How to forage your own Christmas decorations from nature
Decorating for Christmas doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, it's easy to decorate with items that are virtually free that can be found in our gardens or in the environment around us. With the festive period only a few weeks away, why not resist purchasing shop sold decorations and instead opt for the simplicity of natural materials? Here at Gardenesque, we have put together a few DIY Christmas decoration ideas:
Holly and ivy
Why not gather holly and ivy from your garden and add to doorways and window frames to give your house the traditional Christmas look? Holly with its bright red berries is particularly attractive in homemade Christmas wreaths, or to drape around a fire place or as an oasis floral foam table decoration on the big day with logs or with winter greenery such as ivy. Ivy’s variegated foliage will add drama to any Christmas display whether it be around a candle arrangement or spilling over the sides of a winter container arrangement.
Fir and conifer sprays
Cuttings of your Christmas tree or garden conifers will look lush as mantel displays, bringing the quintessential pine scent into your home. They can also be weaved with holly, ivy, mistletoe and eucalyptus on garden wire to make a lush evergreen Christmas wreath or garland. Add a ribbon for that extra seasonal touch and enjoy as a quirky dinner table decoration or a door wreath. Spruce, pine and juniper are all ideal for decorations and have fresh fragrances that will tantalize over Christmas.
Pine cones
Pine cones make great tree decorations and a fun way to get children involved as you walk through the woods collecting them as they fall to the ground in autumn. They make stunning hanging decorations when painted or dressed with ribbon. They can also be arranged in a bowl as a rustic table centrepiece with dried seed heads and leaves, or added to a Christmas wreath with garden wire and seasonal plants. Paint the tips white for a snow-dusted effect and add these to the base of a candle display or for a garland hanging off a mantel.
Berries
A lot of the berries and foliage you can use for Christmas decorations can easily be grown at home; you don’t even need a large garden as a lot of them can be grown in containers. Chinese lanterns, red rosehip berries, viburnum, hawthorn and mistletoe are all are beautifully festive and can be used to fill glass vases and candle holders, or sprigs used to bring attention to a Christmas wreath.
Seed heads
Seed heads are the ideal size and shape for homemade natural baubles. The spherical pom pom shaped Allium cristophii dry to produce delicate star shaped flower heads that look fantastic sprayed silver or gold and hung on the Christmas tree. Likewise, dried hydrangea, poppy and sea holly heads make great additions to Christmas wreaths, decorations or table bowls.
Twigs and logs
If you have a number of logs in your garden or have collected from woods nearby, why not use a them as a centrepiece for Christmas dinner with some seasonal foliage, or use them to make a reindeer decoration? Alternatively, a small hole can be drilled at the top of the log for a tealight to be placed inside make a festive wooden candle.
Or twigs from the garden can be used to create little star or snowflake decorations for your Christmas tree. Simply add glitter, sequins or wrap twinkling fairy lights around the stars to really make them shine.
Stones
There’s a recent trend for stone decorating that’s sweeping the nation. People are painting fun and colourful designs onto stones and hiding them in some towns for people to find, snap and upload to social media. Give this trend a festive twist by painting Christmas onto stones and using them as tree decorations or as part of a dinner table centrepiece.
What do you plan to make this year? We’d love to see your homemade decorations, tag us on #GardenesqueGarden.
Looking for more Christmas inspiration?
Garden craft ideas to keep you entertained over the Christmas holiday:
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How to make a Christmas or new year wreath from plants in your garden
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Caring for garden birds in winter - make your own bird feeder