Once Yule fades into the quiet of January, many witches pack away their holiday greenery and step into the new year bare-doored! 

But you don’t have to wait another whole turn of the wheel to hang something gorgeous on your front door, wall or front porch.

January is actually one of the most powerful months for protection magick. And this is often a month we need it most – it’s cold and dark out there, and our natural resources for protecting ourselves are often worn thin.

Lucky for us, the crisp still air, the deep, reflective energy, and the evergreen foliage that survives even in these times –  all lend themselves perfectly to crafting a protection wreath to guard your home through midwinter.

This guide will walk you step-by-step through creating your own January Protection Wreath, complete with winter correspondences, magickal symbolism, and all the accessories you may need.

We’ve spent some time sourcing these resources and materials, and we’ve included some affiliate links. When you purchase through them, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Read to the end for optional spell upgrades for extra potency.

Why Make a January Protection Wreath?

January is a potent, yet often underestimated, month for protection magick.

The wheel has turned, the light is slowly returning (hurray!) yet the world still feels suspended between endings and beginnings.

Energetically, this liminal space can leave us feeling more open, tired, or sensitive than usual. After the intensity of the holiday season and the collective built-up energy of the new year, many witches find themselves craving grounding, boundaries, and spiritual shielding.

A protection wreath acts as a guardian during this fragile, transitional time.

January Vulnerability & Energetic Sensitivity

January often arrives with a mix of emotional fatigue and spiritual openness. The shift from the old calendar year to the new can stir up:

• lingering stress

• post-holiday exhaustion

• disrupted routines

• heightened sensitivity

• the feeling of “starting over,” which can leave us a bit raw

• seasonal emotional dips due to darker days

Many people – witches especially – tend to feel porous or energetically thin during this time. It’s not a weakness, it’s a natural response to a deep seasonal transition.

Creating a protection wreath helps you re-establish your boundaries, stabilise your energy, and shift into the new year with confidence and calm.

Winter Greens & Evergreen Magick

Evergreens are more than just winter décor – they’re living symbols of endurance.

• Pine offers purification, strength, and the ability to cut through stagnant or heavy energy.

• Cedar has been used in folk traditions for banishing negativity and guarding thresholds.

• Holly creates firm boundaries, deflecting harmful or draining influences.

• Ivy represents resilience and continuity, reminding us that life persists even in the coldest months.

These greens hold their life force when the rest of nature rests. They remind us that our spirit can stay strong and protected even when we feel emotionally or energetically low.

January Colour

Colour correspondences plays a significant role in winter protection:

• White symbolises clarity, cleansing, and fresh starts – exactly what we need after the emotional and energetic chaos of late December.

• Silver connects us with lunar wisdom, intuition, and quiet inner strength. It’s deeply protective during times when we may feel drained or pulled in too many directions.

These colours not only look beautiful against winter greenery, but using them with intention will also anchor the magickal energy of the season in to your wreath.

The Wreath Shape as a Magical Boundary

A wreath isn’t just a decoration. It’s a symbol of sacred continuity.

• The circle represents cycles, renewal, unity, and shielding.

• When wrapped in evergreen, it becomes a magickal guardian.

• When hung on a door, it marks the threshold between your protected space and the outside world.

Creating and placing your wreath is an act of claiming your home as a sanctuary, especially during a month when we naturally feel more introspective and in need of safe, grounded energy.

Supplies You’ll Need

Feel free to choose whichever style suits your practice. Source your foliage locally (being sure not to over-harvest) and reuse and recycle any accessories, ribbons, charms or extra add-ons.

**That said, if you’re re-using objects used in precious spells, cleanse thoroughly first.

Wreath Bases

• THIS 10-inch circular wire baseis a really versatile, highly recommended starting plac
• Or try  THIS very large grapevine base (makes a stunning wreath)
• Or for somehting a bit different, we LOVE THIS Moon-shaped wreath base

Greenery & Botanicals

• Fresh holly with berries (if available)

• Pine, fir, cedar, or ivy cuttings

• Optional: dried – or fresh if you can find it – rosemary sprigs for powerful protection

Tools

• Floral wire or natural twine – THIS jute twine is perfect

• Scissors, pointed snips, or good old garden pruners 

• Hot melt glue gun – this is one of the best. Optional, but makes life SO much easier!

Magickal, protective Add-Ons

• 100 Silver pentacle charms – these are amazing value!

• Moon, Sun and star charms (mixed)

• 1/4 inch silver bells – hand individually all over your wreath, or in clusters.

• Larger vintage witch bells – really beautiful, set of 18 so you’ll have some spare for future projects

• THIS 2-inch white velvet ribbon is absolutely stunning!

• Or embrace lunar light, with this beautiful silver ribbon
• Or go dark with deep blue velvet (this has frayed edges and it’s our fave!)

Step-by-Step: How to Make a January Protection Wreath

Whatever the season, making a wreath is a deeply personal process, and there’s no wrong way to do it. Let your intuition guide you because you’re the only one who knows what kind of protection is really needed for your home.

BUT there are a few tricks and techniques that will not only make it easier to build your wreath, but hide the tell-tale signs of its construction so it looks allthe more beautiful once hung.

