Decorating with Nature
Woods in Virginia
For years my boys have called me the “stick girl”. I love to use branches and leaves and things for outside to use for decorating or storage items. We have woods behind our house so it is easy for me to go out and find many beautiful and interesting things to display. Since we are all at home and using the outdoors more this makes so much sense for you all to try.
Here is the way I put the arrangements together and some samples.
Gather Materials:
Container-something tall enough in proportion to the height of the branches and flowers you will be using.
A heavy item-a large rock or several medium rocks to weigh the vase down so it doesn’t tip over.
Garden cutting tools, loppers, shears, and/or heavy duty scissors
Branches and other garden/yard materials. I try to group like colors or types of branches. You can use different types according to what type of look you are going for. You use green pine or holly type pieces, they will need to be place in water in the container. I do not use water in the wooden type branches and they last a long time. You can tell when they get too dry and start to loose pieces of bark and twigs.
I add twinkle lights and small ornaments during the holidays, and just remove the ornaments and leave the light on for longer.
I have also used this type of branches to hang from the ceiling and in my old shop display windows. This takes a little more work to find ways to hang the all the things you gather and more time consuming to change and update.
Tips
Just have fun walking in nature and seeing things that interest you to gather.
Make sure the container/vase is tall enough and has enough weight in the bottom to hold the material. Some branches can be very top heavy and can cause the display to topple over.
You can add and take away parts, with flowers and other natural materials, to create more seasonal interest.
I hope everyone will try just to bring a little nature into your home soon.
Please let me know if you have any questions and let me see your display on Facebook or Instagram. Just #naturedecor. Also sign up for my newsletter to get more ideas.
Thanks, Angelia
Hanging Branch Display
