Holly, ivy and mistletoe are all synonymous with Christmas, so why not use them to make some wonderful homemade festive decorations?
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Christmas wreath
You can welcome guests to your home this festive season by making your own beautiful wreath using a combination of holly, ivy and mistletoe.
Holly is traditionally hung on doors and windows to ward off evil spirits, but it can be used to adorn any part of your home.
To make a wreath, you’ll need thick and thin lengths of floral wire and a wire wreath frame, but the design is entirely up to you. Simple foliage wreaths look elegant on their own, but if you want to jazz up your creation a bit you can add things like pine cones and a big red ribbon.
Decorated fireplace
Festive garlands can look stunning if they’re draped over the mantelpiece, and you can put candles in between your display to give your home a true Victorian Christmassy feel. For safety it’s best to use electric candles so there are no naked flames near the leaves.
Don’t forget to hang stockings from your fireplace to make sure Santa knows where to put his presents when he makes his grand entrance down the chimney!
Garlands also look good weaved around stair banisters, and look even better if you intertwine them with fairy lights. If you don’t have a fireplace or live in a bungalow, garlands work just as well hung on the wall. You could even decorate your picture frames with them.
Table centrepiece
A nicely arranged floral centrepiece can brighten up any table during the festive period. The beauty of it is that it can be any shape, size or colour, and is relatively easy to make, so your children can have a go at making one.
A lot of people like to incorporate a candle into their design as it gives height to it and enhances the colour scheme they’ve chosen. For a finishing touch, you might like to add small bells and ribbons, and spray some of the leaves in silver or gold mist. Just remember, don’t make centrepieces too tall or you won’t be able to see your guests around the table.
Mistletoe ball
The tradition of the mistletoe ball dates back to Victorian times, and it was often decorated with scented herbs and foliage. It was made for the same reason we hang mistletoe today – to steal a kiss from someone standing underneath it.
It’s constructed in a similar way to a wreath, but you’ll need a foam ball as well as floral wire to get the desired effect.
Your ball can be dressed up with ribbons, bows and other Christmas-inspired things. It’s normal to hang it above a door frame, making it the perfect entrance piece. So pucker up everyone!
Doorknobs
As the carol goes, deck the halls with boughs of holly. You don’t have to leave it there, however. You could also hang a sprig of mistletoe from doorknobs just to spruce them up a bit, but don’t go too overboard. You don’t want your home looking like a jungle.
Yule log
Finally, if you’ve got some holly left over after you’ve made all your decorations, you can use it to add the perfect finishing touch to a Christmas cake or yule log you’ve made.
