What size wreath for a front door
There is no standard, but retailers agree on the classic case. King of Christmas says that for standard front doors, typically 36 inches wide, a wreath 24 to 30 inches in diameter is ideal, and Christmas Central gives the same range for a 36 inch door. That is two-thirds to five-sixths of the door’s width, and the calculator scales the same proportion to the door you measure, so a narrower or wider door gets a smaller or larger wreath. Fig & Dove, a wreath maker, says 24 inches is its most popular size and 18 inches suits smaller or interior doors.
Wreath diameter by door width| Door width | Wreath, inches | Wreath, cm |
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| 30 in (76 cm) | 20–25 in | 51–64 cm |
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| 32 in (81 cm) | 21.3–26.7 in | 54–68 cm |
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| 34 in (86 cm) | 22.7–28.3 in | 58–72 cm |
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| 36 in (91 cm) | 24–30 in | 61–76 cm |
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| 42 in (107 cm) | 28–35 in | 71–89 cm |
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UK doors are often narrower. Pretty Little Home, a UK retailer, says standard single doors are about 76 to 84 cm wide and suggests a 45 to 55 cm wreath for them, a little smaller in proportion than the American range; its own page gives two different rules, which shows how loose these guides are. If you prefer that look, open “Change the rule of thumb” and lower the percentages.
Measuring the door
Measure the door itself, not the frame: the width of the leaf that opens, and its height from the threshold. For a double door, measure one leaf. Measure the wreath across its widest point; if the bow sticks out beyond the ring, include it. The drawing beside the calculator shows the door and the wreath to the same scale, so you can see how much door shows on each side.
How high to hang it
King of Christmas suggests hanging the wreath “at eye level or slightly above the center of the door”. Pretty Little Home also says eye level, centred on the door’s panels and not too close to the top of the frame. On an 80 inch door the centre is 40 inches up, which is low for most visitors, so the calculator lets you choose either: enter an eye height, or pick the centre. It then keeps the whole wreath, and the hook or over-the-door hanger above it, on the door; if eye level would push the top off the door, it lowers the wreath and says so.
Worked example: on a 36 × 80 inch door, a 26 inch wreath with its middle at an eye height of 63 inches has its top at 76 inches, 4 inches below the top of the door, with 5 inches of door showing either side. With a hanger that adds 6 inches, the hook would be 2 inches above the door, so the calculator lowers the wreath until the hook fits.
Double doors and glass
- Double doors. King of Christmas suggests two smaller wreaths, one on each door, or one larger wreath spanning both. Fig & Dove suggests 24 inches each on a pair of doors. The calculator sizes one wreath to one door and draws a pair; a single wreath across both only works if the doors stay shut.
- Glass panels. A wreath on glass is seen from both sides of the door, so its back shows indoors. Hang it from an over-the-door hanger or a ribbon looped over the top, check the door still closes on it, and check the hanger’s weight limit.
- Letterbox, knocker and handle. Check the wreath clears them at the height you choose, and that the door still opens wide.
Other places for a wreath
Over a fireplace, Christmas Central suggests a wreath about half the width of the mantel, so a 24 inch wreath over a 48 inch mantel. On a window, measure the glass you want it to sit in, not the whole frame. For garland round the same door, the garland calculator measures the frame, and for a banner over the door, Paper Lanternly prints the letters.
Common mistakes
- A wreath that is too small for the door. A 16 inch wreath on a 36 inch door leaves 10 inches of bare door on each side.
- Measuring the frame, or a door and its sidelights together, instead of the door.
- Forgetting the hanger. An over-the-door hanger sets the wreath’s height for you, so check where it puts the wreath before you buy.
- Hanging a fresh wreath in full sun or next to a heat vent, where it dries fast.