Natural Items for Earth-Friendly Christmas Decorations

Looking for some earth-friendly Christmas decorating ideas? Look no further than your back yard. Natural items offer a wide variety of materials and ideas for holiday decorations.

Buckeyes
The Buckeye Tree is one of my favorite natural decorations. Use buckeyes for Christmas ornaments and garlands. Prepare the buckeyes by first baking them in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake on a low setting (200 degrees) for about 1 hour to kill any bugs or worms that might be living inside them. Use a drill and drill bit (1/8 inch works well) to carefully drill a hole in each buckeye. They can be strung onto hemp twine along with wooden beads and other natural items to make garlands for your trees, to hang over windows and doorways, or to wrap around stair railing. Buckeyes can also be strung up as ornaments for the tree.

Pinecones
Pinecones are always a good choice for Christmas decorating. They can be glued together or glued to a wreath form. They can be hung from tree boughs or simply place a number of them into a basket to create a simply centerpiece.

Milkweed pods

Save milkweed pods after they have dried and dispersed their seeds. Melt paraffin wax and "paint" the inside of the pods to protect them, then string them onto garlands or create tree ornaments. Leave the pods on a long milkweed stem and use them in table centerpieces.

Use clear spray paint and spray the pods lightly for seal them before use.

Sticks and stems

When you pick up dead limbs that have fallen from your trees, save them. They can be tied together in a pyramid shape to make a nice base for an outside Christmas light display. Simply wrap white lights around the cones for unique, natural Christmas trees.

If you have larger limbs, create another type of lighted tree display. Pour plaster of paris into flower pots or coffee cans then place the large limbs upright into the plaster as it dries. Spray paint these "trees" white or leave their natural color. Wrap white lights around them for a unique display.

Nuts

Various nuts and nut shells can be used to create interesting, natural decorations.

Hulled, unshelled walnuts can be baked using the same technique used for buckeyes. In order to eliminate the staining that can come from walnut shells, spray the nuts lightly with a coat of clear spray paint then allow to dry. Drill holes in the walnuts then string them onto garlands or short strings for ornaments. They can be hung on outdoor trees or stair rails or on the indoor Christmas tree.

Walnuts can also be glued onto small dowels to be used in table centerpieces.

Hickory nut shells have a nice, earthy appearance and texture. Use the drill and bit to drill holes in the shell pieces for stringing.

For a fun and unique decoration idea, try combining several of these natural materials: Buckeyes, walnuts, hickory nut shells, and milkweed pods can be strung on hemp twine with wooden beads to create one-of-a-kind garlands.

Decorative grasses

If you have decorative grasses in your yard or garden, save them when you cut them back. Tie them together then hang them up to dry. They can be softened by soaking in water for one hour, then braid them together. Tie the two ends together to create a wreath. Wrap jute twine around the wreath. Glue on nuts and pinecones and you've got an earthy Christmas decoration. For a colorful touch, add a red ribbon, then hang on your door.

Take a look around your yard and garden for inspiration. Whatever you choose, natural items are a wonderful and eco-friendly way to decorate for Christmas.