DIY Christmas Decorations - Guide to Christmas Decorations 2011, Part 2

6 natural, eco-friendly DIY Christmas decorations to spread the holiday cheer throughout your home.

One of the joys of Christmas decorations is the feeling they evoke. So even if it is a sunny holiday here in Florida, the inside of the house can still feel like a cozy winter wonderland with natural elements sprinkled throughout as the ultimate in “green,” DIY Christmas decorations.

1. Bring the outdoors inside

Finish knitting that scarf, throw it around your neck, and head out to gather pinecones and nuts from the outdoors.

Combine your finds with brightly colored red apples, cranberries, and other seasonal fruit. Use the seasonal mix as beautiful filler in clear or tinted glass candle holders with white pillar candles.

Mix and match different sized candleholders with large and small candles to create a cozy cluster, or use one large piece for a bold statement.

For the coffee table, place the mix in a decorative bowl as homemade potpourri. Keep the nuts and pinecones natural looking for a country-cabin feel, or spray-paint them white or silver to enhance the elegance of the wintery feel. To preserve the pinecones, dip in a thin layer of wax before displaying.

2. Trim the trees

Make your home smell like fresh evergreen by cutting your own, fresh greens for indoors or outdoors DIY Christmas decorations. Use a little wire to create wreaths or window trimmings. Create filler with leaves or twigs. Decorate the garlands with ribbon or bows recycled from previous Christmases.

Need more tree ideas or inspiration? See more Christmas tree decoration ideas.
 

3. Create a centerpiece

A beautiful way to instantly transform a home is to add a DIY Christmas decoration centerpiece to the table. Fill a few vases of various sizes with cinnamon sticks and berries to bring a burst of color to the table. Or use mason jars to create a rustic, country-Christmas feel.

4. Make a masterpiece of your DIY Christmas decorations

For a really creative DIY Christmas decoration, turn your centerpiece into a masterpiece.

Gather some sand and use dye to turn it red or green. Pick up some plain glass Christmas ornaments, and fill with some sand of each color. Top with colored ribbon or glitter. Place in decorative bowl on table for elegant and creative centerpiece.

If you don’t have sand but still want to use glass ornaments as a blank canvas, use cotton balls for snow, add sparkle, insert small branches or leaves, and tie with bows.



If you have a hot glue gun and some patience, the mini terrariums you could create as DIY Christmas decorations are endless. As an elegant alternative, you can place brightly colored Christmas balls together in a bowl to make a merry centerpiece for any table.

Be sure to save a few of the best ornaments to hang on the tree.
 

5. Use natural lighting

Instead of artificial lights, illuminate windows with natural wax candles made from soy or beeswax. Just be sure to secure them safely! You can get creative with luminaries to line the walkways to your home using with paper bags, and natural wax candles. Decorate and then fill the bags about halfway with sand.
 

6. Create a festive fragrance

Tie some cinnamon sticks in little bundles with festive ribbon and place around the home in little nooks and crannies. Use in kitchen or bathroom as natural air fresheners.
 

As a bonus, use some of the cinnamon sticks as a natural air freshener for the whole home. Just bring a few sticks, cloves, and some fresh nutmeg to simmer in a little water on the stovetop, and your entire home will smell like freshly baked sweets. DIY Christmas decorations you can smell... Mmm.

What kind of natural DIY Christmas decorations have you created this year? Share your stories in the comments sections below!

Look for a new Guide to Christmas decorations 2011 coming soon.

Happy Holidays!

Justine