Decorating with real greenery.

[UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername]

I have masses of cypress, conifery thing, piney stuff. Basically various shades of needley, scented stuff. Plus laurel, variegated holly, ivy and plain green miniature holly (neither holly has berries though). Also mexican orange blossom and something or other that has black berries. And pine cones and dried orange slices and florist's wire.

What can I do?

I've made a wreath for the front door. I want to do something with each of two big rectangular mirrors. And a million books talk about putting greenery over all the pictures and doorframes but I don't really know how that's supposed to look? I basically want the house stuffed full of lovely festive scented goodness. I've been looking on Pinterest but I'm just not finding it all that helpful.

I've spent the afternoon making a garland thingy... its started off as a very miserable looking plastic garland and has been tarted up with Holly, ivy and .... em, other stuff I pinched from the woods. Attached some baubles, lights, fake flowers. Its nicer than it sounds!

But the base was a big (9ft) wire garland thing... I don't think i could have done it from scratch but not very good at this! I just twisted stems in with the wire...

I did that one year. Pinterest doesn't warn you that in the warmth of the house, the creepycrawlies start coming out....

No garlands, but every year I make an arrangement in a copper bowl (after its annual polish) of trimmings from the Christmas tree and bits out of the garden. I just stick them in oasis in an inner bowl. I’m not at all artistic but it always looks nice..

Here’s the current one:

I do garlands on the beams and just a piece of ivy over mirrors and pictures. Just plonked on top but it looks nice!

You could use a spine of wires fairy lights , plaid the greenery in and out, secure with ribbons?

For pictures and mirrors, cut a length of thickish rope equal to top of picture and two thirds of each side. Make small bunches of greenery and wire them onto the rope working out from the middle in both directions. Add something in the middle - pine ones or orange slices - to cover. Drape over picture frame/mirror.

Or you can use shorter lengths that sit above the frame. You can use anything for your base really as it won’t be seen.

Or if you haven’t the patience or interest for garlands, get a sturdy glass vase and arrange long branches of greenery. You may need some stones in the bottom for weight. I love dogwood and holly like this.

Disclaimer: I mostly stick sprigs of greenery into existing fake garlands because I’m too lazy and cackhanded to make my own.

@Joditaylorfan

I think I've avoided that well by failing to secure said garland very well. Seeing as it has fallen down...ooh at least 6 times in the last 24hrs, im thinking most bugs will have buggered off or have concussion, at least

Am off to see if I can whack some nails in somewhere as command hooks aren't cutting it....

I've wound it all round the bannisters up the stairs this year -looks pretty good!