DIY Hawaiian Wreath: A Step-by-Step Tutorial for a Tropical Touch

It’s been almost 18 months since we PCS-ed to Hawaii! And I can’t believe it’s taken me that long to make a DIY Hawaiian wreath.

Since the front door is one of the first things guests see when they come to visit, I like to make it pretty. And since wreaths can be a little pricey when you order custom ones, I like to make them myself.

I knew when we moved in that I would soon need to add some Aloha to our home, starting with the front door!

Here’s how I made this DIY Hawaiian wreath:

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(Since there aren’t many options for craft supplies on the island, I ordered most of my supplies from Amazon.)

Step 1: Cut & De-Stem Florals

One of the first things you have to do when making a wreath is prepare your florals and greenery.

For this DIY Hawaiian wreath, I pulled the hibiscus and mimosa flowers off their stems to make them easier to spread out on the wreath.

Using the wire cutters, I trimmed the palm leaves so that their stems were 3-4 inches long. I also snipped some of the leaf bunches off the hibiscus bushes to use in the design.

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Step 2: Lay Out the Wreath

This wreath was a little more difficult to put together than other wreaths I have made.

The grapevine wreath form is the base that everything is attached to, but the ‘base greenery’ for this wreath is the monstera leaves.

I started by laying out my monstera leaves, but quickly realized that it would be difficult to attach all of the plants that I was adding on top of the monstera leaves to the wreath form because the monstera leaves are so solid. They have a few fenestrations (holes) in them, but not nearly enough to get a full, fluffy look.

That left me two options: glue everything to the monstera leaves or use fewer monstera leaves to expose more of the grapevine to attach other plants more easily.

In order to make a decision, I laid everything out how I wanted it to look, but I didn’t glue anything into place!

(It took arranging and re-arranging to get the wreath to look how I wanted.)

Step 3: Start Attaching By Sections

Normally, I add greenery and flowers in ‘layers’. I usually attach the biggest florals first, then add the smaller florals and accessories in descending size.

However, for this wreath, I laid everything out without attaching it. Then, after it looked the way I wanted, I took things off in sections and wired or glued them back onto the wreath.

I started with the bottom section of florals. I took the smaller pieces off and set them to the side, leaving the monstera leaf.

Then I attached the monstera leaf using floral wire. I ran the wire through two holes in the leaf and twisted it around some of the grapevine stems.

When adding floral pieces back onto the wreath, I attached the monstera and palm leaves first, then added the hibiscus and mimosas. After those were in place, I filled in any gaps with leaves from the hibiscus bush.

I attached most of the smaller florals with hot glue, but I used floral wire for some of the palm leaves.

After everything is glued or wired down in the first section, move to the next section and do the same process again. I broke my wreath down into 4 sections.

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Step 4: Paint & Attach the Aloha Sign

After all of the flowers were attached to the wreath, it was time to address the Aloha sign.

Using a cheap acrylic paint and a paint brush from Walmart, I painted the face of the Aloha sign yellow. I left the edges dark. If some accidentally drips down the side, use a paper towel to carefully wipe it off.

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After the Aloha sign was dry, I attached it to the bottom of my wreath using floral wire.

I didn’t like the green wire showing, so I dabbed a little bit of yellow paint on the wire. It’s not nearly as noticeable.

And you’re done!

Hang your beautiful DIY Hawaiian wreath on your front door. Its bright and cheerful appearance is sure to welcome in all of your friends and family.

Normally, for summer, I use my DIY American flag wreath, but this tropical one feels more appropriate while we’re here on the island.