Go Green: Natural Holiday Decorating Ideas

Decorating for the holidays seems to involve more money and more artificial pieces every year. You have hundreds of lights attached to the outside of your home, plastic or wood cutouts, and if you are like most homes, you even have an artificial tree. This year, opt for natural holiday decorating ideas that use more natural elements than manmade ones.

For an apple tree, you need a cone-shaped piece of floral foam, a square piece of floral foam, florist picks, and greenery. Cut a piece of foam to the same size and shape as a flower pot and place the foam inside. Glue the cone-shaped piece to the top. Insert the end of a florist pick into an apple and place the opposite end in the foam. Attach the rest of the apples to the foam in the same way. Fill any gaps between the apples with fresh greenery. For an extra festive touch, wrap a bright colored ribbon around the base of the natural looking tree. Try using pinecones in place of the apples for a twist on the idea.

Fresh cranberries are not only a natural element, but also have a bright red color that adds a festive touch to your holiday display. Making the Christmas decoration is easy because you only need a few items. Pick a large plastic or ceramic bowl with holiday decorations around the outside. Fill the bowl with fresh cranberries and top with a few carefully selected ornaments, gingerbread cookies, or a small evergreen branch. As cranberries are often a little expensive, save money by purchasing only a few bags. Place a piece of floral foam in the bottom of the bowl and sprinkle the cranberries over the top. Arrange the cranberries over the foam, making it look like the bowl is filled.

A vintage teacup and one small orange are the main components of a holiday citrus topiary. Start by cutting a piece of foam to the same shape and size as the teacup. The foam should fit inside, butting up against the edges without any gaps. Poke fresh cloves into the orange, arranging the cloves in a design or random pattern. Set a cinnamon stick into the foam and cover the top of the foam with greenery. Poke several toothpicks into the bottom of the orange and set on top of the cinnamon stick. The toothpicks fit inside the cinnamon stick, holding the pieces together.