One way to add to your family’s cherished memories is to decorate the home together, getting ready for the holiday season. From unpacking cherished ornaments, decorations like a butterfly metal wall hanging and all kinds of large wall art sculptures to choosing the perfect tree at a local tree farm, the holidays seem more meaningful when shared with family members. Whether you like a glamorous look full of sparkle or sophisticated palette of ice blue, silver and white; or whether you are a more traditional soul that loves green and red, Scotch plaid and all the trimmings, adding natural decor to your holiday interiors will add texture, fragrance and dimension.
Boughs of Holly
A stroll through the woods or your yard may furnish you with boughs of pine and holly to accent your interior and your home. Natural greens look striking with any holiday decor theme from the very traditional to very contemporary; as an added bonus, you will also enjoy the fragrance of pine throughout every room. Tuck greens on tops of armories, shelves, soffits, and of course, the mantel above your fireplace. Red holly berries or cut red branches, such as those cut from redwing dogwood, add a festive touch. Greens can be dressed up with ornaments and lights or left natural and interspersed with pine cones and cinnamon sticks tied with red ribbon.
Winter Bulbs and Flowers
Choose red or white poinsettias to lend natural beauty to your holidays and your decor; consider positioning them upon a backdrop of green or winter white. Even bare branches arranged in a vase can suggest the simple beauty of winter. Secure them in a vase by pushing them into florist foam and then running a hot glue bead around the edge of each to secure it. Drape several delicate crystals or ornaments from the branches for a lavish look, or hang small glass vases on a few branches and add a fresh bloom to every vase. Try paper whites, amaryllis, or snowdrops. Forced pots of these winter bulbs bestows an inviting holiday touch to each room in the home.
Accent with Candles
Fragrant candles in cozy scents like gingerbread, peppermint, or cranberry make your home smell like you’ve been baking all day, even if you just picked up a tray of cookies at the corner bakery. When using candles around fresh flowers or greenery, remember that they are highly flammable. Always use battery-operated candles; they are invariably safer and you can tuck them right into your wall art arrangements.
Holiday Fun for Little Ones
Small kids love to help with decorating and a traditional paper chain is invariably fun and easy to make. Any decorative paper or heavy weight paper can be used to create a chain for the tree, a railing or a banister. Kids also like stringing popcorn for the Christmas tree. Once the holidays are over, take the string of popcorn outside and hang it from a tree branch for community birds to enjoy. If you utilize a real tree, transport the whole tree to the garden, including the popcorn chain. Twist floral wire about a dozen or more pine cones and let the kids help you smear peanut butter on them. Then roll the pine cones in bird seed and hang them on the tree to provide the birds with a holiday feast to remember. If you place your discarded tree in the garden near your bird feeders, it will provide cover and safety for the birds all winter long.
If you have time, here is another interesting article about arranging your library.
