Every year we go up into the mountains to find our Christmas tree early in November. We love hiking through the woods with the crisp mountain air nipping at our nose and ears. Looking for our perfectly imperfect tree is full of excitement and awe, especially now that P is starting to get more involved! We love adorning our tree in German straw ornaments and our own homemade wood ornaments, as well as other cozy natural elements like oranges and cranberries.
Picking a tree from the wild usually means some extra pruning once we get home! No worries there, though. What could be better than a fresh slew of greenery to decorate the rest of our home?
So this week I’m here to share the simple Christmas decor I made from our remaining evergreen cuttings! We used fir cuttings, but any type of evergreen will look beautiful. I do recommend using softer greenery; fir and juniper are both nice ones. Some of those pines are a bit less forgiving when trying to work with them!
DIY Evergreen Wreath
To start with, here’s the simple evergreen wreath I threw together in about 30 minutes. Using this basic shape you can add whatever you want to make it your own!
Start by trimming down your evergreen bows. I found it easiest to work with pieces around a foot in length, some smaller, some a bit larger. Having varying lengths will help it to look more natural. Aside from your branches, all you’ll need is twine or jute cord to tie them together. I did have some rubber elastics I save when buying produce which I also used to make it a little easier! So that’s optional, you just might need to work a little harder to conceal the ugly rubber bands.
From here, start to shape the basic shape of your wreath out in front of you. You get to decide the size and even the shape of your wreath! When you’ve got your branches laid out to your satisfaction, tie them to each other using your twine. You can also use the rubber band to help with attachment at these points if you’re using that. Using the bands helps to more easily wiggle in more filler branches later on.
Once you have your basic wreath shape assembled, fill in with more evergreen boughs. At this point you can also add in any other variety you want! Thread in strung orange slices, berries, or spices, or add a variety of greenery. Have fun making the wreath your own. Work until you’ve concealed all the ties and/or elastics and your wreath looks full. I paired ours with a sled decoration we were gifted. I’ve never loved the sled on its own, but with the wreath I think it’s a fun festive touch! See what you’ve got around your house already to give your festive wreath an extra punch 🙂
FESTIVE WINDOW LANTERNS
In the same evening, I threw together these festive window lanterns from glass jars, jute cord, and some more fir clippings from our tree. Finding some large glass jars -recycled jam, peanut butter, and pickle jars are all great!- I decorated these with festive greenery. Orange slices, whole spices like cinnamon or anise could also be beautiful here. I chose large enough jars to put my upcycled baby food jar candles inside. Doubling up the upcycled jars! Inside of some smaller jars (baby food jars and a minced garlic jar) I put these adorable little hand-poured walnut candles.
Things I love here:
I love the warm and cozy feel of flickering candlelight on a winter evening. I love reusing “garbage” to make something so beautiful! I love the warm glow of pure beeswax candles and knowing they aren’t polluting my home. I love my sweet little walnut candles being put to use.
I love the woodsy smell of my homemade wreath. I love that I fashioned it with my own two hands, without the help of any man-made base or form. I love that these products helped to utilize every little piece we got from that tree in the woods.
It’s simple things like this that bring me joy and help me feel content with where I am here and now! Making my perhaps imperfect apartment home the cozy sanctuary I dream of creating!
Looking for some more evergreen related crafts? Try out these beautiful pine needle baskets!
Want to make your own upcycled beeswax candles?
