5 Easy Natural Christmas Decor Ideas

Though the 2020 holiday season is a strange one, holiday traditions can help us get our bearings. I found myself counting the days until the start of Advent this year, a season of waiting in hope. Since March, the whole year has felt like one of waiting and hoping. Finally, the calendar has caught up and I feel like I have permission to embrace these feelings more officially.

 

As we wait for Christmas during a time of quarantining, it has felt especially important for me to get out of the house for walks in the morning and evening. I walk the same route and see the same sights, but during December, the houses in my neighborhood are beautifully transformed with festive holiday decor.

 

Give yourself–and your neighbors–the gift of beautiful scenery this holiday season. Here are five natural Christmas decor ideas to make using greenery and produce we have available at Wolff’s this year.

 

No time to make your own natural Christmas decor? We also have plenty of gorgeous decor that’s ready to go!

 

 

My sister made these a few years ago. Here’s how:

 

Gather your materials:

To assemble: 

1) Cover the flower box with bark salvaged from your yard. Use twine to secure it for a rustic look.

2)  Arrange the greenery so that it’s overflowing from the flower box. 

3) Add a circle of pine cones.

4) In the middle, add the winterberry (or other colorful winter foliage).

5) Arrange lights as desired.

 

 

Gather:

• 3 birch branches per box about 2″ in diameter and 12-18 inches long, depending on the depth of your flower boxes. If you can’t find birch branches, you can paint other branches white. From a distance no one will know the difference!
• 3 pine cones per box 
• Some ribbon 
• A scrap of wood to attach the birch candlesticks to

Glue the pinecones to the top of the branches to make them look like candles. Secure them to a board, and place in the bottom of the flower box.

2. Ice Wreaths with Winterberry

Make this during a week when the temperatures are consistently below freezing! Use a mix of materials from our garden center and produce department to craft your own design!

You’ll need:

• Water
• Bundt pan
• Ribbon
• (And a roomy freezer)

Then choose any of the following mix-ins. You can add any others you like, keeping it natural to protect any birds or squirrels that might nibble or find the ingredients on the ground when the wreath melts.

• Small sprigs of winterberry, or individual winterberries
• Apple slices
• Orange slices
• Whole cloves
• Whole fresh cranberries
• Small pinecones
• Small evergreen sprigs (or even the pine needles from under your Christmas tree)

Assemble the wreath:

1) Freeze a one-inch layer of water in a bundt pan

2) Add another inch of water, toss in the mix-ins and arrange as desired. Freeze.

3) Freeze another one-inch layer of water. Repeat if desired to add more layers to the wreath.

4) Tie a ribbon around the wreath and hang it on your front door!

(See photo here.)

3. Magnolia Leaf Wreaths

Wolff’s carries lush magnolia bunches, which can be used to make a fresh, unique wreath. The backs of magnolia leaves are light brown, while the front is a glossy dark green. This gives you the opportunity to alternate brown and green leaves and vary the colors as you create this natural Christmas decor. Spray painting the leaves with metallic colors also looks stunning.

Here’s how to make it:

Gather:

• Magnolia leaves (about 100 leaves for a 24-inch wreath)
• 2 rings cut out of cardboard
• Hot glue gun

1) Cut out two identically sized cardboard rings. Glue them with one stacked on top of the other to create one thick ring.

2) Arrange about three leaves in a fan pattern. Glue them down. Repeat, using the backs of the leaves this time if desired. Keep repeating until you have a full swirl of leaves around the wreath.

(See photos on A Piece of Rainbow blog.)

4. Pinecone Wreaths

Building a pinecone wreath is a gorgeous natural Christmas decor idea! You’ll need:

• About 50 medium and large pinecones (or use Wolff’s cinnamon pinecones to fill your home with the scent of cinnamon!)
• A 12-inch wire wreath frame
• Greenery, winterberry, ribbon – anything you’d like to use to decorate the wreath.
• Hot glue gun

To make the wreath:

1) Glue medium pinecones to the two inner rings of the wire wreath frame.

2) Glue large pinecones to the two outer rings of the wire wreath frame.

3) Fill in the middle with more pinecones, or, if desired, reduce the number of pinecones and fill the middle with greenery, winterberry, ribbons, or any mix of these.

(See photo on Remodelaholic.)

5. Dried Fruit Christmas Ornaments

Dried apples and oranges make beautiful ornaments for your tree!

You’ll need:

• 3 red apples
• 3 navel oranges or blood oranges
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• Ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves (optional)
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Bowl
• Baking sheets
• Twine
• Fabric or buttons to accent ornaments

1) Slice the apples about 1/4 inch thick. Slice a cross section so that the “star” appears in the center. Pour lemon juice into a bowl and toss the apples to coat. (This preserves their color.)

2) Slice oranges into 1/4 inch cross sections, keeping the rind intact.

3) Place fruit on a paper towel and cover with another paper towel. Dab it until much of the moisture has been absorbed.

4) Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves to give them a nice fragrance if desired.

5) Use a toothpick to make a small hole at the top of the fruit. (Later, you will thread the twine through here).

6) Transfer fruit to a baking sheet.

7) Bake for 4-6 hours until fruit is dry, flipping over every hour. Remove pieces once they dry.

8) Cut twine into 6 inch strips.

9) Thread the twine through the holes made earlier and tie a loop with the twine.

Enjoy decorating with natural Christmas decor! And don’t forget to savor some hot cider while you create your decor… or pour some in a big travel mug while you walk around and see your neighbors’ holiday displays!