How to Decorate with Natural Elements This Holiday Season

While many decorations focus on bright lights, glitter, and bold colors, there is a growing trend toward using natural elements to create a more serene, grounded, and eco-friendly atmosphere. Incorporating natural materials into your holiday decor fosters a connection to the earth while also bringing a sense of tranquility that complements the festive spirit. Here are a few ideas on how to infuse nature into your holiday décor this holiday season.

Start with the Basics: Bringing Nature Inside

Greenery is the cornerstone of natural holiday decor. One of the simplest and easiest ways to add a festive yet organic feel to your home is by incorporating lush, fresh greenery. You can start with a traditional Christmas tree, but instead of adding plastic or shiny ornaments, focus on complementing it with natural decor like dried fruit, pinecones, and homemade ornaments made from wood, twine, or natural fabrics.

• Create garlands and wreaths from evergreen boughs, eucalyptus, magnolia leaves, or other foliage. Pine, fir, and cedar boughs not only look beautiful, but their natural scent will fill your home with an authentic holiday fragrance. 
• Place these garlands over your mantel, stair railings, or draped across your dining table as a natural table runner. To enhance the look, mix in seasonal elements like sprigs of holly, winter berries, or even dried herbs like lavender and rosemary.
• Gather pinecones, acorns, and fallen branches from your yard or a nearby park for a DIY touch. These elements can be painted lightly with white for a frosted look, or left in their natural state. Display them in decorative bowls on top of a plaid cloth, line them along a mantel, or weave them into your wreaths and garlands for an added layer of texture and interest.

Incorporate Wooden Accents

Wood is another essential material when it comes to decorating with natural elements. Wooden ornaments, tree branches, and even driftwood can add warmth and rustic charm to your holiday home. If you have access to wood slices or logs, they can be used as bases for candles, coasters, or even as hanging ornaments when tied with a bit of twine.

A small DIY project might involve gathering fallen branches and creating a natural holiday centerpiece. Arrange the branches in a vase or tall container, and decorate them with small ornaments or fairy lights. If you want to create a minimalist look, leave the branches bare to highlight their natural beauty. Birch logs stacked by the fireplace or used in decorative arrangements can also bring an elegant, wintry feel to your living room.

You might also consider utilizing wooden figurines and carved nativity scenes to evoke a timeless holiday charm. These items often come in simple, handcrafted designs that resonate with the earthy, grounded aesthetic you’re cultivating.

Dried Flowers and Herbs: Elegance in Simplicity

Dried flowers, herbs, and grasses are delightful ways to incorporate natural textures and colors into your holiday decor. Hydrangeas, roses, and lavender maintain their beauty when dried and can be added to wreaths, garlands, or standalone arrangements. Dried grasses, such as pampas grass or wheat, bring a rustic, understated elegance to holiday centerpieces or mantle displays.

Create bouquets of dried lavender and rosemary tied together with twine for an aromatic addition to your table settings, or arrange these herbs in small vases around the home. They not only look lovely but will fill your space with a calming, natural fragrance.

Create dried flower or herb napkin rings for an organic touch. These can be tied around cloth napkins with twine or raffia, adding a personal and natural detail to each place setting. Similarly, scatter dried petals, grasses, or herbs along your holiday tablescape for an organic runner that feels fresh and festive.

Fruits and Nuts: Nature’s Own Ornaments

Natural decor can also be edible! One of the most traditional ways to decorate with natural elements is by using fruits, nuts, and other seasonal foods. Dried orange slices, apples, and pomegranates not only add a pop of color to your wreaths and garlands, they also bring a vintage, cozy feel to your decor. These can be easily made by slicing and drying them in the oven, and then strung together with twine to hang as ornaments or garland.

