Dec. 1 Column: Holiday Decor from the Garden

For my December column, I chose to write about creating holiday decor by using natural materials in the garden. Here’s a link to it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Branching out for the holidays.

Or you can read my column below. (and don’t miss this week’s video underneath it!)

I’ve been making our wreaths for years and love every minute of it. In past years, I’ve expanded that to making table centerpieces, swags and festive containers — all very economically, I might add.

In my column and video, I explain the supplies you’ll need and go through the steps for making each item. I’d love to see more folks doing this because homemade is always best, right? And you would not believe how long the wreaths and other items last. When February or March roll around, I have to force myself to dismantle the holiday wreath and other holiday decor. Then I can put out something that looks a bit more springy.

Column:

‘Tis the season to deck your halls. Sure, you could go out and buy something already made, right? But it’s much more fun and economical to create unique holiday décor using natural materials from the garden. It’s easy to make a wreath for your front door, a centerpiece for the table or a holiday swag to display and enjoy.

Strolling through your yard while looking for potential materials is half the fun. Greenery from conifers such as pines, firs, spruce, yews and junipers makes an excellent base for wreaths and swags. Cuttings from shrubs that that don’t lose their leaves make wonderful contributions as well. Examples include sprigs of rhododendron, boxwood, laurel or holly.

Don’t worry if your garden is lacking in suitable materials. There is nothing wrong with asking a friend or neighbor if you could judiciously take a few cuttings from a tree or shrub. Why not invite them to join you so you can create holiday decorations for your homes together? That’s a wonderful way to visit while celebrating this special season.

For those who don’t have access to evergreens, visit a Christmas tree lot. The employees often trim tree branches for customers, right? They would probably be happy to let you have all the branches you can use.

In addition to natural materials, you will need a few craft supplies to make your creations. There is a list of suggestions below. Wreaths and swags can be as simple as you like. Or you can add a little pizazz with holiday ornaments, glittery snowflakes, jingle bells, sparkly pinecones or bird ornaments. The possibilities are endless so choose a theme that appeals to you.

Before getting started, cover your workspace with a plastic tablecloth to keep the debris confined to a small space. Let’s go through the steps for creating festive décor:

Wreaths

Start by attaching a loop of floral wire to the wreath for eventually hanging it. To make the top of the wreath easy to find during assembly, temporarily tie a length of ribbon to the wire loop.

Grapevine wreath forms are the easiest to work with because you can push small branches into the nooks and crannies. With wire forms, you’ll need to wire everything onto it. The second easiest form to use is made from extruded foam that you push your materials into.

There are also wire wreath forms, where you make a small bundle of evergreens or other materials. Then you wire it together, set it aside and repeat until you have made several. Then wire the individual bundles to the wreath form, slowly working around the perimeter. The goal is to create a dense layer of greenery. While it’s effective, it is a bit tedious.

Once you have a base of natural plant materials on your wreath form, it’s time to include accents. This might be the above-mentioned evergreen sprigs, seed pods, berries or decorative items. The finishing touch is usually a festive ribbon.

Hang your wreath, adjust it as necessary, and admire your beautiful holiday decor. Natural wreaths will last until spring.

Swags

Swags are so simple to make, you’ll wonder why you haven’t made any before. Gather evergreen materials in the length and density you want. If desired, add interesting branches and securely wrap them together a few inches from the top, using floral wire. Make a bow and hang the swag where you can enjoy it.

Centerpieces

Want a little holiday decor for your table? Make a centerpiece. Soak a block of oasis floral foam in water until it becomes saturated. Then place it into a watertight container. Insert a candle holder or two into the top of the foam and start pushing fresh evergreens or other cuttings into it. Continue adding materials until the foam is no longer visible. Add accents as desired as well as the candles. Moisten the foam as necessary over the holidays to keep the arrangement looking nice.

Supplies

• Wreaths: wreath base such as a grapevine wreath, or a wreath form made from wire or dense foam; green floral wire; ribbon; branches of conifers (fir, pine, spruce, yew, juniper); sprigs of rhododendrons, holly or beautyberry; colorful or interesting branches (red- or yellow-twig dogwood, corkscrew willow or birch); pinecones, seedpods; decorative items such as ornaments or berries.
• Swags: natural materials listed under wreaths, floral wire, ribbon.
• Centerpieces: a basket or other container; oasis floral foam for keeping live plant materials fresh and a watertight container; candles and candle holders, ribbon; potted live plants such as poinsettias or houseplants, if desired.

This week’s video:

Here’s my newest video. I hope you enjoy it and would love to hear about (and see) the types of holiday decor you created! Just drop me a note at Susan@SusansintheGarden.