What size wreath for a front door? The two-thirds rule

Have you ever hung a wreath that looked perfect in the store, then looked tiny on your door? Today I’m sharing the simple rule I use so you can pick the right size wreath the first time! Go with about two-thirds of your door’s width. On a standard 36 inch front door, that’s a 24 inch wreath, which leaves roughly 6 inches of door showing on each side. That little bit of space around it is what makes it look like it belongs there!

The most common mistake I see is going too small (and I made it first). The first wreath I bought for our front door was 18 inches. It looked perfect in the store and like a cookie on the door. From the driveway you could barely tell it was there!

Step 1. Measure Your Door

Measure your door across, just the door itself, not the trim. Then aim for a wreath that fills 50 to 75% of that width:

• Two-thirds (about 66%) is the sweet spot. It looks balanced and classic, and it looks right from close up and from the street.
• Half (50%) is the smallest I’d go. It looks quiet and a little sparse.
• Three-quarters (75%) is a statement. This is great on a door that’s far back from the street, and a little much on a narrow door you walk right up to.

Guides disagree a bit on this. Some say 60 to 70%, a few say two-thirds to three-quarters, and one or two say go as small as a third. I’ve tried most of those on my own door, and two-thirds is the one I keep coming back to. A third of the door is about the size of a dinner plate, and nobody’s going to see it!

Step 2. Check the Size Chart

Door width	Classic (about 2/3)	Range that works	Bold
30 in	20 in	16 to 22 in	24 in
32 in	20 to 22 in	18 to 24 in	24 in
36 in (standard)	24 in	22 to 26 in	28 to 30 in
42 in (oversized)	28 in	24 to 30 in	32 to 36 in
Double doors, two 30 in	20 in each	18 to 22 in each	24 in each
Double doors, two 36 in	24 in each	18 to 26 in each	30 in each

Wreath sizes are measured across the outside of the greenery, tip to tip. A fluffy fresh wreath can look a couple of inches bigger than its tag once it opens up. A skinny grapevine or hoop wreath looks smaller than its number. So keep the style in mind too!

Step 3. Adjust for Your Door

Double Doors

You have two options here, but one of them is a lot easier.

Two matching wreaths, one per door. Size each one to its own door using the chart above. Hang them at exactly the same height. Definitely measure this one, because it’s really hard to eyeball a pair! This is what I’d do on almost every set of double doors.

One big wreath. This only works if you hang it above the doors, like on a transom or the wall over the frame. If you hang one big wreath right across the middle, one of the doors can’t open without dragging the wreath with it. Wreaths in the 48 to 60 inch range are made for this kind of spot. They need a sturdy hook or anchor up there, not an over-the-door hanger.

Storm Doors

If you have a full glass storm door, size the wreath to the glass you see it through, not the door behind it. Measure the glass panel’s width and use the same two-thirds rule. A slimmer wreath works better here too, because you may end up hanging it in the narrow gap between the doors. I shared every option for that in how to hang a wreath on a storm door.

Windows

The same rule works for windows. Go with about 50 to 75% of the window’s width, with a few inches of window showing on each side. Most front windows end up with something in the 16 to 22 inch range. If you’re doing a wreath in every front window plus one on the door, make the window wreaths the same size as each other and a little smaller than the door’s. That way the door is still the star and the windows back it up!

Doors Far From the Street

This is my own rule of thumb, not something I found a chart for. The farther back your door is, the bigger the wreath needs to be so you can see it from the road. Our house in Florida has a pretty short walk to the door, and a 24 inch wreath is perfect. If your door is at the end of a long walkway or set into a deep covered porch, go up one size, to 28 or 30 inches on a standard door.

Step 4. Test It Before You Buy

The easiest way to check is free! Cut a circle of cardboard the size you’re thinking about (or tape out the circle with painter’s tape), stick it on the door, and go look at it from the end of the driveway. It takes five minutes and it’s saved me from at least one wreath I would have returned.

Step 5. Hang It at the Right Height

Center the wreath about 57 to 60 inches up from the porch floor. That’s roughly eye level, and on most doors it lands in the top third, which is where it looks best. Before you hang it, check these:

1. The peephole or door window. Don’t cover it.
2. The bow. Most wreath sizes don’t include it, and a bow with long tails can hang right down onto your door handle.
3. The door’s panels. On a paneled door, centering the wreath on the upper panels instead of on the whole door usually looks more intentional.

If you don’t want to put a nail in your door, an over-the-door wreath hook is the easiest option. The hook length decides how high your wreath sits, so check that before you buy. For a standard front door, this 15 inch over-the-door hanger comes in a 2-pack, which is handy if you have double doors. If you’re decorating the whole porch, I use the same formula every year in a front porch that looks done in one afternoon.

What size door are you decorating this year? I hope this helped you find the perfect size wreath! If you hang one, be sure to post on Instagram and tag me @sugardesignco because I love seeing the beautiful decor y’all create!

-Ciera

Made something with this? Tag me @sugardesignco — I love seeing them.