Books and Resources to Start Strong
Starting a wreath-making business requires knowledge beyond just craft skills. These books will help you understand the business fundamentals, design principles, and marketing strategies that turn a hobby into profitable income.
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
This book teaches you how to build a business with minimal waste and maximum learning. For wreath makers, it shows how to test designs with real customers before investing heavily in inventory. Understanding validated learning helps you avoid producing wreaths that don’t sell.
Shop The Lean Startup on Amazon →
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Wreath makers often struggle with pricing and cash flow. This book breaks down how to keep your business profitable by managing money intentionally. It’s written for small makers and shows practical ways to separate profit, taxes, and operating expenses from the money you earn.
Color and Light by James Gurney
Wreaths are visual products. Understanding color theory helps you design wreaths that appeal to customers and photograph well on social media. This book goes deeper than basic color wheels and teaches why certain color combinations feel right to the human eye.
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Handmade for Sale by Meg Mateo Ilasco
Written specifically for craft makers, this book covers pricing your work fairly, managing production, building your brand, and selling online and offline. It addresses the exact challenges you’ll face as a wreath maker scaling from one-off orders to consistent revenue.
Shop Handmade for Sale on Amazon →
Equipment You Need
Wreath making requires basic tools and materials to start. You don’t need expensive equipment—many successful wreath makers work from home with under $500 in initial tools. The real cost comes from materials like greenery, ribbons, and decorative elements that you’ll purchase repeatedly.
Base Tools
- Wire cutters: Heavy-duty floral cutters handle thick stems and branches. Cheaper scissors will dull quickly and make your work harder.
- Floral knife: A sharp, small knife for cutting stems at angles and shaping greenery. Essential for clean, professional-looking cuts.
- Pruning shears: For cutting branches and thicker plant material. A good pair is worth the investment.
- Wreath forms: Foam, wire, or straw bases in various sizes. You’ll buy many of these as you take orders.
- Floral tape: Holds stems and decorative elements in place while you work. Inexpensive but essential.
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks: For securing delicate flowers, ribbons, and lighter decorations. Low-temperature glue guns work well for most materials.
- Floral pins and U-pins: Hold greenery and flowers in foam bases. You’ll go through many of these.
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Work Surface and Storage
- Work table: You need space to assemble wreaths. A sturdy table 3-4 feet wide works well. Doesn’t need to be fancy—kitchen tables work if you cover them.
- Storage shelves: Wreaths take up space, especially if you’re working on seasonal inventory. Open shelving or bookcases keep finished pieces visible and protected.
- Container system: Small bins and organizers for stems, ribbons, beads, and decorative elements. Clear containers help you see what you have.
- Work mat or apron: Protects your table and clothes from glue, dirt, and plant materials.
Greenery and Materials
- Fresh greenery: Eucalyptus, cypress, fern, and boxwood. These are your main bulk materials. Seasonal availability and cost vary throughout the year.
- Dried flowers and botanicals: Dried pampas grass, baby’s breath, statice, and preserved leaves. More stable than fresh but more expensive upfront.
- Ribbons and bows: Satin, burlap, linen, and grosgrain in various widths and colors. Buy in bulk rolls, not individual bows.
- Decorative accents: Berries, bells, ornaments, beads, wood slices, or seasonal picks. These vary by design and season.
Shop dried botanicals on Amazon →
Photography and Shipping
- Camera or phone with good camera: Most modern smartphones take quality photos. A tripod helps with consistent, hands-free shots.
- Shipping boxes: Sturdy boxes that fit your wreaths. Standard wreath boxes are roughly 18x18x6 inches. Buy in bulk from packaging suppliers.
- Tissue paper and padding: Protects wreaths during shipping so customers receive them undamaged.
- Packing tape: Standard clear tape for securing boxes.
Shop phone tripods on Amazon →
What to Buy First vs Later
Smart equipment purchases help you start lean and grow as orders increase.
- First (under $100): Wire cutters, floral knife, hot glue gun, wreath forms in basic sizes, floral tape, pins, and a work table. Start with one color of ribbon and one type of greenery.
- After first 10-15 orders: Additional ribbon colors, more decorative accents, storage containers, and basic shipping boxes. You’ll know which designs sell best.
- After 50+ orders: Bulk greenery suppliers if you’re making seasonal wreaths regularly. Investments in second work table or display shelving. Professional-grade photography setup if social media is central to your sales.
- Optional later additions: Wreath hangers, decorative backing cards, branded packaging, or a dedicated workshop space. These increase perceived value but aren’t essential to start.
New vs Used Equipment
Wreath-making tools are relatively inexpensive, so buying new usually makes sense. A dull or broken wire cutter frustrates you daily and makes work slower. That said, several items are worth buying used.
Buy new: Wire cutters, floral knives, hot glue guns, and wreath forms. These tools see direct contact with materials, and a quality new tool costs $5–25. Used cutting tools often have hidden damage. Buy used or generic: Work tables, shelving, storage containers, and shipping boxes. Marketplace platforms, thrift stores, and local sellers often have sturdy used furniture. Some wreath makers use salvaged wood or pallets creatively. Source free or cheap: Natural branches, dried grasses, and some greenery clippings from your own yard or neighbors. This reduces material costs significantly for seasonal wreaths.
Where to Buy
- Floral and craft suppliers: Joann Stores, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby stock basic tools, forms, and seasonal decorations. Sign up for email coupons—20–40% off sales are common.
- Wholesale floral suppliers: FiftyFlowers, Globalrose, and FlowerBud sell fresh greenery and dried botanicals in bulk at better prices than retail. Minimum orders typically apply.
- Local florists: Many sell bulk greenery and end-of-season materials at discounts. Building a relationship can get you better pricing and first access to seasonal stock.
- Garden centers and nurseries: Source fresh branches, greenery, and seasonal berries at low cost. Spring and fall offer the most variety.
- Packaging suppliers: The Packaging Company, Uline, and local box suppliers offer bulk shipping boxes and kraft paper at wholesale prices.
- Estate sales and secondhand markets: Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local Buy Nothing groups have free or cheap work tables, shelving, and storage solutions.