How To Make A Horse Head Christmas Wreath

I love these, they are always so festive on front doors and farm gates! We (my husband) made one of these several years ago from scratch and it’s really stood the test of time. To be honest, I leave it out most of they year and decorate it for holidays and seasons. If you’re familiar, it’s my version of a ‘Porch Goose’. I dress up this horse head for occasions nearly all year long! I only store him in the summer time because the halter I dress him up with dries out in our climate. These wreaths are simple to make and ours has stored beautifully over the years. Here is how we made ours.


What you’ll need

• A base: Chicken wire or other tightly woven metal wire that can be manipulated.
• Greenery: Artificial or real pine garland, pine branches. We used artificial swag style greenery. Don’t forget a large jingle bell or a small pine cone for the eye!
• Fasteners: Small pieces of floral wire, zip ties, or fishing line.
• Decorations: Burlap or velvet ribbon (for the halter/mane), jingle bells, bows, ornaments, or lights. We used an old leather halter with our farm name on it.
• Tools: Work gloves, Wire cutters, scissors, Poster board, Sharpie Marker, glue gun, and a template to draw on the poster board if you aren’t comfortable drawing free hand.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the form:
   Draw or trace from a template a large side view of a horse head onto poster board to use as a guide. Wearing your gloves, cut the chicken wire to size and bend it into the shape of the horse head, securing any sharp edges with duct tape. Use at least 2 or 3 layers of wire to make the shape.
   
2. Add the greenery: Attach your greenery (garland or branches) to the frame. Weave the garland through the wire or using zip ties or floral wire to secure it every few inches, ensuring the frame is completely covered. Overlap pieces to create a thick, full look, hiding all of the wire.
   
3. Shape the details: Use the natural bend of the greenery to shape the nose, jawline, and neck of the horse. Snipped tips from extra pine can be used to fill in sparse areas or to create an ear by twisting pieces together into a triangle shape.
   
4. Create the mane and forelock: Use different types of greenery, long-needle pine floral picks, or even burlap ribbon loops to create the mane and forelock, attaching them along the neck and forehead with wire, staples, or hot glue. If you’re feeling extra crafty and using live greenery, considering sourcing some Hairy Awn Muly for the mane and forelock.
   
5. Decorate: Use a large jingle bell or a pine cone for the eye and ribbon to create a halter. Thread it around the muzzle and behind the ear, securing it at the back of the wreath form with a knot or zip ties. Add embellishments like a large bow, ornaments, jingle bells, horse show ribbons or battery operated twinkle lights.
   
6. Hang your wreath: Attach a to an over the door wreath hanger, or use zip ties behind the ears, cheek, nose and crest of the mane to hold in place on a gate.