I love using natural Christmas decor as much as possible. It’s environmentally friendly and compostable! Here are some favourite ideas for decorating with foraged greenery for Christmas.
As I mentioned a little while ago, I’ve been in full-on decluttering mode for the past few months and that is really starting to take over the way I think about Christmas decor as well. Our basement is so full of seasonal decor and most of it is from Christmas. The sad thing is that I don’t even really feel myself wanting to use more than half of it. Christmas decor gets outdated pretty quickly, just like a lot of other home decor pieces, but when you only get to use it for a few weeks out of the year, you really want to be able to use what you have again and again. I’m really trying to focus on classic decor pieces that I can use year after year, so that what I’m storing in the basement is what I’ll actually use. To round things out, I’m mixing in lots of natural decor and foraged greenery for Christmas that will complete the look. When the season is done, it can be composted or put out on the banks of the creek for the animals to make their nests in. I get a beautiful home and an uncluttered basement. And of course, when you forage your decor, it’s free! That way when you do spend money on your holiday decor, you can buy better quality pieces. Here are some of my favourite ideas for decorating with foraged greenery for Christmas!
Where to Look for Foraged Greenery
When you look around, there are so many places to find Christmas-appropriate greenery. Of course, your backyard or property might hold a few good options, but you may even want to consider your yard as a place to find greenery, even if it isn’t very big. Even our smaller gardens around our house have some great options like boxwood, dried hydrangeas, and a few other evergreens. Sometimes we think that we need to have access to a whole forest to find our own greenery, but a little goes a long way and you might have a few options right under your nose. You can also find fun things on roadsides and creek banks. Your friends and neighbours might even appreciate you offering to give their overgrown hedges a trim. It’s fun when you start to realize all the possibilities that are all around us.
The key is to take a test piece of whatever you choose to use and see how it performs after a few days inside. Some things will turn into a crumbly mess almost instantly, but others hold up really well.
I like to look for cedar, long-needled pine, red dogwood twigs, pinecones, dried hydrangeas, and dried grasses. I seem to discover something new every year.
Here are a few ideas for places to use the treasures that you collect.
In a Vase
In a Bowl
Tucked into Faux Garlands and Trees
Tucked into Stockings
On Shelves and Console Tables
Front Door Swag
Porch Planters
MORE IDEAS LIKE THIS
- How to Make Your Own Cedar Garlands
- The Christmas Eve Box Tradition for Spending Christmas at Home
- Blue and White Christmas Decor in Our Living Room
- How to Make Those Amazing Paper Snowflakes
- How to Make a Bow Christmas Tree Topper
- The Creek Line House Christmas Idea Archives
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.