I don’t know about you, but I love the look of greens tucked around my home for the holidays. Nothing says Christmas more than pine boughs and sprigs of holly. Not to mention, it’s pretty hard to beat that incredible pine scent.
If you want to fill your home with fresh greens this holiday season but are feeling a little intimidated, read on, and I’ll share my tips, tricks, and ideas for decorating with this natural resource.
Fresh Pine & Evergreen Cuttings – a Tradition Worth Bringing Inside
The tradition of bringing pine boughs and evergreen cuttings indoors is a centuries-old practice. It started among the pagan peoples as a reminder that warmer days and green, growing things would return after the Winter Solstice.
Over time, as manufacturing practices developed, we started producing faux greens and Christmas trees that could be stored and reused. As these faux greens got better and better, using real greens fell out of fashion.
But decorating with real pine boughs is a tradition worth bringing back!
For years, I avoided using real greenery because I assumed it would make a huge mess and be a hassle to clean up. But one year, I grabbed a bundle of pine branch cuttings for a few bucks when we were at a Christmas tree farm. I haven’t looked back! Real evergreens are far superior to their plastic counterparts.
Cost-Effective
If you have access to evergreen trees or shrubs in your yard, you can harvest cuttings for free. But even if you buy yours, you can usually pick up a large bundle for a few dollars or free at a Christmas tree farm.
Timeless Elegance
One great thing about decorating with evergreens is that they go with everything. No matter your Christmas style, evergreens will fit right in. Fresh greenery looks great, from rustic to modern to vintage.
Space-Saving
This one is huge for me. At the end of the holiday season, there’s no packing up bulky faux garlands and lugging giant storage totes to the attic. I simply compost or burn my greenery.
Sustainable
Speaking of disposing of your fresh evergreens. They’re biodegradable and can be composted after use, making them a greener choice compared to plastic decorations. Not to mention, they’re great fun to burn around a roaring fire outdoors in the new year. If you want to get your firepit going hot and fast, dried pine greens will do it.
Easy Aromatherapy
I can’t get enough pine-scented items in my house during the holiday season. The scent of fresh evergreens has been shown to reduce stress and enhance mood, which can be a big help during this stressful time of year.
Clean Up Is Easy
I know what you’re thinking: sure, greenery looks great, but I’ll bet it’s a pain to clean up. It’s no worse than cleaning up and packing away your other holiday decorations. (Keep reading for my easy clean-up routine.)
Pine, Fir, Spruce? Which Evergreens Make the Best Christmas Decorations
When it comes to holiday décor, you’ll want to choose the right types of foliage. Different evergreens have unique textures, colors, and scents, making them versatile options for various decorating needs. Something else to keep in mind is needle retention.
Pine
Pine is known for its long, slender needles, with a soft texture and strong scent. Not only does pine look great in long ropes, but a few sprigs of pine placed around your home look amazing. Pine is great as an accent in larger pieces such as wreaths or centerpieces, too. Both White pine and Scotch pine are especially well known for their excellent needle retention and fragrance.
Fir
Fir trees are recognizable by short, flat, soft needles. They generally have good needle retention, and some even have an almost citrus scent along with that fresh pine scent. Balsam fir is world-renowned for its lasting aroma. Fraser and Noble fir are also prized for their ability to hold onto their needles well.
Cedar
Cedar has a very distinct aroma and beautiful, flat, feathery foliage, although newer tips can be on the pokier side. Cedar is wonderful for use where you want a draping, almost waterfall effect – think garlands and hanging off the edge of shelves and mantels. Incense cedar adds a pop of golden color with its yellow tips.
Spruce
Spruce trees have stiff needles that are almost boxy in shape. Because of their stiffness, you’ll want to use spruce in low-traffic areas or areas where dropped needles won’t find their way to the floor. Stepping on a Blue spruce needle is not an experience you’re likely to forget. That being said, the blue-green color of Blue spruce cuttings looks stunning with white lights.
Boxwood
Boxwoods are evergreens but not conifers, which makes them a great alternative. The shiny, rounded leaves add a bit of textural interest among all those needles.
One minor drawback is that some people say boxwoods can smell like cat urine, specifically English boxwoods. However, I use boxwood every year in small quantities and have never had any complaints. You can leave the cuttings outdoors for a few days to eliminate the smell. They’re truly beautiful plants to use for the holidays.
