How to Hang a Wreath on a Door in 9 Steps (with Pictures)

Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and, of course, Christmas—these are just some of the holidays when we put wreaths on our doors. Some people believe they bring luck, while others use this occasion to let their creative juices flow. In any case, wreaths add a lovely touch to any front door, welcoming guests in. How do you hang them, though? Do you have to use nails or screws and ruin the door? Or maybe there are other ways to do it?

In this guide, we’ll talk about the most effective, tried-and-true solutions and nifty tips and tricks for hanging wreaths. We’ll go over-the-door hooks, hangers, double-sided tape, magnets, and even suction cups. We’ll also discuss the best fabrics for hanging a holiday wreath and learn how to protect the door from scratches.

Choosing how to Hang the Wrath

Before you do any hanging, there are three things to keep in mind. These include the weight of the wreath, the fabric/cloth you’ll use for hanging it, and, of course, the door type. Good news: these decorations are rather lightweight (five- or six-pounds tops). And the best way to check their weight is to use a digital scale. You could, of course, try to find this info on the Internet or ask the seller, but a scale will be much quicker.

Next, make sure you’re hanging the wreath with the right ribbon, string, fishing line, or sash. Otherwise, it will fall off the door when it gets windy. Now, some wreaths come with hoops; others have metallic frames. Tie your string tightly or hook it around the frame. Finally, check the door surface before purchasing any tools or materials. Say, suction cups only stick to glass, while certain adhesive tapes can’t glue to metallic doors.

Preparations

Once you decide on what you’re going to use for hanging and figure out the wreath’s weight, you can get right to it. However, there are still some tools and items that you’ll need for the job. These include a hook, hanger, measuring tape, and scissors. Or, if you don’t care about damaging the door, grab a screwdriver and hammer. As for the materials, you’ll need adhesive tape, a ribbon, and magnets, among other things.

Here’s a full list of the tools and materials needed:

How to Hang a Wreath on a Door (9 Steps)

1. Use a Picture Hook

Why not treat a wreath like a picture? The best thing about picture hooks—they have adhesive on the backside. But, before making an order, you need to learn about the hook’s weight capacity. Double-check this with the manufacturer if you have to. And what if the hook doesn’t have any glue on the backside? There’s a little trick you can use; instead of sticking the hook to the backside, attach it to the inside of the door.

Place it at the very top of the door and turn it upside down. Next, grab a ribbon or whatever you’re using to hang the wreath, loop it over the door, and reach for the hook. Yes, it’s quite a straightforward yet effective technique. And when the holiday season is over, you can just leave that hook there for, say, hanging coats or hats. Just don’t forget to turn it around so that it’s not upside anymore.

2. Go with Over-the-Door Hangers

The idea here is the same as with picture hooks, only this time around, we’ll be using over-the-door hangers. How does this work, though? It’s pretty intuitive: you just hook the hanger over the door, and it gets a tight grip. No need to drill or trim the door. These hangers are very thin and sleek, with smooth edges that don’t damage the frame or the door. And they can hold up to or even over 10 pounds.

In addition, the length is adjustable. You can make it shorter or longer until you find the perfect placement for the wreath. Just like picture hooks, hangers are multi-functional and can hold bags, clothes, and other stuff. They are 100% compatible with metal, wood, and glass doors. The average price for such a “magic tool” is $10–15. No need for a ribbon, by the way—simply put the wreath frame around the hanger, and that’s it!

3. Double-Sided Tape Could Work

Do you have lots of friends and relatives over for the holidays? If the answer is yes, hooks and hangers might not be the best solution. The reason: with folks constantly opening and closing the door, the wreath will have a hard time holding on to it. That won’t be the case with double-sided tape. Go with something like the 3M double-sided strips. These have proven to be reliable.

If the wreath has a metallic frame, that’s great news. If not, you can still stick the adhesive tape to it. This is important: look for an adhesive that’s safe for door paint. Otherwise, it will peel it away when you pull the tape off. We recommend using three to four strips to make sure the wreath is nice and secure. Once they’re in place, hold the wreath against the door for 20–30 seconds, and it should stick.

4. Take Advantage of the Door Knocker

This right here is the easiest method: you just grab the wreath and put it around the knocker. However, depending on the door, the knocker might not be located where you need it. Ideally, it should sit right in the center of the door (which is often the case with older houses). That way, the wreath will look nice and neat. Or, if the door comes with a set of knockers—one on each side—put a wreath around both for a cohesive, balanced look.

You can either hang the wreath directly onto the knocker or string a piece of ribbon or sash through the ring and let it hang. Do keep in mind, though, that with the wreath occupying the knocker, it will be much harder to, well, knock on the door for your guests. As an alternative, you could try and hang the wreath from the door handle or knob, but that might not look particularly inviting.

