Decorating your home for the holidays in the same way year after year can feel dull. Freshen things up by using green—more than you ever have before! Winter greenery can look lavish or spare, works with any style of decor, and provides hundreds of styling options. It doesn’t need to be complicated, however. Use what you usually have, with a few tweaks or additions here and there.
Faux or Real Greenery?
Similar to the debate over Christmas trees, the choice boils down to personal preference. Fresh evergreen boughs smell divine, but have a limited lifespan and may involve upkeep. If you’re not keen on cleaning up needles every week, faux may be the way to go.
The fact that you can reuse and repurpose artificial greenery in different ways is definitely appealing. The downside: it can be made of PVC (petroleum based) and visibly fake. A pronounced plastic appearance isn’t the sophisticated or rustic look that we’re seeking. Every year artificial greenery seems to look even more authentic, such as the above garland found in this review of the best artificial garlands or the ones available at higher-end home decor stores.
Green Thumb Points
You don’t need to be a garden pro to know all the types of foliage that can be used as winter greenery. The broad types to consider for your decor include:
- Conifers (evergreens with cones), eg: cedar, fir, juniper, pine, spruce
- Broadleaf evergreens, eg: bay, eucalyptus, holly, laurel, ivy
- Herbs, eg: rosemary, sage, thyme
If you’re using fresh, keep in mind some greenery is more fragrant and long-lasting (i.e. fir) while others may be sappy (i.e. steer clear of your sofa). For an extensive list of greenery and interesting tips, see local garden pro Stephanie Rose’s post on “The Best Garden Greenery for Holiday Decorating.”
So let’s deck the halls and the rest of the home with some of these elegant ideas gathered below!
1 / Oversized Vases of Greenery
Decorative ceramic vases are often tucked away or forgotten around the holidays. Fill yours with an extra-large bouquet of winter greenery. Using only a few lush branches is equally as eye-catching, yet low effort, as shown below.
2 / Potted Evergreen Trees
We love easy, versatile decor ideas. Big or small, potted Christmas trees work absolutely anywhere in the house. Create your own little forest with multiples on the doorstep, or scatter different sizes in the entryway (seen below).
3 / Layer Your Indoor Landscape
Layer winter greenery as you would the plants in your garden by mixing multiple sizes and types in one vignette. Wee wintery plants or greens also look lovely in pots on the wall, as shown by the Canadian bloggers, Love Create Celebrate.
4 / Asymmetrical Garlands
We’ve spotted several asymmetrical garlands over mantels and doors. The key to making this look work is a visual counterbalance to the longer side; and the ‘swag’ (dipping the garland), which gives the greenery more weight and movement.
5 / Boughs Beyond the Mantel
Garlands are the multipurpose hero of holiday decorating. They can be laid almost anywhere: over a doorway, on top of picture frames, down the centre of the holiday table, draped over entryway mirrors, and more.
6 / Sparkly Boughs
Weaving tiny fairy lights and/or sparkly trim makes simple boughs look abundantly more festive. The garland above sets the scene for a magical forest. It’s simple math, really: white lights plus greenery equals instant holiday ambience.
7 / Festive & Reflective
Hang a wreath on a mirror. (Pro tip: use a clear suction cup with hooks). For bigger impact, trim an entire oversized mirror frame with a thick garland.
8 / Deck the Bar Cart
Adding a beautifully lush bough without a doubt makes these bar carts more merry. The unexpected addition of pink ornaments and ribbon on the cart below is a lovely touch. Did you notice that both of these use eucalyptus?
9 / The More Wreaths, The Merrier
Multiple wreaths create impact. The ones above add a rich sense of texture and color, in such a way that the room doesn’t require much more decor.
10 / Greenery in Clear Glass
Adding a sprig of greenery in a clear glass bottle creates a simple, yet beautiful, Scandi-style look. Gather a collection in different sizes, or add a candle for the hygge-factor. A large glass vase full of winter greenery and white flowers is also striking.
11 / Bigger Isn’t Always Better
If you lean towards minimalist decor, keeping the greenery sparse is an elegant approach. We love the understated festive look of this simple branch. Same goes for the uncomplicated entryway below which pairs a small, streamlined wreath with a sprig of greenery above the mirror.
12 / Lay a Lush Table
You’re right—this isn’t a new idea, but we’re charmed by this foliage-rich tablescape. And let’s not ignore those whole pomegranates! Trimming the table with multiple layers of greenery (in this case, several types of eucalyptus), and finished off festive fruits & sparkly ornaments will be on our wish list this year.
Enjoy transforming your home with holiday greenery to welcome friends and family this season.
Feature image source: Emily Henderson