A handmade wreath arrives from Kandi's workshop boxed and ready to hang. Then it meets your door, and the door has opinions. Steel, fiberglass, wood, glass, a storm door in front of it, a knocker in the way. Here is how to hang a wreath on each kind without leaving a mark, and how to keep it hanging straight.
Know what your door is made of
This decides everything.
- Steel doors take a magnetic hook. It is the cleanest solution there is.
- Fiberglass and wood doors are not magnetic. Use an over-the-door hanger or a ribbon over the top.
- Glass doors and storm doors take a suction hook, with limits covered below.
- Doors with a peephole or knocker at wreath height need the wreath to sit lower or higher than usual, so measure before you commit.
If you do not know, hold a fridge magnet to the door. If it sticks, it is steel.
The over-the-door hanger
The standard answer. A slim metal hook that slides over the top edge of the door and hangs down the front. It works on any door that has clearance at the top when closed.
Two things matter. First, the hanger's length: a long hanger drops the wreath to the middle of the door, a short one keeps it high. Most of Kandi's wreaths look best centered on the top half of the door, so measure from the top edge to where you want the center of the wreath and buy accordingly. Second, the hanger's thickness. A thick hanger can stop a door with a tight seal from closing. Slim ones are made for this.
Put a small felt pad or a strip of clear tape where the hanger touches the door face and the top edge, and it will never leave a mark.
Magnetic hooks
For a steel door, a strong magnetic hook is faster and invisible. Buy one rated well above the weight of the wreath. A full grapevine design with a focal piece is heavier than it looks, so do not use a magnet meant for a keyring. Clean the door where the magnet sits, and it will hold through wind and rain.
The one caution: a magnet can slide if the wreath is bumped. Position it and give the wreath a firm downward tug before you walk away.
Ribbon over the top of the door
The most elegant option and the one that shows in Kandi's own listing photos. A wide ribbon goes up the front of the door, over the top and is fixed on the inside with a thumbtack or a small hook. The wreath hangs from the ribbon on the front. It puts nothing on the door face, and the ribbon becomes part of the design.
Choose a ribbon in a color already on the wreath. A wired ribbon holds a neat flat line better than an unwired one.
Suction hooks on glass
Suction works on glass and on the smooth aluminum of a storm door, but suction cups fail in heat and cold. In a Savannah summer, a suction hook that held perfectly in April lets go in July. Use them for lighter pieces, and keep them out of direct afternoon sun.
The storm door problem
A storm door in front of the main door leaves a few inches of space. A full, deep wreath will get crushed every time the storm door closes, and florals do not recover from that. Options:
- Hang the wreath on the outside of the storm door instead, using a magnetic or suction hook.
- Choose a flatter design. A swag or a grapevine wreath built low is far more forgiving than a full deco mesh wreath. Wreath, swag, arrangement or centerpiece covers the difference.
- Take the storm door's closer off for the season, if it has one.
Measure the gap before you order and read the listing depth. When in doubt, ask Kandi about a specific piece.
Keeping it hanging straight
A wreath that swings to one side is usually hanging from the wrong point. Every one of Kandi's wreaths has a hanging loop placed where the piece balances, and it should hang from that loop, not from the base itself. If it still leans, the door is getting wind. A second small hook lower down, with a loop of clear fishing line to the base, stops the swing without showing.
Out of the box
When the wreath arrives, take it out, hang it, and give the florals a few minutes to settle. Anything that was pressed in transit lifts back up with a gentle fluff. The shipping policy covers the details of how it travels, and how to store seasonal wreaths covers what to do when the season ends.
Frequently asked questions
Will an over-the-door hanger stop my door from closing?
A slim one will not. If your door has a very tight weather seal at the top, use a magnetic hook on steel or a ribbon over the top instead.
Can I hang a wreath on a wall indoors the same way?
A single nail or a removable adhesive hook rated for the weight, hung from the wreath's loop. Adhesive hooks fail on textured walls, so use a nail there.
How high should the wreath sit?
Eye level or slightly above, which on most doors is the center of the top half. A wreath hung dead center on the door looks low from the street.
Does the Wreath Making Easel work as a display stand indoors?
Yes. The easel doubles as a display stand for a finished piece, which is a good answer for a wreath that has no door to go on.
