How to make a Cornish Kissing Wreath for Christmas

Katie from Wild Rose Cornwall shows us how to create a traditional Cornish decoration using foraged woodland foliage.


Katie wears our Studio Apron and Sea’s Edge Jumper

Rooted in Cornish folklore, the Kissing Wreath (also known as a Cornish Bunch) would traditionally be hung up in the home on winter solstice eve. Made by weaving holly, mistletoe, ivy and other foraged foliage into a three-dimensional shape, it’d be finished with an apple hanging in its centre, and a carefully placed candle. The wreath represents new life and it’s believed that kissing underneath it will bring good luck for the year ahead. 

Katie from Wild Rose Cornwall, a cutting garden and floral design studio near Falmouth, shows us how to make a Cornish Kissing Wreath using foraged woodland foliage and a vintage bauble in place of the traditional apple. 

You will need:

  • Foraged seasonal foliage e.g., holly, ivy, berries 
  • Decorative flowers or berries 
  • Chicken wire (2 1.4m by 16cm sheets, ideally plastic coated) 
  • Twine or thin wire 
  • Ribbon for hanging 
  • Christmas bauble 

Before you begin…

  1. Forage for holly, ivy and other seasonal foliage and berries.  

  1. Source some chicken wire online or from a hardware store. Tip – the plastic-coated wire is less sharp than the metal and easier to bend. You can also reuse the plastic-coated version as it doesn’t rust and can be put in the dishwasher to clean. 

Making the Cornish Kissing Wreath

  1. Cut 2 lengths of chicken wire approximately 1.40m long and 16 cm wide. We are aiming to make these into 2 individual circles with a diameter of around 45cm. 

2. Roll the chicken wire into 2 long tubes and bend into a circle shape. 

3. Connect the 2 circles together at right angles and secure at the top and bottom using twine or thin wire.  

4. Once secured you can begin to decorate using Holly, Ivy and other seasonal foliage. Begin by poking the foliage into the holes in the chicken wire and keep going until all the circles are covered. You may wish to work with the wreath already suspended from the ceiling as it can make it easier to add the foliage.  

5. Add some extra berries or dried flowers such as Helichrysum (Strawflowers) or Lunaria (Honesty) to add some extra sparkle.  

6. Finish by tying some twine or ribbon to the top of the wreath to hang and by adding a bauble to the centre.   

7. After Christmas, you can compost all the foliage and keep the chicken wire frame to reuse next year!  

Wild Rose Cornwall creates wedding flowers and bouquet orders picked from their own flower field near Falmouth. Picked for their beauty and fragrance, the flowers are grown on a small scale with as little chemical interference as possible. To see more of Katie’s beautiful floral arrangements, you can follow Wild Rose on Instagram at @wildrosecornwall.  

If you enjoyed this tutorial, why not explore our creative projects and crafts on Seasalt Stories.