Crafting Oversized Christmas Ornaments from Your Garden with Eco-Friendly Elements
For a touch of rustic charm, why not try making your own garden baubles using moss, seed heads, fruits, and other natural materials? Here's a guide to help you create these beautiful decorations.
Gathering Materials
Collect moss (live or preserved), seed heads, dried fruits, twigs, small branches, acorn caps, pinecones, and other natural items from your garden or nearby woodland area. You can also use materials like old man's beard and crab apples for a unique twist.
Creating the Base
Use lightweight natural bases such as dried gourds, mini grapevine wreaths, or small wood slices as the foundation for your baubles. For round shapes, mini grapevine wreaths or hollow dried fruit shells work well.
Attaching Natural Elements
Use strong craft glue or a hot glue gun to attach moss, seed heads, dried fruits, and small twigs onto the base. Arrange them artistically to cover the surface and create texture.
Adding Hanging Loops
Secure twine, thin wire, or natural fiber cords to your bauble for hanging on the tree. You can wrap twine around for extra decoration.
Making Crab Apple and Rosemary Baubles
Crab apples and rosemary are pierced with an awl or compass point before threading. The process for making the crab apple and rosemary bauble is similar to the Nigella one, but with alternating crab apples and rosemary. Start by cutting chicken wire into a cylinder shape, then crush the ends to form a ball. Create a loop for a ribbon by twisting the ends of the wire together. Thread the crab apples and rosemary onto the wire, alternating between the two. Secure the seed head stems with wire to keep them in place. Cover the chicken wire with damp moss and secure it with florist's stub wire.
Making a Christmas Garland from Love-in-a-Mist
For a garland, you can use seedheads from love-in-a-mist. A jar is used to form two rings, each with a diameter of 36cm and a wire thickness of 1.2mm. Nigella seed heads are threaded onto one ring and another ring is threaded through at a 90-degree angle. The bottom seed head is fixed, and additional seed heads are added on either side. The ends of the wire are twisted together to create a loop for a ribbon.
Expanding Your Christmas Decorations
This article provides more handmade Christmas decoration ideas, including wreaths and garlands, in the Christmas hub. If you want a more decorative approach, consider pairing these garden baubles with jute or burlap wrappings to add texture and secure materials firmly. Happy crafting!
[1] Source: Natural Craft Ideas [2] Source: Garden Bauble Tutorial [3] Source: Love-in-a-Mist Garland Tutorial [4] Source: Moss and Found Materials DIY Projects [5] Source: Jute and Burlap Wrapping Ideas
- To complement your rustic home-and-garden lifestyle, decorate your landscape with handmade Christmas decorations like garden baubles, wreaths, and garlands, as detailed in the Christmas hub.
- Boost the texture of your garden baubles by wrapping jute or burlap around them, a technique suggested in the Jute and Burlap Wrapping Ideas, creating a stylish addition to your home-and-garden decor.