Holly
With its glossy green leaves and bright red berries, holly is an instantly recognizable Christmas classic. If you have small children or pets, you’ll want to be careful about where you display holly, as the berries can be toxic. And depending on the local fauna, you might end up with holly that’s extra sharp, so wearing gloves is a good idea when decorating with holly.
Making Your Cuttings Last Through the Holidays
Fresh cuttings can dry out and fall apart if they aren’t prepped for life indoors. Take a few minutes to give them a little boost that will ensure they look good into the new year.
I don’t decorate with greenery until all of my other decorations are up. Even though they are evergreen, they’re perishable now that they’ve been cut, and I want them to look nice. You might consider waiting to decorate with fresh greens until a week or two before Christmas or just before parties or the arrival of family.
Unless you’re cutting greens and using them immediately, you’ll want to freshen them up a bit. Cut the stems on the diagonal and place them in a jar of water overnight. This will perk them up a bit and rehydrate the needles. This is especially important for purchased greens.
For cutting and working with evergreens, it’s a good idea to put down newspaper or wax paper to protect your work surface. Sap can be cleaned from most surfaces with rubbing alcohol. For clothes, wash them in the hottest water you can. To remove sap from your hands, rub them well with olive oil, then wash them with hand soap.
Decorating Ideas: Bringing Evergreen Beauty into Your Home
Once your evergreens are prepped, it’s time to unleash your creativity. Here are some inspiring ways to use evergreen cuttings around your home.
1. Create a Stunning Wreath
It’s easier than you think. If you aren’t up for creating a wreath from scratch with a wire frame, you can start with a grapevine wreath and attach your greens to it with floral wire. Add accents like pine cones, ribbons, or ornaments for extra flair. Hang your wreath on the front door, over the fireplace, or in windows. (I’ve got a few tips to make your wreathes look high-end.)
2. Adorn the Mantel
It goes without saying – you don’t want to put live evergreens over a working fireplace. But if you’ve got a mantel that isn’t a fire hazard, adding sprigs of fresh greens on top looks beautiful. You don’t need to create a fancy garland. Simply laying pine boughs along the top with some string lights or figurines looks beautiful.
3. Make a Table Centerpiece
Use a shallow bowl or tray as a base for a beautiful centerpiece. Arrange evergreen branches with candles, ornaments, or flowers for a sophisticated display. Consider adding a vase of water or glasses of different heights to hold some branches upright and keep them fresh.
4. Tuck Sprigs of Evergreens Among Your Shelves
You don’t want to use greens that produce a lot of sap for this. Holly, boxwood and cedar are great choices. Take small sprigs and tuck them among books on your bookshelves or dining cabinets. Place a small branch or two along the top of a painting on your wall to give it a little holiday flair.
5. Create Pine Needle Tassels
Use floral wire and decorative ribbon or cotton embroidery floss to wrap the ends of a bunch of pine needles. Create beautiful tassels and hang them from doorknobs, curtains, or
6. Mason Jar Luminaries
Place several evergreen cuttings into jars with fairy lights for a simple yet beautiful decoration. You can use battery-operated candles to create tiny luminaries to line your stairs. (Add a layer of my super easy fake snow at the bottom of the jar first.)
7. Make Evergreen Swags
If a wreath feels like too much to tackle, tie together bunches of evergreens to create swags. Leave them unadorned, or add bows or baubles for a more polished look. Hang swags above doorways or windows.
8. Accent Holiday Packages
Add a personal touch to wrapped gifts by tying on small sprigs of evergreens with twine or ribbon. This simple detail elevates your gift presentation.
9. Create Stunning Outdoor Displays
Place evergreen cuttings in outdoor planters along with twigs, berries, and pine cones for a welcoming entryway display. These arrangements can withstand cold weather and require minimal upkeep. Don’t forget to add twinkle lights!
10. Evergreen Vase Displays
Display evergreen branches in vases for a festive bouquet. This will keep the branches hydrated and preserve their lifespan while also looking stunning. Add dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, pine cones and berries for even more festive beauty.
Post-Holiday Clean Up
The easiest way to clean up fresh greens after the holidays is to carefully put them into a large cardboard box for transport outside. Trying to wrestle them into a bag ensures you’ll shower your floor with needles. Once all the large boughs have been put in the box, I come through with my vacuum cleaner and suck up all the needles left behind. Then, I wipe the surface down with furniture polish or a multi-surface cleaner. And that’s that!
Now, grab your hand pruners, roll up your sleeves, and start decking your halls with boughs of holly, pine, spruce and fir!
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