As winter nears, the leaves die and fall to the ground exposing the evergreens of the woods. Cypress, holly, pine, spruce, fir, cedar, mistletoe, magnolia leaves, even rosemary (the herb) are all lusciously green while the rest are sleeping off the cold. Grab some clippers and take advantage of what nature has to offer for DIY Christmas decorations for free!
DISCLAIMERS:
- Of course you’re going to want to make sure that you’ve got permission to snip if the property isn’t owned by you.
- A note about mistletoe: it is said to be poisonous if ingested so use caution around small children and pets. Same caution for the holly berries, just in case.
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DIY Christmas Decorations PRO TIPS:
- go to your local Christmas tree vendor or home improvement store like Lowe’s and Home Depot to ask if you can have some tree branches. Many tree vendors snip off the lower branches for the customer before netting for transport. These branches generally get thrown away and the stores/ vendors will give them to you for free if you ask.
- Use jars or thrifted vases to create your natural and free DIY Christmas decorations. They need not be perfect. Just make the cuts of your greens as you see fit and start inserting them into your container.
- Consider using gloves. Often times evergreens can hurt when handling them due to stickers and pointy leaves.
- Use jute cord or twine for a natural look or colored baker’s string for a pop of festive color around the jar or vase’s neck.
- Glue guns are always helpful in most DIY craft projects.
See the SHOP THIS POST section at the bottom of this post for shopping links!
Natural and Free Christmas Decorating IDEAS:
- I was able to make free and natural wall scones decor for my dining room. I also did this last year in December and didn’t take it down until September. It was dead-dead and brown. But it seemed to look alright so I left it alone and enjoyed its rustic look for almost a year. 2024 update: December 2023 through November 2024, dead and brown and I have not a care in the world!
- A timeless glass vase filled with evergreens and holly berry tied with a burlap bow would make a stunning dining room table centerpiece. Play around with the heights of the snippings and even branches for a rustic Christmas look.
- There’s a beautiful contract in color from greens and holly berry read when a white vase is used that looks fresh and pristine just like winter snow.
- Use Christmas tree branch cut offs to create a swag for your front door or a mantle piece. Insert twigs of holly berry for a pop of color. You may need a glue gun’s help.
- Use branches to make a wreath. Use holly to add a pop of color and dehydrated oranges for a farmhouse Christmas feel.
- Rosemary cuttings in differing heights in vases tied with colorful string add a nice fragrance to the space and a charming winter cottage feel to your decor scheme.
Why DIY Christmas Decorations?
Why not?
They are free and you’re able to express some creativity with your decorating.
Many evergreens offer a pleasant aroma, too!
Natural home decor is also great for the environment. Less plastic you’ll like for a year or two then purge and donate to a thrift shop only to buy more but in a different color. Ask me how I know.
If you have children, let them help you or let them make their own DIY Christmas decorations. The core memories are also FREE and will create themselves with this family activity.
What to do with natural decorations when the season is over?
Compost them! Add them right to your compost bin or pile. These natural decorations will add nice carbon to your compost.
Don’t have a compost heap? Take them to the woods you got them from and deposit them back. The limbs and leaves will decompose and add nutrients back to the soil just as God intended.
Or allow them to turn brown and stay in the wall scones all year long for that natural and rustic farmhouse vibe. If you’re lazy like me and like for home decor to be multi-seasonal, this is the tip for us!
SHOP THIS POST
Twine– perfect for this project and Christmas wrapping
Colorful baker’s string– red and white, green and white, or even brown and white are perfect for the holiday season. Also great for gift wrapping as well.
If you liked DIY Christmas Decorations post, you may also like:
Dehydrated orange slices for Christmas decorating
DIY cinnamon ornament memory makers
This DIY Craft pairs well with these recipes:
Sausage, Kale, and Potato Soup
Chocolate Chip Cookies (a recipe without vanilla extract is unheard of, right??)
A delicious and affordable Christmas Coffee made at home
Follow along for more!
What other ways would you decorate your home with natural and free decorations? I’d love to hear in the comments.
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