The Christmas season is fast approaching, and houses are now starting to twinkle and flourish in annual decorations. Whether you’re someone who puts them up close to Christmas or starts to hang them many weeks before, you can’t beat making your own decorations by hand. It’s the sense of achievement as well as having unique designs and fragranced décor, so we thought we’d share some ideas with you. For an added bonus, making your own decorations is also environmentally friendly and cost effective – practice now and you may even be able to sell some to make a bit of money next year.

You can purchase wired wreath frames quite cheap or, if you want a more natural looking wreath, you can grow or buy willow, which you can weave into circles and decorate as you want. The size of it can be to your choosing too, as you can cut the willow to any length you want, but make sure you’re careful. Willow can crack, and a cracked stem isn’t easy to weave.

Once you’ve got your wreath frame, whether wire or willow, it is time to garland with your decorate material. Anything can be added to the wreaths; ribbons, flowers, berries, leaves, there are no rules when it comes to making your own. You may want to forage in your garden or in hedgerows, or perhaps you’ll find what you want at a farmers market or a shop.

Anything goes (as long it’s not harmful to handle or have around children and pets) but ideas to get you started could be things like;

• Holly
• Ivy
• Euonymus
• Mistletoe
• Rosemary
• Statice
• Spindle

and many more things to choose from. That is the beauty of making your own: it’s all your choice so you can be as creative as you wish.

If you’re unsure about adding the additional material or where to place it, have a practise and see how you get on before starting, and don’t feel like you have to overfill the wreath. Less is more, and you don’t want to overpower the wreath, or make it too heavy. The last thing you need is a big, clumpy thing hanging on your door, too jam-packed full of décor. It’s also a waste of the material, when you could use it for another wreath. Keeping it simple and fresh is what will make it stand out.

Once you’re finished you can hang your wreath, sit back and enjoy your handiwork.

More information on making your own Christmas wreath, decorations or growing your own flowers, can be found in The Flower Farmer’s Year by Georgie Newbery. Her newest book, Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers, is also out now.