• Incorporate whole fruits like apples, pears, and cranberries into your table settings or centerpieces. For a more rustic vibe, fill decorative bowls with unshelled nuts like walnuts, almonds, or chestnuts and place them around your home.
• One charming tradition is the clove-studded orange, also known as a pomander. Not only do these citrus fruits give off a wonderful scent when adorned with cloves, they can also be used as tree ornaments or arranged in bowls for a seasonal touch. Combining natural aromas of fruit, spices, and greenery will instantly bring warmth to your holiday home.
• To create dried citrus slices, simply slice oranges, lemons, or grapefruits and bake them at a low
  temperature until they’re fully dehydrated. Once dry, thread the slices onto twine to make a
  colorful garland, or attach them to wreaths and tree branches for a bright, festive touch.

Candles and Natural Lighting: Creating Cozy Ambience

Candles are essential in creating a warm, inviting atmosphere, and they fit seamlessly into natural holiday decor. Beeswax candles, for example, offer a subtle, earthy scent and a beautiful golden hue that complements natural materials like wood and greenery.

• Arrange candles of varying heights on your mantel, dining table, or windowsills, nestling them among pinecones, sprigs of greenery, or natural twine.
• Consider using lanterns filled with fairy lights or simple pillar candles. Wooden or metal lanterns pair beautifully with the organic decor, especially when placed on your porch or entryway to welcome guests.

Handcrafted Elements: Personalizing Your Space

One of the joys of using natural elements is that many can be found outdoors or created with your own hands. This holiday season; why not get crafty by creating personalized, handmade touches that embrace nature's simplicity. Homemade ornaments made from clay, salt dough, or felt can add a personal and natural touch to your tree. Using natural fibers like jute, burlap, or linen for bows, ribbons, or gift wrapping adds a rustic yet elegant look to your holiday presents.

How to Style a Nature-Inspired Christmas Tree

For a tree that brings the outdoors in, focus on using natural materials like wood, burlap, and
greenery, right alongside your traditional ornaments. 

• Start by choosing a neutral color palette, then layer in ornaments made from pinecones, acorns, or wood slices. 
• Add some texture by incorporating dried flowers, small branches, and twigs, then complete the look with burlap or twine garland. The result is a tree that feels both rustic and refined, perfect for creating a serene holiday setting.
• Consider using a wooden star or a simple burlap bow as a tree topper in keeping with the natural theme.

Using Holly and Berries for Festive Color

Holly and berries are classic symbols of the holiday season. They instantly add a pop of festive red
and green. 

• Use sprigs of holly in your wreaths, garlands, or table settings to create a traditional
  holiday look. 
• Tuck small branches into your Christmas tree for added depth and color. When styling with holly, remember that a little goes a long way—its vibrant colors and distinctive shape make it perfect for accenting without overwhelming.

Sustainable Gift Wrapping: Extending Nature’s Reach

The natural holiday theme can also extend to your gift-giving when you embrace sustainable and nature-inspired wrapping ideas. Instead of using traditional wrapping paper, consider using brown kraft paper or cloth wraps made from linen or cotton. These materials can be reused or recycled, making them more eco-friendly alternatives.

For an added decorative touch, tie your gifts with natural twine, jute, or raffia, and tuck a sprig of greenery, dried flowers, or a small pinecone under the ribbon. This not only makes the gift look beautiful, it also incorporates natural elements into your holiday wrapping.

Fabric wraps, such as those used in the Japanese tradition of Furoshiki, offer a reusable, eco-conscious option for wrapping gifts, and they look elegant when tied with a simple knot and adorned with a piece of foliage.

Decorating with natural elements this holiday season offers a refreshing and eco-friendly alternative to traditional holiday decor. By incorporating greenery, wood, dried flowers, fruits, and handcrafted items into your home, you can create a warm, inviting space that reflects the beauty of nature. These elements bring a sense of calm and earthiness to your home while also fostering a deeper appreciation for the simplicity and wonder of the holiday season.

As you decorate with nature’s gifts, you’ll find that the process of gathering, creating, and displaying these elements can be as meaningful as the decorations themselves. And this, in itself, is a true gift to your loved ones, and to nature itself.