5. Suction Cups for Glass Doors

If it’s a glass door, and you don’t want to go with hangers or hooks, take a look at suction cups. Just like with all the other options, before you do anything with these cups, check their strength and weight capacity. For glass doors, we recommend a lighter wreath, one that’s got pads attached to prevent any damage (scratches) to the glass.

For this to work perfectly, buy at least three suction cups. Spread them out evenly so that each gets a nice portion of the weight. Suction cups are great for indoor decorations as well. They easily stick to windows, mirrors, certain metallic surfaces, and even wood. These will cost more, but $10–15 for a whole set is a very reasonable price.

6. Why Not Go With Magnets?

In a way, magnets are similar to suction cups. You stick them to the door, hang the wreath around them, and that’s it. With that said, the magnets that you probably have on the fridge won’t be able to hold a wreath. They’ll slip off the door all the time and cause you one big headache. On the bright side, there are lots of magnets out there that can hold more than five pounds.

Just like suction cups, when combined, magnets turn into a formidable force. Three should be more than enough to keep even the heaviest bunch of leaves with a metallic frame in place. Magnetic hooks have adhesive strips on the backside. That means you can stick them not only to classic wood doors but also to metallic doors.

7. Try Hanging It With a Ribbon

Decades ago, when magnets, suction cups, and hooks weren’t invented yet, people used to hang wreaths using a piece of ribbon. The goal here is to cut enough ribbon to hang the wreath from the door frame. So, measure it first, then double the ribbon (or it can be a string or a sash), loop it around the back of the wreath, and tie the ends in a knot. Alright, we’re almost there. All that’s left to do is secure the ribbon to the frame or the top of the door.

Nails and screws can do the trick. But to keep the damage to the front door to a minimum, we recommend thumbtacks. A pack of these will cost $5, and hold the wreath at any height you want.

8. What About a Regular Screw?

If you’re not afraid to cause some damage to the front door, screws can be the quickest and cheapest solution. The first thing to check: is the screw strong enough to hold the wreath, or not? As we learned earlier, the average-sized wreath weighs five to six pounds. Now, the longer and the bigger the screw, the easier it will be for it to handle the weight.

This is important: a smaller screw that doesn’t have a high enough weight capacity and struggles with managing the heavy wreath will cause even more damage to the door. So, if you’re ordering a screw set online, check the specifications: they’ll tell you the exact weight the screws can support. Grab a screwdriver and nail the screw into the door.

Don’t go all the way in, though. Once you’re halfway in, wrap the ribbon around it, and only then finish the job.

9. Maybe Just Nail It to the Door?

This is the last resort, and we strongly recommend against using nails. While they leave smaller holes, removing nails usually takes more effort and you might ruin the door further while trying to get rid of the nails. Are you still up for it? Alright, then follow the same routine you did with screws: choose nails of the right size, ones that can hold the wreath nice and steady. Use a hammer to drive them in and loop the wreath around the nails.

To cover the holes after you remove the screws/nails, use putty or spackle. These compounds are cheap (approximately $10 for a can), easy to use, and take about 15 minutes to dry. This might not be an ideal solution, of course. But it’s still better than leaving those tedious holes in there. And if, say, it’s a brown door, a can of similar color paint will also come in handy.

How to Keep a Wreath from Scratching Your Door

Alright, before we sign off, let’s talk about how we can prevent the wreath from leaving scratches on the front door. That’s right—even if you go with the safest option, like magnets or a ribbon, scratches can still be an issue. The quickest and cheapest solution is to glue soft fabric to the back of the wreath, like, say, foam. So, no matter how windy it will be outside, the door won’t get damaged.

If you don’t have any glue or fabric lying around, you can always buy pads that do an even better job of protecting doors and windows. Better yet, you should try to fix the wreath in one spot to limit its movements. That’s method #2. Hook-and-loop fasteners like Velcro are perfect for this. Double-sided tape will also do, as we learned earlier. And if you’re using over-the-door hangers, don’t forget to add pads to them as well.

• Related Read: 14 Different Types of Fir Trees

Conclusion

Back in the day, we only used to decorate the front door on Christmas. These days, you can see wreaths all year long. There are so many occasions and so many different designs! So, if you’re a big fan of this wonderful tradition, it’s very important to know about the most effective (and non-abusive) ways of hanging garlands, bouquets, and, of course, wreaths.

Today, we introduced you to seven 100% safe, low-cost techniques for securing a wreath on a door easily and without leaving it in ruins. And if you still want to use screws or nails, check our tips and tricks on how to minimize the damage to your door and keep scratching to a minimum. Take care and enjoy the holiday spirit!

Related Read:

• How to Hang Wreaths on Windows (6 Expert Tips)
• 10 Expert Tips on How to Hang a Wreath on a Glass Door

Featured Image Credit: StockSnaps, Pixabay