It’s just not Christmas until that wreath goes up on the front door.  It’s just a classic.

I gathered up some ideas for your Christmas wreath this year.  Some are traditional, but many will help you think outside the wreath this holiday season.

The entry door on the left is jazzed up with a traditional wreath accented with a non-traditional yellow bow and colorful lettering.  The one on the right features classic garland, but the wreath is made with cushion moss for unexpected texture.

You can add in fruit (oranges, red or green apples, even lemons or limes) or modify the shape of a wreath (maybe a rectangle or square).  Rather than the standard bow, why not use twine or fabric scraps?

The wreaths below demonstrate how you can use other materials besides tree trimmings to create a special Christmas wreath.

I particularly like this carnation wreath.  Very lovely and very unexpected.  Just a floral foam form stuck with carnations and a few rosy-colored beads.

A wreath can be a great way to display your favorite Christmas cards.  A wooden ring, wooden clothespins, and a festive ribbon is all you need to make a totally unique masterpiece.

I love this beautiful Scandinavian-inspired wreath “chandelier.”  I mean, REALLY love.

I like to use a wreath as part of a centerpiece on a table.  In this picture, I placed a store-bought wreath in the middle of my dining table.  I placed a glass cake pedestal in the center of the wreath and topped it with a candelabra.  Then I tucked in a few gnomes.

Here I used my Thanksgiving turkey feather wreath to create a “nest” for my paper mache deer.

Heather Spriggs Thompson created this lovely floral wreath to grace her front door this holiday season.  Check out her work on  at http://heathersthompson.typepad.com or her blog at www.gatheringspriggs.com. 

A simple statement in trio.  Simply gorgeous.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these beautiful examples of creative Christmas wreaths! 

Photo Credits:  Martha Stewart (1,2,4,7-13,17 ) DigsDigs (3,5,6), The Decorologist (14, 15), Gathering Spriggs (16).