The loveliest Christmas decorations are often the ones we make ourselves. The holidays are almost here, time to pause and gather a few ideas to make yourself. No need to trail round the shops, work with what you have to hand: orange peel, cinnamon sticks, fir branches, glass bottles and candles. A responsible Christmas, plastic-free, made by hand and far more charming!
Over to you, here are our 10 ideas for Christmas decorations you can easily make yourself:
1. Small bunches & treats around the napkins
Tie cinnamon sticks, bunches of rosemary or other herbs around your rolled napkins. And to discover our napkin folding ideas for your Christmas table, take a look at our tutorials here.
2. Winter candle holders from recycled glass bottles
Reuse glass bottles by turning them into candle holders. You will need: tall white candles, a few glass bottles, raffia or string, a few sprigs of fir or other greenery. Stand them on something to keep the wax off the table.
3. Gift wrapping reused and made with whatever is to hand!
Decorate your gifts right down to the wrapping, to create a harmonious whole under the tree. No need to buy Christmas wrapping paper: use newspaper, kraft paper, any paper you already have at home. And add small bunches of dried flowers and plants with hand-made labels.
4. A perfectly simple wreath, to keep in the house all winter
To be made with whatever branches you have to hand, around a frame you can shape from wire.
5. Enchanting, indulgent desserts for the children's table
Those famous little cinnamon Christmas biscuits, tied with lovely ribbon around glass jars in which you can make delicious milkshakes. Plastic straws, though, are out!
6. Lit table decorations in the style of a Christmas terrarium
In glass jars, place small candles surrounded by fir branches. Decorate the outside with pine cones and set them along the table.
7. A natural hanging in place of a tree
An alternative to the tree, or something extra to hang on the wall! Hang a good full branch and suspend pine cones or other small lit decorations from it.
8. A garland of dried oranges & cinnamon
It is easy to make, waste-free and delightful: the little garland of dried orange slices. Cut plenty of orange slices and leave them to dry flat near a radiator or the fireplace. Once they are thoroughly dry and stiff, hang them from threads like a mobile. Add cinnamon sticks and other small decorations. The effect is guaranteed : )
9. A wreath of dried fruit & berries
A colourful wreath dressed with winter fruit and berries! Starting from a base like the one in an earlier photograph, add 'bunches' of orange slices fastened together with wire. Along with small branches carrying pretty berries, which you can dry beforehand. It is a more fragile wreath, but one that keeps for a long time if everything has been properly dried first.
10. Bunches of everlasting flowers on the plate
The everlasting flower dries beautifully and can be kept for a long time. It looks delightful in small bunches tied with a length of raffia.
We found all our inspiration on Pinterest; to fill up on ideas, go here.
