Christmas decorationsare the most popular decorations for a flat or a holiday table that you can make yourself. Here are some good ideas fornature-inspired Christmas decorations- how to make Christmas decorations, Advent wreaths yourself, what to use and where to get materials for Christmas decorations. See how to decorate this year's holidays in an exceptional and effective way!
The most popular Christmas decoration is undoubtedly the headdress
Christmas has been celebrated in our country for a long time.The first mentions related to the liturgy were recorded as early as the 4th century AD, but it was only two centuries later that various customs began to appear, which were nurtured and developed over the next centuries. Christmas is a very special time. Although it is a Christian holiday, many customs and symbols that are associated with it are derived from pagan rituals and beliefs.
Also some traditionalChristmas ornamentshave just such a lineage.And so, for example, mistletoe was used by the Celts for occult purposes and as a sacred plant presented to gods in gift. Holly also served them as a magical plant, tame the imps. The Christmas tree, the main Christmas theme, gained popularity in Poland quite recently, only at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, but houses for Christmas were decorated much earlier.
Christmas decorations - do it yourself
Initially, Christmas decorations were made of natural materials, based on the symbolism assigned to them.
Today, most of theChristmas decorationswe use to decorate our homes are made of glass or plastic. Of course, durability, variety of designs and universal access are their advantages. However, ready-made ones, bought in a store, lose much of the festive atmosphere, and they do not give us the feeling of satisfaction that is made by hand. Therefore, it would be worth taking some time and trying to do it yourself.
The recommended material for reeds are Caucasian fir branches
The multitude of plant material gives us the certainty that ourhandmade Christmas decorationswill be unique. The only thing that limits us is our imagination. But when we start looking around the garden or forest for work material, it turns out that the ideas just come. Even the simplestChristmas decorationsdon't have to be boring.Large pine cones, placed on moss in gold or silver pots and additionally decorated with a smooth, colorful ribbon, are in themselves an extremely decorative element of interior design. Also, a tall candle, which we will take at the base with red irgi beads, a green spruce branch and complement it with a small pine cone (it can be colored in any color), will be a minimalist, but very elegant element of the Christmas table.
The use of a floral sponge in the base of the reed, which can be moistened, will certainly extend the life of fresh twigs
Christmas centerpieces - how to make
It takes very little time to make such decorations, but when we can devote a little more to it, let's try to make a more complex composition. First of all, we must take care of the basis for work. It will consist of various dishes, baskets, pieces of wood or hard bark (e.g.Birch). If we want to make a wreath for the door, we can do it on ready-made straw bases or flexible twigs. You can also try to make a reed supported only on a suitably stiff branch from any tree or coniferous branch. The green basis of the composition is, of course, twigs from various coniferous trees and shrubs. If we use plastic ones, they will definitely be very durable, but they will not give a beautiful, forest smell of live needles.
The base of the reed is ready. It's time to put some more decorations
When choosing fresh twigs for a headdress or otherChristmas decorations , let's choose those made of spruce, fir or pine. Each of these trees has slightly different decorative values. For example, Caucasian fir needles are short, stiff, dark green and shiny on the top, and with two silver stripes on the underside. Quite densely arranged on the twig and directed upwards. They keep well in our apartments and form a stiff basis of the composition.Silver fir is more delicate, the pattern of the needles is similar, but they are not so rigidly attached to the branch, they spread to the sides rather than upwards (the twig looks flatter). The needles are blunt so they don't sting.
Cones are a good addition to a reed
Spruces are another popular Christmas tree. Particularly noteworthy is the beautiful blue spruce. It is a bit troublesome because of its prickly needles, but it is very beautiful. Its stiff, short needles are densely attached to the stem, they have a wonderful silver-gray color. In themselves, they are very decorative and do not require many accessories. The Serbian spruce is slightly less impressive, the silver-gray color of the needles only decorates them from the bottom, but they will not prick us at work. Norway spruce is the least recommended spruce variety for cut twigs, as it quickly dries up and falls off.
On the other hand, Weymouth pine deserves attention. It has a completely different type of needles than the previous trees. They are long, up to 10 cm, flexible, gray-green, set in tufts on a slender twig. So it will hang nicely in the composition and form quite well.
Wreaths hung on the front door are becoming more and more popular as Christmas decorations
Using a floral sponge in the base, which can be moistened, will certainly extend the life of fresh twigs. However, in order to fasten everything together, we will need: a flexible, strong wire, a glue gun, as well as secateurs and sharp scissors. After proper arrangement, twist the conifer branches in the middle with a wire or stick them directly into a sponge (it can also be polystyrene or wicker twigs tightly twisted). If we prepare such a centerpiece for a cemetery or a garden, we can place the twigs in a container with plaster or cement for stability.
When the base is ready, place one or more candles in the center (an odd number looks good), preferably tall ones, to balance the spreading bottom of the composition. Fix the candles to the base with a wire or nail without a head.Candles must be well stabilized so that they do not tip over when burning.
It has also become fashionable to make Christmas trees made of feathers, wicker twigs and dried autumn leaves
Now we put anotherChristmas decorationsto the centerpiece. We can, of course, use baubles, but we can also make good use of such materials as: rosehips, nuts, twigs with fruit (cotoneaster, fire, wild rose), cones, heavenly apples, twisted willow twigs, phyllos seed heads, holly branches, ornamental grasses, dried slices of fruit (apples, lemons), and even dried flowers and leaves (roses, pimples, hellesses). If we stick various seeds of beans, peas, corn, coffee or colored pepper on the stars cut out of the cardboard, they will be an equally original addition. We attach small elements to the twigs with a glue gun, the larger ones can be wrapped at the base with a wire or inserted between other stiff twigs.Additionally, the headdress can be supplemented with a ribbon of appropriate color.
Other ideas for Christmas decorations
Door wreaths are as popularChristmas decorationsas centerpieces. The easiest way to make them is on a ready-made straw or densely rolled wicker twigs. Attach coniferous twigs to such a base (using a string or wire), and then the remaining decorations: ribbons, cones, twigs with fruit (firefly, cotoneaster, wild rose), apple trees, heavenly apples and nuts (using glue).
What are the otherideas for Christmas decorations ? As I mentioned, we are only limited by our imagination, so why not try to make a small feather Christmas tree (sold in packs), wicker twigs (willow or birch) or dried autumn leaves? As a base, we use a cone made of twisted wire (for twigs) or made of cardboard or polystyrene (for light feathers or leaves). Such a tree does not require any additional decorations, because it is very original in itself.Alternatively, we can add a little color to wicker twigs with a colorful glitter, a delicate chain or colorful inflorescences of cotoneaster or firefly.
We can put a wicker reindeer in the garden
Flexible twigs can also be made into the form of a reindeer or a regular ball. By wrapping them with lights or adding delicate, floral ornaments, a bit of glitter or a ribbon, we will obtain very interesting elements of home and terrace decor. Most of the above-mentioned additives also work well as decorations for plants in the garden, but pay attention to choose those that will not fall apart due to moisture. So nuts and cones will be good. On the other hand, the delicate apple moth, dried leaves and flowers are unlikely to withstand the test of rain.
Katarzyna Józefowicz
