Whether it's from your own backyard; the local nursery; or a farmer's market... nature provides for stunning decorations. Toss in a few store-bought touches and the combination is beautifully nostalgic. And speaking of nature let's face it: People first decorated their tree with what they found in nature.
Let's begin with Christmas tree ornaments.
Before you rake up all the colorful fall leaves, gather some for ornaments. Wrap them around Styrofoam balls or other shapes. Hold in place with a little bit of glue and then cover with a thin coat of shellac if necessary. If you're especially creative you can add some gold gilting that outlines the veins in the leaves. Or paint another favorite design onto the leaf ornaments.
Sprigs of holly full of red berries can be placed throughout your tree. They add color and a different texture to your fir or spruce tree.
And don't forget pine cones! Do your best to gather different shapes and sizes for interesting variety. You can paint the tips white to look like snow, or use a metallic gold or silver paint. Sometimes using gold and silver on the same cones can really warm up the silver (it tends to look "cold").
There are a several ways to hang the cones. One way is to use a dollop of glue applied to the bottom of the pine cone and add string for hanging the cone from the tree. Another option is using a very thin wire. Bend it around the cone and then use the remaining length to create a hook for hanging from the branch. For eco-friendly decorating, use strips of organic cotton fabric in holiday colors to hang the pine cone ornaments on the Christmas tree.
Real mistletoe also adds some magic to your Christmas tree. Simply take a sprig, wrap one end in ribbon and hang them throughout the tree. Depending on your color scheme you can use red ribbon or try purple and gold with a splash of green.
Eucalyptus is another natural decoration that compliments the dark green pine colors nicely. Try tying it up like mistletoe. Or maybe you prefer to use it as a garland for your tree.
And speaking of garland... there are many berries from the yard that will add bright color to your holiday tree. And as you make your string of berries, include popcorn on the same string of garland. It makes for a very colorful decoration that you and your children will enjoy making. Just string it all together with needle and thread. And if you don't have any berries in your yard you can always get cranberries from the grocery store.
Two final tips for your garland: Use a small brush to carefully add a little shellac to your berries and popcorn. It will keep away the bugs and your garland will last longer too. And second, here's a rule of thumb for all types of garland: For every 1-foot of vertical tree height you'll need about 10 linear feet of garland.
Garlands from centuries long gone by were made from flowers, leaves, feathers, and even precious metal and jewels. Maybe you can create something all your own from those ideas and your local craft store.
Some of the first decorations on trees included fruit and nuts. You can hang the fruit by stabbing a pipe cleaner through the apples, oranges, lemons, or pears. And if you want to get a little bit fancy you can coat the fruit in sugar. Dip it in egg whites; let the excess drip off, roll it in a bowl of granular sugar and carefully set aside to dry. Give your fruit plenty of time to dry, at least overnight.
Nuts might be sugared almonds in tiny paper baskets hung on the tree. Or use whole walnuts in the shell hung with fishing line. Again you can paint the walnut shells in metallic colors if you wish.
I know a couple who use poinsettia plants in different colors throughout their home as their only decoration. Wrap the bases in colorful foils with ribbons and it's truly a beautiful sight. You could even create poinsettia trees by stacking several of them on stands arranged in the shape of a tree!
And to help the wild birds during the winter you can decorate your outdoor trees. Make garlands from unsalted popcorn or cranberries. Also hang orange halves and seed-covered suet cakes. You'll help feed the birds and get the added enjoyment of watching them.
Nature, a few touches from the craft store, and your imagination all combine for a nostalgic Christmas that promises many great memories. Make ornaments, garland, or other centerpieces using the ideas in this article. It will be a wholesome family Christmas that you'll treasure for years to come.
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