If you are in the mood for Christmas decorating but are looking for something other than what's available everywhere, why not get your home ready for the festive season by stepping outside and doing some nature-focused projects this year? The next time you tidy up your garden or trim back trees or shrubs, view the supposed ‘junk’ with different eyes: Maybe there are things you can turn into Christmas decorations as glamorous as they are unique. Have a look at our ideas and let them inspire you do something similar. If you don't have your own garden, scattered leaves, stalks, seed pods, fallen branches and dropped tree bark from parks, forests and roadsides are ready and waiting to be transformed. These decorations are not only affordable and easy to make yourself, they are also much more sustainable and mindful than store-bought ornaments. And when you feel like doing something new, you can just throw most of the old ones on the compost.
SEEDPOD CHRISTMAS TREE
This Christmas tree won't drop any needles but still glitters like tinsel. The flat, silvery-white, translucent dried seedpods from the honesty plant (Lunaria annua) are ideal for an elegant small tree. And instead of Christmas baubles, a few seeds complete the arrangement.
DIFFICULTY: easy – you need to take a bit of care when glueing the individual pods together to create the shape of a tree
YOU WILL NEED
♥ Christmas tree template on page 69 ♥ cardboard ♥ dried pods and seeds from the honesty plant ♥ scissors and pen ♥ glue (hot glue is best) ♥ twig or reed for the stem ♥ jar and some sand
