Great ideas for no-fuss holiday decor that’s all natural.
Written byJess ChamberlainNovember 10, 2008
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Create a stunning centerpiece
Combine organic and architectural elements for streamlined elegance. A piece of 1/4-inch-thick acrylic plastic (cut to fit at a framing shop) rests atop a bright jumble of berries and seeded eucalyptus. Vintage blue-glass bowls overflowing with deeper red berries are staggered with taller clear-glass candlesticks for a layered effect.
What we used
Pepperberry
Red berries such as viburnum and pyracantha
Seeded eucalyptus
Style tip Arrange berry and eucalyptus branches after setting down plates to make sure the proportions are right.
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Have a seat
Floral-wire letters wrapped in floral tape, dusted with blue glitter, and overlaid with glued-on pepperberries serve as place cards. Use cuttings from a florist or your garden to dress up the table.
10-minute party trick Make single-variety bouquets. Stick loose bunches of berries or flowers in colorful containers, and arrange in groups of two or three
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Welcoming entrance
A row of white lanterns and vintage red sap buckets adds spark to the entryway. Protect a non-watertight container by dropping in a small plastic container (an empty yogurt tub works well).
What we used
Geraldton waxflower
Style tip To maximize the life of your bouquets, clip 1 inch off stems before putting them in water
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Warm up a winter window
Violet anemone and hyacinth blooms, seeded eucalyptus, and green winter berries are displayed like rare specimens in bell jars below a wreath. The large glass-cloche terrariums are from Campo de’ Fiori (from $147; campodefiori.com for stores). We used anemone, berzilia, hyacinth, pepperberry, seeded eucalyptus, and Viburnum tinus.
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Colorful bouquet
Show off a vibrant mix of berries, seeded eucalyptus, and flowers in a pedestal bowl.
When arranging, think triangles: Start by sticking three of the heavier branches into the bowl at an angle and evenly spacing them, then continue layering branches within this frame, turning the bowl as you work and interspersing smaller sprigs for balance.
We used blackberry cuttings, grape hyacinth (Muscari), nandina berries and leaves, red viburnum, [urplish Viburnum tinus, and seeded eucalyptus.
Anchor heavier branches by loosely tying together their stem ends with a piece of twine.