So here are some simple steps to follow, but if you do stray from them, no stress!

1. Cleanse your Materials & Set Intention

Before you begin, cleanse your materials in the way that suits you:

• Smoke from rosemary, pine or juniper

• Sound (bells, chimes, clapping)

• Moon water spritz

• Visualisation of bright winter light

Then set your intention clearly. A simple phrase is enough:

“With winter’s wisdom I craft this wreath,

to guard my home and bless with peace.”

2. Prepare & Make Mini Bundles

Before attaching anything to the wreath, prepare your materials. This simple bundle technique makes the entire process easy, neat, and pretty professional-looking! 

• Trim the stems of your evergreens, holly, herbs, and decorative twigs to about 4–6 inches in length.

• Create about 12 small bundles, mixing textures like pine + cedar, holly + fir, or ivy + grasses.

• Make three or four different bundle “designs” so your wreath has variety and dimension.

• Secure each bundle tightly with string or floral wire.

This method is far easier than attaching one stem at a time. It builds volume quickly, helps your wreath keep its shape, and hides the mechanics beautifully. Trust me, it’s a craft-changing technique1

3. Attach the Bundles & Build the Wreath

Now it’s time to bring your wreath to life!

• Start by securing one bundle firmly to your wreath base with twine or floral wire.

• Place the next bundle so it overlaps and hides the string from the previous one.

• Continue around the circle, alternating the different bundle designs for a lush, balanced look.

• Work clockwise or counterclockwise—choose whichever direction feels magical or meaningful to you.

Fill in the Gaps

Once the bundles are secured:

• Step back and check for sparse areas.

• Tuck in a few final sprigs of herbs, evergreens, grasses, or holly until the wreath feels full, harmonious, and visually balanced.

• Don’t be afraid to experiment with different angles or combinations—wreaths come alive when there’s a touch of wildness and flow.

4. Add Protective Charms & Bells

Now for the magick! Add…

• Pentacle or star charms
  Attach these with thin wire or string. Pentacles reinforce sacred protection and grounding.

• Silver bells
  Bells have been used for centuries to banish unwanted spirits and stagnant energies. Hang one larger one at the top or weave several smaller bells into the greenery.

• Optional: tiny spell jars
  Fill miniature spell jar (these come with tiny little screw eye hooks for easy hanging) with:

  • Black salt for warding

  • Crushed eggshell (cascarilla) for purity

  • Dried rosemary for protection

  • Bay leaf for blessing

Add as many or as few as your practice calls for.

5. Add Ribbons & Decorative Touches

Choose ribbon colours that align with your intention:

• White velvet ribbon for new beginnings, clarity

• Silver ribbon lunar protection, winter magick

• Deep blue offers January magick, steadfastness and wisdom

Tie a large bow at the base. Hang a trailing ribbon down the centre

If you’re more of a minimalist witch, a single white ribbon at the top is also lovely.

Alternatively, go asymmetric and tie one at the side.

6. Activate Your Protection Wreath

The final, magickal step.

Hold your hands over the wreath and either:

• Speak your spell aloud
• Whisper your intention
• Visualise light circulating through the wreath
• Call upon your deities, guides, or the spirit of winter (if that is your practice)

Example activation spell:

“Circles of evergreen, guard my threshold.
Winter winds, keep harm away.
Bless this home with peace,
And protect all who enter.”

Anointing the wreath with rosemary or cedar oil is optional but powerful.

January Upgrade Ideas for Extra Protection

If you want to try something a little different, need some next-level protection, or simply want to align your winter wreath with your witchcraft style, here are a few ideas:

1. Snow Protection Spell Jar

Create a tiny spell jar (these come with tiny little screw eye hooks for easy hanging) and add:

• White salt

• Clear quartz chips

• A snowflake charm

• A pinch of pine needles

• seal with white wax (melt on a teaspoon)

Tie it to the bottom of the wreath for cold-season shielding.

2. Moon Witch Version

• Use a Moon-shaped wreath base

• Add silvery foliage such as eucalyptus, and dried nigella heads

• Tie a luxurious silver ribbon bow

• Add triple moon charms

• Charge your wreath under the full wolf moon

3. Kitchen Witch Additions

Cinnamon sticks for warmth and luck

• Whole star anise to bring clarity

• Bay leaves with written intentions tucked behind them

5. January Correspondence Sachet

Create a tiny sachet of:

• Juniper

• Rosemary

• Pine

• A protective sigil

… And tie it to the back or bottom of the wreath.

Where to Hang Your Protection Wreath

Traditionally, protection wreaths are hung:

• On your front door to guard your home and set energetic boundaries

• Above your hearth to bless family gatherings

• In a window to repel negativity and welcome calm

• Near your altar to protect magical workings throughout winter

Choose the spot that feels right intuitively.

Your January Protection Wreath can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.

Whether you craft it with just evergreens and ribbon (beautiful!) or add spell jars, charms, and moon-blessed elements, what matters most is the intention woven into every branch.

Winter is a time of stillness, clarity, and powerful protection magick.

May your wreath stand as a guardian at your threshold, and as a reminder that even in the coldest months, magick is alive in every evergreen leaf.

Blessed be