We are midway through the advent season already! Last week I talked about choosing to keep Christmas season simple and enjoyable through community events and family traditions.
This week Im excited to dive into one of my favorite ways to celebrate and that is by decorating our home inside and out! Whether you are an early decorator, week before Christmas or somewhere in between there is always room to add to your décor with some simple and inexpensive hacks.
First step is gathering supplies. Gearing up a few months before Christmas I start dehydrating citrus. Every time I have an extra lemon or orange that is starting to go soft I slice it thinly and stick it in my dehydrator overnight at a low temperature. These are great for adding ribbon and cinnamon sticks or star anise to and garnishing presents, garlands or creating ornaments. Speaking of ribbon, I save bits of ribbon or twine all year in a zip lock bag.
When the Christmas season comes I have ample variety and colors to choose from. Lastly I love gathering natural materials from around the farm. I love selecting varieties of evergreen boughs (cedar is my favorite!) along with various dried plants along the sides of the road there is so much variety that our land produces.
Once you have supplies and some inspiration it is time to plug in the glue guns. My children love this part. With a bit of wire and a frame you can stack bows to make gorgeous wreaths for around your home or to give to friends.
Swags are even simpler and can be created by taking 3 evergreen boughs of similar length and tying them together to form a bundle. Then you created multiple bundles and stagger them in a line, you can finish it off by wrapping wire around individual bows and connecting them. Swags looks so lovely hung on mantles or above doorways. Lastly you can adorn the wreaths and swags with citrus, ribbon, pine cones and ribbons it makes such a cozy feeling in a home. With the leftover ribbons and dried fruit my children love to make ornaments as well.
Creating handmade Christmas décor doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. It is so simple even the youngest children can participate. Plus, the memories you will create will be treasure for a long time to come. Wishing you loveliest handmade holiday season!
