Materials and Tools:

wire cutters
heavy-duty stapler
hot glue gun
hammer
salvaged electrical wire
flat wooden wreath form (12- or 6-inch)
pinecones (small to medium)
red berry twigs
white spray paint

Gather Wires and Cables

Find old wire or cables; make sure they are easily bendable and not too floppy. Use wire cutters to cut them to random but similar sizes.

Paint Wreath Ring

Cover the wooden wreath form in white spray paint. Let dry.

Loop Wire and Attach to Ring

Bend the wire into loops and staple them onto the wooden ring. Put the longer pieces in the back and shorter in the front. Fill in and layer around the ring.

Secure the Wire

If necessary, use a hammer to pound the staples all the way into the wooden ring. If a piece of wire slips out of the staple, just tuck it back in and hammer down.

Add Berries

Cut up (if necessary) pieces of red berry twigs to fit around the wreath. Use hot glue to hold them in place.

Add Pinecones

Adhere the pinecones to fit over the stapled section of the wreath to cover up the ends.

Joanne Palmisano is the author of Salvage Secrets (W.W. Norton, September 2011). Visit her blog, also called Salvage Secrets.