5 Simple and Natural Ways to Decorate your home this Winter
We are so excited about all the Winter activities to come. We have been making lots of wreaths (check out my easy wreath-making course here), lighting the candles over breakfast, donating toys and books (aka major decluttering), watching the starling murmurations and moon and star spotting with with kids. Our advent calendar this year is little stamped envelopes each containing Something Christmassy to make, do or give, and this has also brought a lot of (very) early morning joy to our house (see our activity advent calendar here) . Baking Christmas biscuits in our pyjamas at 6.30am was rather…. unforgettable. We’ve made paper snowflakes and paper chains, fed the birds, visited our Christmas market and lots of other delightful things I now can’t remember in my groggy-should-be-in-bed-but-want-to-blog state. It is delightful to see the kids understanding of the season unfold. I dreamt about creating winter and Christmas traditions with my kids before having them, and I am profoundly aware of that dream, and this privilege. In fact I'm grasping it with white knuckles, lest the other stresses and strains of the season that threaten at the outskirts take the magic away.
5 simple and natural ways of styling your home this winter.
My favourite way to decorate for Christmas is with nature. It’s often free, simple and easily compostable. Evergreen foliage is a versatile and classic choice for Christmas decor, bringing a touch of nature and a wonderful aroma to your home. Here are some of my favourite ideas.
Evergreen garland
Gather small individual sprigs of evergreen foliage and string them up in a simple garland. A lovely one to do with children. Or create fuller bigger garlands using more greenery. Drape evergreen garlands along stair railings, mantels, or door frames. Add lights or small ornaments for extra sparkle.
Swags
Bundle together evergreen foliage and tie with a pretty ribbon. Hang these on door and cupboard handles and the backs of dining chairs.
Centerpiece and mantlepiece
If you don’t know how to make a garland, ten bunching evergreen foliage together and laying it down can also look lovely. Make sure the branch. Place it on mantlepieces and table centres and intersperse with candles for a simple elegant festive table.
Wreaths
I adore a wreath all year but especially at Christmas. For a simple naked woven wreath, simply wrap vines around in a thin circle to make a naked base. It’s really lovely and meditative to do! If you prefer a fuller wreath, then add some evergreen foliage to the base (for more instructions see my class here)
Mini bundles for place setting and gift wrapping
Pace small springs of evergreen on your place settings, Tie with ribbon and add a luggage label with peoples names on it for a really simple but lovely place setting. Just like with place settings, I love adding foliage to my wrapping. An individual sprig of foliage is lovely, or a small bundle tied with ribbon.
Foliage and berried branches in small bottles
Another very simple yet effective decor trick is to place evergreen foliage in small stoneware or glass bottles. place these on the table or entryway surface- anywhere you want to add a bit of subtle festive charm.
Happy December.
