appearances, depending on where the tree is growing. In managed areas, the trees produce sturdy, well-developed branches because there is adequate sunlight. Check for "rounded" needle arrangement (often referred to as bottle-brush). Avoid lower branches, which usually have a "flat" needle arrangement and may lack good color and vigor. Also avoid the top of the tree, as it often produces "curly," "spiky" or "crispy"  branches. The best tips can be collected from the mid-section of the sunny side of the tree.

Enough foliage must be left each year to keep the tree healthy. One strategy is to harvest tips from 1/3 of the managed trees each year. This will provide for a three-year cycle of harvesting that will allow the trees to recover from harvesting.

Gather tips only after cold weather has hardened (set) the needles. In Maine, this is usually in early November, but the starting date varies by region (i.e., earlier in northern sections). Cold weather is needed to set the growth and prevent needle shedding. The exact time of "setting" varies across the state, depending on the particular area's climate and the growing year.

Removing Tips From a Tree

To remove tips from a tree, the tip gatherer grasps the branch firmly between thumb and forefinger and snaps it off with a quick downward motion. Generally, 12 to 20 inches of the branch is removed. The last major set of stems of a fir branch should remain on the tree. This allows the branch to grow back fully in about three years.

Step 1—Grasp the branch firmly between the thumb and forefinger.

Step 2—Snap the branch with a quick downward motion.

Stacking the Tips

Once the tips are removed from the tree, they are gathered together. One common tip gathering method is to stack the balsam fir tips into a "stick."  The tip gatherer first cuts down a small tree (four to six feet tall), then strips the tree of all branches except for the last set (located at the bottom end of the tree). These remaining branches are cut four to eight inches in length.

The tips are gathered and stacked onto a stick. The tip gatherer slides each tip down the stick until it rests on the stick's bottom stems.

Making Balsam Fir Wreaths

Balsam fir wreaths consist of tips, a metal ring and wire. A wreath is assembled by attaching bunches of tips to a ring. These bunches are held to the ring with the wire. The following instructions are for making double-faced wreaths (wreaths with tip bunches attached to both sides). Single-faced wreaths are made the same way as double-faced wreaths, except tip bunches are attached only on one side. Wreath making methods may vary slightly, depending on the wreath producer.

Material Needed

Rings—Common wreath rings have 8, 10, 12, 14 or 16-inch diameters. The ring's  size determines the size of the wreath's diameter.

Clippers—Clippers are needed to cut the wire. They also may be used to cut the tips.

Gloves—Gloves may be worn to protect the hands.

Balsam Fir Tips—A tip is the part of a fir branch that is used in wreaths. The amount of tips required for a wreath depends on the size of the wreath.

The wreath maker begins assembling a wreath by making a tip bunch. The tip bunch is then wired onto the ring.

A wreath maker usually receives a fir branch that's 12 to 20 inches long. This branch may be broken into two to three places, if required. These tips are placed together to form a tip bunch. A tip's average length depends on the size of the wreath to be made. The length also varies with the particular wreath maker. It's important for the tips to be the same length for each wreath. This will improve the wreath's appearance since the tip bunches will flow evenly around the wreath.

Steps in Making a Wreath