How to decorate your home for christmas in a stylish and elegant way using seasonal flowers
Christmas is the most magical time of year and we want our homes to reflect that magic by decorating with the finest seasonal foliage & blooms. I want to talk you through some beautiful ways that you can decorate your home for the festive period and make it a truly unforgettable Christmas.
As a florist in Devon we are lucky enough to decorate our clients homes for Christmas, some opt for full festive luxe with trailing mantel and stair designs, statement wreaths and full table displays. Whilst, some choose to celebrate in a simpler way with perhaps just a stunning wreath and foliage vases throughout. Here are some simple ways that you can add some natural and timeless festive cheer to your home interiors.
Hang a welcoming door wreath:
If you were to decorate only one place in your home this Christmas, aside from a tree of course, then make it your front door. Not only will a Christmas wreath greet guests on arrival, I can guarantee that it’ll cheer you up every time you come home from work or perhaps the busy Christmas shops and welcome you back into the calm and tranquility that is your own home! Christmas wreaths come in all shapes and sizes, you can make your own via a tutorial, here is a link to my YouTube video which is a really easy to follow tutorial showing you how to make your own wreath. / Or of course you can purchase from a florist. Keep it simple with festive foliage such as pine, fir, spruce, ivy and holly (lots of which can be foraged if you have a garden, these winter shrubs are in season all year round so come into their own in the winter months!) Add in berries, pine cones, orange slices, or twigs of larch or elder for more texture and interest. Finish with a big juicy bow in the colour of your choice! You can go with classy velvet in muted greens or greys, or unashamedly festive bright red satin. That is the beauty of a Christmas wreath, they are all individual and bespoke as we are.
Dress your whole porch for Christmas with foliage:
If you really wanted to go extra on the natural Christmas decorations for the outside of your home, then I would highly recommend a form of foliage swag to drape over the entrance porch. You could even hire a florist to create a foliage installation to surround your door, which is a complete statement, but I feel totally worth it and is a far more classier look than a blow up snowman! Use long-lasting foliage such as blue spruce, fir and pine to ensure your display lasts the whole festive season and springily outdoor fairly lights throughout. Potted cyclamen are another way to add a touch of winter colour to welcome your guests. I adore red cyclamen at this time of year for a bolder, traditionally festive look or if you prefer classier neutrals opt for white. You can get beautifully frilly or two tone varieties of cyclamen which are always a bit of fun! Use terracotta pots or galvanised steel and plant up amongst textural plants like skimmia or ivy.
How to style your Christmas Dinner Table:
If you are hosting Christmas dinner this year it is not all about the food and drink, in order to create a welcoming and festive atmosphere I would recommend thinking about how you will decorate the table. First things first, what size is your table and what shape? If you have a round dinner table then opting for a low lush bowl of tumbling seasonal winter foliage and blooms will work perfectly in the centre of your table. Make it low enough so guests can see over to each other from the other side, this is crucial as there is nothing more annoying than a table centre at eye height blocking conversation. If you are on a longer table then you have a few more options for Christmas table styling options. A beautiful foliage garland could sit throughout the centre, or lots of gorgeous bud vases and votives filled with berries and blooms placed in clusters throughout. Or you could opt for smaller low bowls down the centre, amongst bud vases for a really full look or on their own for a simpler feel.
what else can i add to style my christmas dinner table:
Do not forget candles as Christmas is not Christmas without candlelight. Coloured taper work well with your colour scheme, and of course tea lights are a must. Ensure there is room for glasses, wine, water amongst the flowers and then you are ready to go. Consider your linen choices too, do you prefer a natural muted tone and let the flowers sing for themselves or a more interesting festive pattern… there are some beautiful patterned linens about, which although are bolder in look I feel are still completely timeless and one you can get our year upon year. Linen napkins are essential and think about adding special little place names for your guests to really feel thought of and considered. Sprigs of holly, larch or even a simple couple of pine cones tied with ribbon can add that final flourish to your place setting.
How to decorate your mantelpiece for christmas?
Every year I love dressing my mantelpiece with a beautifully lush overflowing display of foliage and choice Christmas blooms such as amaryllis. Admittedly the log burner will be burning (although typically in the UK Christmas Day is usually very mild and usually wet!) So maybe the fire is not absolutely needed, but aesthetically and to add atmosphere it is! I use troughs full of water and chicken wire to hold the foliage in place, placing huge swathes of pine and spruce branches to fill the space, adding in beaches of lichen or alder and then add in my statement blooms. Amaryllis are a gorgeous cut flower that epitomise Christmas for me and come in a huge range of shades from the purest white through to two tone peach and blush, orange, crimson red and the deepest burgundy. I would place these in vases or bottles behind the troughs to ensure they are well supported as they are a particularly top heavy bloom when in flower.
If you are looking for a simpler way to dress your mantel, then a quick foliage swag or pine branches laid amongst taper candles and votives is a beautiful and effective way of doing so.
Dress your staircase for Christmas:
Staircase swags and garlands can look fabulous and really add such interest into your hallway, a place that traditionally would get overlooked on the Christmas decoration front. Again loose natural garlands of Christmas foliage can look beautiful hung from the bannister, you can attach with festive ribbon, feed in some twinkly fairy lights for extra colour too. Be mindful of potentially keeping the hand rail free if you have guests that will be needing the bannister, or at least warn them in advance that the foliage is tough and sturdy and you can still grab onto the foliage covered bannister!
Place large vases of winter foliage around the house as an accent:
Decorating your home with stylish and natural ingredients can be as easy as simply arranging some winter foliage or branches in a beautiful vase. foliage is our friend at this time of year, and by working seasonally it is always the best approach. Even a few choice swathing branches of pine that curve in just the right way can add that touch of class to a usually neglected corner or sideboard. Add in some bright red Ilex berries for an extra festive punch, or again spread the amaryllis throughout your home. For me, pine and amaryllis will always be a timeless combination and an unbeatable one. Think about your vessels and instead of using maybe your usual glass, have you a warmer toned ceramic you can use that will bring the much needed warmth to your home during the festive period. Vintage ceramics are a great find, or even a more natural terracotta works well with the festive blooms and foliage.
Tips for looking after your Christmas Flowers and Foliage Wreaths or Garlands:
Take your door wreath off once a week and dampen the moss to ensure the foliage is still soaking up the moisture, this will increase it’s longevity, but to be honest with how damp our winters our the wreath will probably fine without as it will be drawing in the moisture from the air. Said from a florist living in a usually damp North Devon!
Change water in your vases regularly. Bacteria gathers and grows in water so do change the water regularly, every couple of days if you can ( I know we are time poor at this festive period, but this really will help your flowers and foliage go the distance)
Where possible keep your flowers away from direct heat or draughts. I know this is easier said than done, for example with your mantelpiece design. However, I decorate my mantel fully knowing that the fire will be on and the flowers may not last as long as they typically would, but I am ok with that.
If you are looking for Christmas wreaths, garlands, swags or table decorations for your Christmas in North Devon then I will be delivering wreaths from the last week of November, and flowers up until the 23rd December. Please use the contact page to get in touch to discuss your requirements, be it dressing your beautiful North Devon home or Christmas or simply ordering a wreath, I would love to hear from you!