Mother Nature can be an abundant resource for decorating your home for the holidays with readily available elements from the outdoors. Evergreens, berries, twigs, pine cones, bark, and moss will dress your house and create a pleasant, warm and cosy retreat from the frosty winter weather. Be creative with nature’s bounty and each room will benefit.
Plan to gather cuttings from the variety of trees or shrubs in your yard. If you don’t have a yard or garden, tree lots give away cuttings from the ends of trimmed Christmas trees. Check with your local garden centre or florist to order fresh greenery. When used indoors, evergreen boughs will stay fresh for three weeks. Used outdoors, they will last longer if placed in water or misted regularly.
The entryway: The entryway provides the first opportunity to impress guests. Fill a porch planter with a mix of fresh, fragrant evergreen boughs and branches. Add something with berries such as holly or red winterberry to make it welcoming. Large urns filled with twigs sprayed white and sprinkled with silver glitter add drama. Add a string of mini lights for extra sparkle. Fill in gaps at the base of the urns with moss, which should be misted daily to keep it fresh.
Decorate door wreaths with pine cones, seedpods, and Chinese tallow-tree berries (popcorn berries), a great seasonal berry used in centrepieces and wreaths. Add a large colourful ribbon bow.
On an entryway table place a bowl of bay leaves, acorns, kumquats, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and a few cedar bough clippings or eucalyptus to create a pleasing scent.
Tablescapes: Decorate the holiday table with fresh flowers, fruit and greenery; add small ornaments for a light touch of glitter. Keep the centerpiece below eye level so those at the table can see over them.
A table wreath of fragrant evergreen sprigs can be used as a candle-ring, and firm fruit can be used as candle holders. Cut out a small hole in the top of the fruit and slip in a candle taper, add chocolate, candies and nuts at the base for after dinner nibbles. For an edible centrepiece, place sugared cranberries, small citrus, ‘Lady Apples’, sweet pears, and ruby red pomegranates around a wreath. For added colour add flowers such as mums or carnations in waterpic tubes.
Avoid clutter—make sure there is room for serving dishes. Have trivets or hot pads placed around the table ahead of time so there is plenty of space for food.
Plan to gather cuttings from the variety of trees or shrubs in your yard. If you don’t have a yard or garden, tree lots give away cuttings from the ends of trimmed Christmas trees. Check with your local garden centre or florist to order fresh greenery. When used indoors, evergreen boughs will stay fresh for three weeks. Used outdoors, they will last longer if placed in water or misted regularly.
The entryway: The entryway provides the first opportunity to impress guests. Fill a porch planter with a mix of fresh, fragrant evergreen boughs and branches. Add something with berries such as holly or red winterberry to make it welcoming. Large urns filled with twigs sprayed white and sprinkled with silver glitter add drama. Add a string of mini lights for extra sparkle. Fill in gaps at the base of the urns with moss, which should be misted daily to keep it fresh.
Decorate door wreaths with pine cones, seedpods, and Chinese tallow-tree berries (popcorn berries), a great seasonal berry used in centrepieces and wreaths. Add a large colourful ribbon bow.
On an entryway table place a bowl of bay leaves, acorns, kumquats, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and a few cedar bough clippings or eucalyptus to create a pleasing scent.
Tablescapes: Decorate the holiday table with fresh flowers, fruit and greenery; add small ornaments for a light touch of glitter. Keep the centerpiece below eye level so those at the table can see over them.
A table wreath of fragrant evergreen sprigs can be used as a candle-ring, and firm fruit can be used as candle holders. Cut out a small hole in the top of the fruit and slip in a candle taper, add chocolate, candies and nuts at the base for after dinner nibbles. For an edible centrepiece, place sugared cranberries, small citrus, ‘Lady Apples’, sweet pears, and ruby red pomegranates around a wreath. For added colour add flowers such as mums or carnations in waterpic tubes.
Avoid clutter—make sure there is room for serving dishes. Have trivets or hot pads placed around the table ahead of time so there is plenty of space for food.
Mantles: The traditional evergreen garland along the top of the mantle studded with berries and assorted candles provides a pleasant soft glow in the room. Boxwood topiaries on each side of the mantle with a few ornaments in between create a more elegant and formal look.
Then there is the Christmas tree, which will be the centre of attention. Whether it is cedar, fir or pine, a fresh-cut tree will be the focal point in your home. For the eco-conscious among us there are potted trees that can be brought into the home, decorated each season and then taken outside after the holidays to continue growing. Follow the same theme in decorating the tree as the rest of the house, using similar ornaments, ribbons, and decorations to tie it all together.
Don’t forget the other rooms in the house, such as the kitchen and bathrooms. A rosemary tree in the kitchen will be an added benefit when it comes time to cook—trim a few sprigs from the tree for use in stuffing, gravy and vegetables. Add rosemary to your shortbread recipe along with dried cranberries.
Little flower pots covered with pieces of bark and filled with flowers, curly twigs, and hypericum berries nestled in stones and moss make a nice touch in the guest bathroom.
For simple, no fuss decorating, the traditional poinsettia can be placed throughout the home along with fresh cedar boughs, which will continue to give a fresh, fragrant outdoor feel throughout the holidays.
