A Natural Christmas
by Max Birkin for House of Henley
Although Christmas cards are invariably bedecked with images of quintessentially English villages, red post boxes and fat robins, for many Christmas is a time to flee to distant archipelagos and gaze out on white sand, not snow. This year, that's not possible, and whilst Milton Keynes might not quite be the Maldives, this festive season is the perfect opportunity to embrace a more natural Christmas. Avoid the crowds at John Lewis, leave your plastic baubles in the loft and make some decorations from the fruits of the great outdoors. Many of us will be lucky enough to live near beautiful forests or some form of nature in this green and pleasant land, which will provide you with all the necessary ingredients for a smugly tinsel-free decoration scheme. For those who live in cities or built-up areas, most parks or even a hedgerow will deliver up sufficient material for a garland or two. At the very worst, call into a florist and purchase some greenery – although, frankly, any DIY joy will be dampened by the drop in your bank balance, so if you are an urbanite it may be more sensible to order ready-made wreaths and garlands for your home. However, there is a great sense of accomplishment that comes from sourcing all the greenery by oneself; it might be rather difficult to prise yourself from the fire and your children from the iPad, but the resultant rosy cheeks and natural garlands will make the effort well worth it. The children (and younger-hearted members of the party) are guaranteed to come back waving 'swords' or bedecked in foliage crowns, whilst your home will both look stunning and smell gorgeous. It is not only an eco-friendly approach to Christmas decorating, but an economical one too, so even the Scrooges will appreciate it.
Wreaths
Photo Credit: Architectural Digest
If you have a front door, you need a wreath. It’s as simple as that. They are perhaps the most tasteful seasonal addition to any exterior and perhaps the greatest way to start feeling festive – it is rather lovely to arrive home after a busy day and see a jolly green wreath hanging from your door. They are also really very simple to make, which is why forking out £95 for a shop-bought one is especially painful. The only thing you need to buy is a base, and these are super cheap and reusable. You can order a plastic and oasis (the odd green foam that florists use) base from Amazon, but our recommendation is a willow base that will last longer than the front door itself. These can be bought online too, but many a farm shop will stock them. Simply wrap garden twine around it to create a mesh under which you can prod in sprigs of fir or pine or ivy. You can stop here for a minimalist look, or if your door is painted in a darker colour (a fir wreath against a door painted in Farrow and Ball’s Railings is the stuff of design editorial dreams), but otherwise add smaller pinecones, berries and holly. Finish by looping a long ribbon around the wreath – red is best - and suspending it over the top of your door. Boom, Christmas has arrived.
Garlands and decorations
Photo Credit: House & Garden
Greenery is a joy inside the home, too, and it suits all architectural styles - period features or smooth plaster and polished concrete. Fireplaces are the obvious place to start; a mantelpiece draped in ivy is a very cheery sight. For this, you’ll want to collect branches that are as long as you can find but have some bend to them. Twist two or three together, secure with twine or string and then embellish with more ornamental foliage like berries. For a more modern look, choose sparse, thin branches and keep them bare or spray them silver. Equally, using pine or fir branches as garlands but omitting any decoration or ornaments suits a contemporary space.
If you don’t have a fireplace, then ivy looks lovely draped over a painting, or consider suspending a particularly attractive branch from the ceiling and hanging decorations from it. This may sound somewhat mad but it can look rather lovely and becomes a perfect focal point for an otherwise disorientation room. Dried orange slices or cinnamon sticks in red ribbons are another rustic decoration that can be made at home, although you’d be lucky to find either on the heathlands of Surrey. For the former, slice up oranges in cross-sections, lay them on tissue paper and place them on a radiator to dry out. The house will smell like Father Christmas’ grotto and once dry they can be hung on a tree with ribbon. For the latter, truss three cinnamon sticks together and hang anywhere and everywhere.
Table settings
Photo Credit: House & Garden
Last but not least, using foliage on your table can be a real delight. Avoid scattering horrid plastic glittery things along the length of your dining table – you’ll still be finding stars well into the New Year and there is a very real risk that your intestines will be sparkly too. Instead, use greenery to create pretty centrepieces or table settings that will provide a wonderful background to Christmas lunch. Consider making a smaller wreath to adorn the centre of a round table, or even just poke sprigs of holly inside napkin rings. For a truly decadent look, use greenery right down the length of a rectangular table; tie with brown string or twine at regular intervals and then poke in berries, fir tree twigs, evergreen leaves and pinecones. This works even better with the addition of cylindrical glass vases with tall white pillar candles inside placed evenly along the garland. Ivy looks very pretty and is ideal for wreaths and garlands but be careful with it on a dinner table – this is one instance where it might be sensible to buy the artificial version. A final word of warning - hang your foraged greenery outside for a few hours before using it if you don't relish the idea of hosting various creatures for Christmas.
Follow House of Henley on Instagram by clicking here.
Subscribe to receive House of Henley blog posts straight to your inbox.
Check out House of Henley’s Official Amazon Page - Please note, these products are affiliate links and we may receive commission from qualifying purchases.