How to Hang Wreaths on Windows for Christmas

November 9, 2020

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A step-by-step video tutorial to learn how to hang wreaths on windows + how to add ribbon and bells for an elegant Christmas look.

Every year, I get asked this one question over and over at Christmas. And it’s so simple, that I’ve hardly ever thought about sharing a tutorial.

But as I was putting up the Christmas wreaths on our living room windows, I finally remembered to document the process. 4 years ago, I found these faux boxwood wreaths at IKEA in the clearance bin for $5.

So I scooped up a BUNCH of them with the plan to cheer up all of our windows.

(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)

Best move ever! And they’re still going strong.

You can find wreaths almost identical here (still inexpensive but not quite as cheap as $5 clearance).

To change the look every year, I like to use different colored ribbon (or no ribbon at all to keep it simple).

These are some of my favorite ribbons including the burgundy velvet I’m using this year:

This time, I added these little bell ornaments I found last year for 50% off at Kirkland’s. These bells are very similar.

You can see the how-to here:

I’ve been adding little bits of Christmas here and there in the living room.

With it being pitch black by 6pm, the twinkle lights do my mood SO much good. I’m a total crabby person in winter. It probably explains why I don’t live in a state where it snows often. Haha!

Twinkle lights and cute wreaths and pretty ribbon is my saving grace right now.

How to Hang Christmas Wreaths on Exterior Windows

Learn how to hang Christmas wreaths on exterior windows the easy way, and make your outdoor decor look beautiful this holiday season!

After sharing our porch and exterior all decked out for Christmas in previous years, I ended up getting so many questions about how to hang wreaths on outdoor windows!

I feel kind of silly admitting this, but I put off hanging outdoor wreaths for a long time. I was intimidated. And I worried that the process would take a long time and become frustrating. But the method I used turned out to be SO incredibly easy! I thought I would put together a quick post to share the process.

While I was installing our wreaths, I learned that the «best» way to hang wreaths on windows probably varies based on what type of windows you have. The method I used won’t work for everyone. But don’t worry! There are several tried-and-true methods out there that are pretty simple to pull off.

Since this is the case, after I show you the method I used, I will also share some other suggestions I received from my friends on Instagram. That way you can have other options to try if your windows are different than mine.

The Easiest Way to Hang Christmas Wreaths Outoors

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

Step 1- Gather Needed Supplies to Hang Christmas Wreaths

Since I’m always a fan of the «less is more» philosophy, I just used three simple items:

• 24″ wreaths, one for each window in the front of the house (I snagged mine at Hobby Lobby when they were 50% off. I only paid $5 per wreath!)
• Bows of choice (I found mine at Michael’s. Again, they were discounted, so I paid $1.50 per bow.)
• 22″ length of 2.5″ ribbon (I just used whatever I had on hand because it won’t show on the outside using this method.)

Step 2- Thread the Ribbon Through the Wire on the Back of the Wreath

I simply flipped the wreath over and slid the ribbon through the wire until it was doubled over on itself.

Some people recommend hot glueing it in place. You can definitely do that if you’re worried about it moving around. I didn’t glue mine, and I didn’t have any problems with the wreath moving around. (And we live on a hill that gets pretty windy!)

Step 3- Attach the Bow

Then I flipped my wreath back over and attached the bow to the front. I chose to attach mine at the bottom, but the top would also work! Either way, make sure the bow is directly lined up with the ribbon.

If they are not lined up, the wreath will look like it is hanging crooked, and you will end up frustrated. (Not that I know this from experience or anything. 😉 )

Step 4- Open the Window and Place the Wreath

This is where the type of window you have comes into play. The bottom panes of our windows can hinge down from the top.

I apologize for the quality of the window photos— windows are incredibly difficult to photograph and show detail!

So I just flipped open the window, popped out the screen, and arranged the wreath the way I wanted it on the outside.

Step 5- Close the Window to Secure the Ribbon

Once I had arranged the wreath the way I wanted it, I simply popped the screen back into place and closed and latched my window. This held the ribbon tightly in place. My wreath was looking pretty on the outside of our house!

Step 6- Knot the Ribbon

Even though the wreath felt pretty secure already, I added some extra assurance by knotting the ribbon on the inside of the window. This ensured that the ribbon wouldn’t slip out or move, even if it became really windy outside.

I didn’t mind the small piece of ribbon showing inside the window. But if you want it to be more discreet, you could choose a ribbon in the same color as your window frame. You can also trim down the ends of the ribbon once you make the knot.

That’s it! Now all that is left to do is.

Step 7- Stand Back and Admire Your Work!

I repeated that same process on each of the front windows of our home. Then I had the beautiful outdoor Christmas wreaths I had imagined!

I was pleasantly surprised when this project actually ended up being easier than I expected it to be! And I’ll be able to use these same wreaths over and over in years to come. Yippee!

More Ways to Hang Outdoor Christmas Wreaths

If you don’t have a window that latches open from the middle, I polled my friends on Instagram to get some more ideas. I will include their alternate methods for hanging outdoor wreaths (and some easy sources) below:

• Use window suction cups with hooks. You can use a large suction cup for the top of the wreath and a smaller suction cup for the bottom.
• Hang the wreaths with a magnetic hook. One piece of the hook is on the outside of the window, and the other magnetic part holds it from the inside of the window.
• Use outdoor Command Hooks with the sticky backing (as opposed to the velcro ones).
• Use fishing line at the top and bottom of the wreath to hold it in place.
• If attaching the wreath with ribbon at the top of the window, you can use a thumb tack on the inside to hold it in place on the window frame.
• Tip: Add a little bit of felt to the back of the wreath so it doesn’t scratch the window.

I hope this gives you some ideas as you hang Christmas wreaths this holiday season!

If you’re planning to hang Christmas wreaths on your exterior windows this year, be sure to pin the image below so you can refer to this post when you’re ready to hang them!

Here are a few other Christmas tutorials that might be helpful as well:

Have a wonderful week!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.