I love using bits and pieces from the garden and hedgerows to decorate the house at Christmas. My garden is quite small so supplies me with some different types of ivy, winter-flowering honeysuckle, a few seed heads and crab apples but for anything else a trip into the local countryside is required.
It’s good at this time of year to have an excuse to get out of the house, the temptation to stay warm and cosy in front of the fire is hard to resist. Fortunately, yesterday was a beautiful winters day. An early frost, our first real frost of the year, followed by a crisp sunny day meant I didn’t need any persuading to go for a walk.
A couple of hours later I came back with rosehips, haws, some teasels and some beautiful lichen covered branches and along with my garden gatherings I set to making some decorations for the house.
Larch sprig present decoration
A real favourite of mine are larch branches with their beautiful cones. This year I have gathered some branches together and placed them in a jug as a decoration in their own right. I also like to use them to decorate presents, cutting them to size and sliding them under ribbon to hold them in place.
Larch twig star
There was a picture of a beautiful star made from lichen covered branches in last months Gardens Illustrated magazine. So using that as inspiration, Wellyman fashioned the twigs we had gathered into a star which hangs from a door.
Ivy, larch and rosehips decorate the back of a chair
I used a few larch branches tied together with some ivy and rosehips with some natural twine to decorate the back of my dining chairs. I had looked at buying some decorations for the same purpose last week on a trip into Bath but they would have cost £25. These, however, cost nothing and I’m really pleased with the natural look.
I few years ago Wellyman made a small wreath from some willow. Each year I wind ivy into the bare branches and add various bits and pieces. This year I wired in some rosehips.
Teasels and hydrangea flowerheads
Finally I put some teasels in an old enamel vase with some dried hydrangea heads.
I’m really pleased with the look they have created and all for free.
I’d love to hear about any ideas you have for natural decorations.
I love your natural decorations – I haven’t made a start yet. I have all the materials gathered, but can’t quite get into the mood to do anything. No doubt everything will come together eventually. I would just like to personally wish you a Happy Christmas and look forward to reading more of your posts, especially when the new gardening season starts.
Love what you have done with your natural foliage and seedheads, so much nicer than artificial decorations and as you say, all for free, what could be better. Will be cutting my foliage on Wednesday ready for Christina’s foliage day blog on Thursday, so won’t know till then exactly what I will be doing!
What an inspiration! I live next to a wooded area and you have motivated me to take a walk and see what I can find. Merry Christmas to you!
I love the larch sprig decorated present, that looks fantastic.
I too love to make natural decorations from hedgerow and garden. So much more fun too. I’ve just collected a trug full of hedgerow stuff this morning to make some wreaths.Love the star.
They are all beautiful, but my fave has to be the twig star. Wishing you and your readers a very Merry Christmas
Oh so pretty especially the star. Not done it this year but have saved honesty stems with seedcases on and sprayed them silver.