Foraging for natural Christmas decorations

Express your love for nature this Christmas and turn your home into a winter woodland wonderland.

When it comes to foraging for home decor, winter offers so many possibilities. Even the simplest, barest branch or handful of pinecones can be transformed into impressive decorations. And in these tough financial times, making your own decor from foraged natural materials is a satisfying and thrifty way to add festive flair to your home.

Where and what to collect 

The best hunting ground for wintry materials are gardens, woods, hedgerows, verges and field edges. Before you head off, make sure you have the permission on the landowner and follow our responsible foraging guidelines.

What to collect?

You're looking for evergreen foliage, twigs, branches, berries, seed heads, colours, textures - anything that catches your eye.

• Seeds, berries and cones: hawthorn, rosehip, spindle, holly, ivy, pine cones, chestnuts, crab apples
• Conifer foliage and branches: pine, cypress, fir
• Evergreen foliage: ivy, holly, mistletoe, eucalyptus
• Twigs, branches and stems: dogwood, oak, birch, willow, hazel, olive
• Seed heads: old man's beard
• Herbs, especially rosemary, bay and sage

Wreaths, wall and door decor

Weave together bendy branches or twigs like hazel, willow and ivy (variegated or plain). You can use a circular object, like a wreath frame, as a guide or just freehand for a rustic look. Add ribbons, stars and hearts and hang on doors, window frames and mirrors for a cute and Christmassy look. Or follow our instructions on how to make a holly wreath.

Bunch together plant stems and tie with ribbon, twine or raffia and attach to beams, over doorways or as an alternative to a traditional wreath. Mistletoe and red-berried holly are classics but go for anything that you find out and about including conifer branches, sprigs of eucalyptus, rosemary and bay.

Show-stopping centrepieces and vases

Create eye-catching displays using bare twigs or branches. Stand long twigs (birch branches works really well) in large glass, tin or ceramic vases and decorate with lights and baubles for an enchanting display that looks amazing on a sideboard, table or kitchen island.

Hanging branches

Hanging oak or other medium-sized tree branches to the ceiling is a great alternative to a Christmas tree and a cost-effective way to add chic glamour to your home this season.

Hoist up your chosen bow using ribbon or coloured string and attach it to the ceiling, beam or doorway. Have fun decorating with baubles and fairy lights. It makes a room look dramatic and spectacular, especially if it's hung above your dining table.

Christmas cake decorations

Adorn your Christmas cake with foraged plants for a simple, stylish Christmas cake. Obviously, you'll need to avoid poisonous species, so do your research. It makes sense to stick to culinary herbs like rosemary and bay that are safe and look lovely, too. Or gather edible berries and crystalise them using egg whites and caster sugar.

Christmas table settings and decorations

Food is central to the season, from casual buffets to full-blown Christmas Day dinner. And there's no better way to indulge your inner forager than with some wild-inspired table decor.

You don't have to be an expert 'tablescaper'. Vases of twigs, sprigs of foliage or pine cones strewn down the centre of the table around the glow of tea lights looks amazing. Or you can create a warm and cosy mood with a more traditional centrepiece: make a candle wreath using foliage and red or white berries.

Tying napkins with string or ribbon and tucking a small sprig of greenery behind the bow makes your table settings extra special.

Gift wrapping

Use plants to pep up plastic-free, no-fuss, elegantly wrapped Christmas presents. Start with plain paper (brown parcel paper looks great but white and black is also stylish), or old magazine pages or newspaper. Tie with contrasting ribbon or string and add a pop of greenery or colour with a sprig of foliage, holly, seed heads or berries.

Garlands and fireside

Deck the halls with boughs of holly... and ivy and eucalyptus and any other evergreens you can lay your hands on. Green foliage looks festive draped along mantelpieces or woven through bannisters. They also smell amazing, especially conifers, capturing the scents of the season.

Place baskets or bowls of pine cones by the fire. They look festive and once they've dried out, they make fantastic firelighters.