Have $30 and 30 minutes to spare? That, and a quick visit to your favorite craft store, is all it takes to produce a wreath you'll be proud to display -- even if you're a klutz at crafts.

The first step is to decide if you want a seasonal wreath or one that's decorative and will hang about after the holidays, said Kathy Phillips, floral manager at Craft Warehouse in Kennewick.

In either case, begin with a base. Sturdy wire rounds are sold at craft stores, ready to be covered with dried grasses, leaves and other plant materials. But that's time-consuming and best left to experienced floral designers.

Instead, opt for a base that's ready to decorate.

"Grapevine wreaths are good if you want an autumn/Thanksgiving wreath that will transition into the holidays. Evergreen wreaths are so associated with the holidays and Christmas it's hard to transition them into another season," she said.

Don't apologize for buying artificial greens anymore. They look so real you have to sniff to be sure they're plastic.

The base -- depending on size and whether it's already decorated with tiny holiday lights or not -- will run from $10 to $20.

Picks -- the decorative silk flowers, ornaments, artificial berries, bells, small figurines and more -- run just a few dollars each. And they're already prewired, so they're a snap to attach.

"You don't need many to really dress up your basic wreath," Phillips said, picking up a spray of gilded leaves.

"That one," she said, pointing at a display wreath, "has just six picks."

It also had a big flowing white and gold ribbon bow.

What if you're all thumbs at bows? Using ribbon stiffened along each edge with thin wire makes it easy to create those designer bows. Or opt out and buy a premade bow or have one of the store's floral designers make one up for you.

"A roll of the wire ribbon runs about $3, a premade one is just $2 more. You're not talking about a lot more money," Phillips said.

"Just wire the bow in place and you're good to go," she said.

Even if you want to use something on your wreath that's not prewired, like pine cones from your own tree, there's an easy solution. Pick up some all-purpose florist's wire, aka paddle wire, at the craft store.

"It's easy to use," Phillips said. "No special tools are necessary -- an old pair of kitchen shears will cut the wire."

When it comes to making wreaths, a little imagination helps.

"But if you don't like how your wreath turns out, just pull everything apart and start over," Phillips said.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind:

-- Scale the wreath to the area. Smaller wreaths, 14 inches or so, are great for small rooms like bathrooms while 20-inch wreaths are good for entry doors and larger rooms.

"Get much larger, and you'll need a double door entry or a massive open wall to pull it off," Phillips said.

-- Not all doors are made of wood, so give thought to how you will hang your wreath. Use a wreath hanger for fiberglass doors, a metallic hook for metal doors.

-- If you plan to put your wreath between your front door and your storm door, make sure there is enough space to accommodate it.

-- Wreaths can be put on side and back doors as well as front doors. You don't have to use the same style of wreath, but you should stay within the same theme. But your primary wreath should be on the front door because it is meant to greet guests.

-- Natural products make sturdy and long-lasting bases. Good choices are grapevines, straw, birch branches or honeysuckle branches.

-- If you want to use a mix of flowers in your wreath, insert them in groupings so you can see the flowers and identify them. If you jumble them together, your wreath will look too busy.

-- Flowers and other decorations can be gathered to one side, leaving the rest of the wreath empty, for a clean simple look.

* Reporter Loretto J. Hulse can be reached at 582-1513 or via e-mail at lhulse@tricityherald.com.