Free Seasonal Centerpieces You Can Recycle from Mother Nature

With the winter season just around the corner, Many people are thinking about bunkering down and hibernating for the long cold winter months. This is usually a time when a lot of us want to prepare and decorate our homes for the Holidays. This is also a busy time for all of the parties and entertaining we have scheduled in.

Craft Shows and Retail Craft Outlets are a popular stop for most avid crafters. These are places where we can browse and educate ourselves on the upcoming trends of the season. There are many unique items that can be purchased to create stunning focal points for our Holiday Christmas Centerpieces. You can go to almost any fine retail or craft store and purchase a ready made Centerpiece that will fit perfectly with your decor, the drawback is that it will likely set you back a few bucks and it is also one more thing that will be tossed into the environment down the road thus contributing to our ongoing problem of polluting the planet.

Take a step out into your yard. You will be surprised of all the items you can collect to create showcase looking Centerpieces that will leave your guests speechless.

Here is a list of items that you can collect from the outdoors to create a variety of different decor options for your Centerpiece:

Fresh Evergreens- Create Wreaths, Garlands and Centerpieces- Go out into your backyard or nearby wooded area and collect low lying greens from Pine and Spruce trees and bring them indoors to trim and transform into fresh aromatic show stopping Centerpieces , wreath shaped centerpieces and Garlands.

Pinecones- Pinecones can be added to freshly made Wreaths to create a winter look to add style and texture. Placing the Pinecones in a basket or clear glass container by themselves is also an eye-catching display of Holiday and Winter Flair.

Maple leaves- Maple leaves are generally the last of the leaves to fall and they are showstoppers! The brilliant bright red and orange hues create an artwork all their own. Place fall leaves on your coffee table or scatter about your Centerpieces to add color and flair.

Branches- Gather small fallen branches to bring a woodsy feel indoors to add to your decor. Take a plain container and a glue gun and proceed to glue small branches to the outside of the container to complete the project. Another idea is that you can simply gather a mismatch of branches (birch are attractive) and place in a tall standing vase. This makes for a nice corner display.

Grapevine- Grapevine typically grows in abundance in the wild. In the fall and winter all of their leaves have died. Gather some grapevine and wet the vines to shape into a Wreath or Centerpiece. Adorn with clear lights, greens or even red Winterberries.

Fall Plants- Fall plants such as Mums, Flowering Cabbages, Sedums, Hens and Chicks are colorful plants that can add texture and beauty to your Centerpieces. Bring the plants indoors before the first frost to enjoy the colors and plants for a few extra weeks. Be creative with their placement. A basket of flowering cabbages creates a stunning Centerpiece that will last for weeks.

Red Winterberries- The beauty of these berries last almost all winter outdoors. Although they are short lived indoors, they can add a temporary splash of color to greenery and grapevine Centerpieces.

Forced Bulbs: Bring in your favorite flowering spring bulbs in the fall and plant them in a pot with lots of sunlight. Paperwhites and Hyacinths are popular for forcing. After a few weeks you will have a colorful arrangement of fresh flowers in the dead of winter.

Pheasant feathers & Antlers- These items may be a real challenge to locate out in nature, but they are a stunning trend in design and decor at the moment. The Pheasant feathers are colorful and bring out the woodsy "outdoor feel" that many are looking for to add to their sportsman style decor. A silver centerpiece bowl filled with small deer antlers at the bottom topped with fresh greens, large pinecones and a few large pears complete the look. You can also display the colorful pheasant feathers in a silver vase on a mantel or wood table.

You will need a few supplies from around the house to complete these Centerpieces. Gather a hot glue gun, some crafting gauge wire and some scissors. You may also choose to add baskets, vases and even candles to achieve your desired look.

The main idea is to create stunning centerpieces born from nature at little to no cost to you.

Guests will be awestruck when they see what you have created. So rest assured and have a happy "Eco-Friendly" holiday season this year while saving mother earth at the same time.