This week I am having a little break from my current series of posts on making your own aromatherapy and skincare products and giving you a few ideas on how to use aromatic plants to decorate your home for the Holidays! Like a lot of people, I have recently been looking for ways to save money and decorating my home for the Holidays is no exception! So I began to think how I could use some of the seasonal aromatic plants that are readily available to me in my yard – for free! Here’s what I came up with.
How to Use Pine Cones to Decorate Your Home for the Holidays
Pine trees grow in plentiful supply here in northern Arizona; at this time of year, you can usually find plenty of pine cones lying around on the ground. The great thing about pine cones is that they come in a variety of sizes and, depending on what stage they are at when they fall, you can find fully opened pines or tightly closed pine cones. Personally, I prefer those pines cones that have opened up. You can use pine cones in several ways to decorate your home for the Holidays:
- display them above your fireplace on the mantlepiece, or around your living room on bookcases, tables etc
- put a few pine cones in a bowl or vase for display
- weave pine cones into a Holiday wreath with other natural elements.
Tip: if your pine cones aren’t naturally fragrant, add a few drops of pine essential oil onto them; the heat in your home will help to disperse the essential oil into the air. Alternatively, you can use other Holiday scents, such as cinnamon, orange or nutmeg, in preference to pine. Use essential oils for full therapeutic benefits!
Make Your Own Holiday Wreath From Aromatic Plants
Holiday wreaths can be an additional expense if you are on a tight Holiday budget – but there is no reason why you can’t make your own. You can use any of the following evergreen plants to make a basic Holiday wreath; get creative, and come up with your own ideas too!
- juniper
- pine
- cedar
- cypress
- fir.
Simply weave the various branches onto a wreath frame with wire; your Holiday wreath will last longer if you don’t make it too far in advance of the Holidays. In addition, soak your cut branches in water for 24 hours before making it and hang the Holiday wreath in a place where it will stay naturally cool (excess heat will shorten its life span).
Note: I will post photos of my Holiday wreath next week when I have completed it! 🙂
Fragrant Displays of Aromatic Plants for the Holidays
At this time of year, juniper trees are heavy with berries in my yard. A few branches of juniper berries, make simple, yet great, table displays in vases. You can also use other plants with berries that you might have in your yard. In addition, simply display a few branches of cypress or fir on their own for a great seasonal table display too. Think outside of the box and come up with your own fragrant ideas!
These are just a few of the ideas that I came up with for decorating your home with aromatic plants for the Holidays! Depending on where you live in the world, you might be able to use some non-traditional Holiday plants for Holiday decorating too. You can find more information about traditional winter trees in:
Scented Trees for a Winter Garden
Happy Holidays!
