I don't know about you, but I'm not really a fan of inflatables. Inflatable snowmen, inflatable Santas, reindeer and/or Christmas trees. I am also not really a fan of flashing neon Christmas lights. Tacky Christmases are just not for me.
Everyone has their own style; I get it. My style is a more subdued, classic, old-fashioned all-natural Christmas. The very first church I ever attended as a little girl was a little Methodist church down the road. Every year at Christmas the building was decorated in fresh greenery. The smell was so... Christmas-y. Not old and stale like some decorations used by other churches. Those plastic garlands- the kind that keep losing "feathers" until they look like a cat's wet tail. Now, there is a place for vintage decorations, but I really like the classiness of fresh greenery.
And why not make your own wreaths, centerpieces and garlands? Most of the materials are free, and how much fun to go tromping through the woods looking for supplies! You don't have to be a florist to make your own fresh, creative and professional-looking wreath. I made one this year with a reusable metal wreath form ($1.77 at Walmart) and some wire ($0.25 at Walmart). Walmart was selling ugly, plain little fresh wreaths for $7 each. My wreath was a fraction of the cost, but so much prettier.
When we were in Guatemala, I watched a few Youtube videos on wreath-making. This was my favorite one, and I used the same method to make my wreath at home. It took about 30 minutes to assemble.
Before I made the wreath, I went out to the woods and found some pine trees and also picked up some pinecones, sumac berries, and hickory nuts for decoration. Then I came back up to the house and found another different evergreen tree and took some cuttings from that. When I got back, I had three different kinds of greens and some decorations for my wreath. When I got done the wreath, I made a bow out of some ribbon and added that as well. Then Hubs helped me hang it on our door outside.
Why stop at only a wreath? After I was done, I took some more greenery and made a candle centerpiece for our kitchen table. Now something like this takes a bit more skill than a wreath, but not much. Besides, flower arranging takes practice, and what better time to practice than when your "flowers" are free?
Everyone has their own style; I get it. My style is a more subdued, classic, old-fashioned all-natural Christmas. The very first church I ever attended as a little girl was a little Methodist church down the road. Every year at Christmas the building was decorated in fresh greenery. The smell was so... Christmas-y. Not old and stale like some decorations used by other churches. Those plastic garlands- the kind that keep losing "feathers" until they look like a cat's wet tail. Now, there is a place for vintage decorations, but I really like the classiness of fresh greenery.
And why not make your own wreaths, centerpieces and garlands? Most of the materials are free, and how much fun to go tromping through the woods looking for supplies! You don't have to be a florist to make your own fresh, creative and professional-looking wreath. I made one this year with a reusable metal wreath form ($1.77 at Walmart) and some wire ($0.25 at Walmart). Walmart was selling ugly, plain little fresh wreaths for $7 each. My wreath was a fraction of the cost, but so much prettier.
When we were in Guatemala, I watched a few Youtube videos on wreath-making. This was my favorite one, and I used the same method to make my wreath at home. It took about 30 minutes to assemble.
Before I made the wreath, I went out to the woods and found some pine trees and also picked up some pinecones, sumac berries, and hickory nuts for decoration. Then I came back up to the house and found another different evergreen tree and took some cuttings from that. When I got back, I had three different kinds of greens and some decorations for my wreath. When I got done the wreath, I made a bow out of some ribbon and added that as well. Then Hubs helped me hang it on our door outside.
Why stop at only a wreath? After I was done, I took some more greenery and made a candle centerpiece for our kitchen table. Now something like this takes a bit more skill than a wreath, but not much. Besides, flower arranging takes practice, and what better time to practice than when your "flowers" are free?
If you don't have a woods in your back yard like I do, surely a neighbor, friend or relative has a pine tree or two that you could borrow from (please ask for permission... that's just good manners). If not, look around your yard or even your craft stash. I have seen some very nice non-evergreen wreaths made out of things like sheet music or fabric. But I really like the old-fashionedness of fresh greenery.
What are your favorite DIY Christmas decorations?
What are your favorite DIY Christmas decorations?
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