Photo via Elin B.

MARKHAM – Nothing says “home for the holidays” quite like a charming wreath on the front door. This treasured late-fall tradition is a favourite among many Ontario homeowners, and some tend to take it very seriously.

After all, why wouldn’t they? The wreath is the first thing your holiday guests will see as they walk up to the door. A tasteful one can pull off double-duty as both a fall décor touch and a Christmas-time decoration. No longer are wreaths limited to your basic red-and-green Christmas medley, either – these days, a whole variety of wreath types are available for your home.

To follow up on last week’s guide to early-bird holiday shopping, we thought we’d kick off the seasonal decorating with a tribute to our favourite wreath ideas for the 2013 fall/winter season.

1. Tapioca Wood Flower Wreath

These days, you can find tapioca wood flowers at many major craft retailers. These lightweight and beautiful wooden blooms have a warm natural vanilla tone and a light, fresh scent to boot.

Rustic Living offers fantastic instructions for creating your own beautiful wreath using wood flowers, a few dark red fabric flowers, and a standard wreath base. The final product will store well, and looks just as good during the crisp months of fall as it does during the Christmas season.

2. Deco Mesh Wreath

Offering versatile shades and textures – not to mention a very light packing weight – deco mesh is definitely getting its due as a serious décor fabric in 2013.

Angie over at Big Bear’s Wife offers fantastic DIY guides on not only creating your own special wreath base for deco mesh, but also how to tie the mesh in and (with the help of additional decorative elements) create your own holiday masterpiece.

If you’re having trouble with the written instructions for applying the mesh, this helpful video shows the technique in action. Happy tying!

3. Felt-and-Fabric Wreath

If you have a covered entranceway and aren’t too concerned about your wreath getting wet (or snow-covered), using felt and fabrics can help you add both warmth and bold contemporary colour to your doorway.

We absolutely loved Tiffany Zajas’s idea for an easy, homemade fabric wreath. All you need is a wreath base, some hot glue, yarn and a very sturdy felt – make sure the last two are the same colour! We recommend a nice bright red, since it’s the holidays. Mixing a few white felt leaves in there will even give your wreath a fun candy-cane appearance.

Can’t find the time to assemble your own wreath for the holidays? No problem – craft and decoration stores such as Michaels will have plenty of tasteful, prefabricated wreaths in stock at this time of year. If you’re shopping for one, make sure you head out sooner rather than later – the best ones may sell out quickly!