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One of the best loved Christmas traditions in many families is going out to find a Christmas tree. Trudging through the snow, your feet cold, your toes numb, refusing to give up until you find the perfect tree. After what seems like an eternity you stumble upon it. You know the second you see it that that is the tree for you. You either pick it up or cut it down and you bring it home. It is only then that the realization dawns on you. Your perfect, new tree is probably close to nine and a half feet tall and the ceilings in your house only about eight feet high. The only thing left to do is to get out the bow saw and start cutting. You end up cutting about two and a half feet (you have to leave room at the top for the angel) of thick, full, beautiful branches off the bottom of the tree. What then do you do with the excess? Dispose of it? Absolutely not! There is so much that can be done with those branches.
Why not make a wreath? Do you hang garland? Picking out a tree that is too big is a wonderful thing. Do it again next year. And the year after that and the year after that. That’s right. Deliberately get a tree that is too big and look forward to cutting a couple of feet or so off the bottom. Make things. Make natural wreathes, garlands, centerpieces, whatever you can. Spread the beauty of that special, perfect tree throughout your house. You can make beautiful Christmas decorations using materials made by Mother Nature.
Cut branches ranging in length from about one to two feet long. Evergreen is relatively easy to work with as it is bendable and pliable. Lay a branch down on a flat surface. Place another on top of the first so that the bottom of the second branch overlaps the top of the first. Keep in mind that to achieve a proper and natural effect the branches should be placed so that the needles are pointing in the same direction. Attach the two branches together using twine or wire. Repeat this process, overlapping the branches until you have reached the desired length. At this point you can keep your branches straight and hang as a garland or you can connect the two ends to form a circle and thus you have made a wreath. Repeat the process until you have achieved the desired thickness.
Decorate your garland or wreath with pine cones and acorns, baby's breath and dried flowers. Add some ribbons or bows or even hang lights and ornaments from it just as you do on the tree. You would pay a good deal of money for a wreath or a garland like this in a store. And, the best part is it cost nothing to make and it is truly your creation as you fashion it any way you see fit. If you have any smaller pieces left over you can make mini wreathes for your windows or turn one into a centerpiece.
Make a mini wreath, following the same procedure as above, but just on a smaller scale. Adorn it with the desired decorations, stand a pillar candle in the middle and set it on your holiday table. Use your imagination. The most beautiful things are made by Mother Nature.
Even if you have an artificial tree spread some natural beauty throughout your home. Take a walk in the woods. Bring a pair of scissors or sheers along. Find various species of evergreen. White pine, fir, hemlock. Mix and match. Use sample branches from all of the above for interest, texture and variety. Keep in mind that natural evergreen decorations will last much longer (especially in colder climates)outside than they will inside. Natural evergreens that have been cut will start dropping their needles in warm environments sooner. Mother Nature has blessed us with some of the most beautiful decorations imaginable. Use your own imagination and bring some of that beauty home for the holidays.
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