Christmas is just around the corner, and so the time to start decorating the home has come! This year, you might like to approach your Christmas decorations by trying some DIY crafts. DIY decorations are a great way to save costs and have the whole family spending time together creating something meaningful.
For these Christmas decorations, you won’t need to travel far to get what you need. Instead, you’ll just need to step outside. That’s right, we have brought together some DIY Christmas crafts that can be created using plants and foliage from your own backyard.
Take a look at our list of common plants found in Australian gardens, and how they can be used to create stunning Christmas decorations:
Eucalyptus
The Eucalyptus tree is an iconic native Australian plant for good reason. There are over 700 species of Eucalyptus trees ranging in sizes, from shrubbery to towering trees. They are made distinct through their peeling bark and unique leaves which give off a refreshing minty scent.
Their foliage in particular make them popular in the creation of Australian themed Christmas ornaments. They are likely a part of your garden already, so why not use some of its foliage to create a Christmas wreath.
Materials:
- Wire wreath frame
- Eucalyptus stems containing foliage
- Floral wire
- Ribbons, baubles, and other decorations (optional)
- Hook (optional)
Method:
- Cut pieces of floral wire around six inches long.
- Coil the Eucalyptus stems around the floral wire and twist the ends to secure it.
- Attach the Eucalyptus to the wire wreath frame by wrapping the floral wire around it. Start at the bottom of the frame and work your way up.
- Overlap your floral wire Eucalyptus stems throughout the frame to create lush foliage.
- (Optional) Now it’s time to add decorations. Ribbons and baubles are examples of what can be added to your wreath. Ribbons can just be wrapped around the foliage and tied. Baubles can be hung by threading floral wire through the ornament hook, and then wrapping it around the wreath frame.
- Display your wreath. You can hook it to the back of your door or display it on your mantelpiece.
Waratah
Waratahs are the floral emblem of NSW and a popular, distinguishing Australian symbol. Their large flowers can come in a variety of colours, such as red, which is what makes the flower a popular choice for Australian themed Christmas ornaments. If you want a pop of colour across your home this Christmas, you may want to create a Christmas garland.
Materials:
- Waratah plants
- Floral wire
- Wire cutters
- Leaves (for added foliage)
- Hot glue
Method:
- Cut excess length off your waratah stems to make them look more polished.
- Cut a piece of floral wire to create your desired garland length.
- Thread the floral wire through the waratah flower stems.
- Secure the flowers by coiling the wire around the stems tightly.
- Continue adding the flowers until the garland is full and covered. Coil or hot glue additional leaves onto the wire at this step to create more foliage.
- Hang your garland on your door or above the fireplace. Adhesive hooks are a simple way to hang these without having to pull out the drill.
Olive Plants
Olive trees are popular in Australian gardens for good reasons. They are easy to care for, low maintenance, but they can produce olives, albeit rather slowly! They are also well known for being a popular plant to use in Christmas decorations. This is due to their rustic appearance and biblical connotations, wherein the plant is referenced heavily throughout.
Aesthetically, they have a thinner, oblong shape, and a green and silver colour that brings a more sophisticated hue of green to the table. If you want to bring festive cheer to your formal dining table, then try the simplistic olive branch centrepiece!
Materials:
- Olive branches (approximately 7)
- Floral wire (optional)
- Berries and fruit
- Pine cones (store bought or from your garden)
Method:
- Gather your desired amount of olive branches, and cut the branches to your liking.
- Place them at the centre of your table closely together in a bunch. If you want them to stay in one place, tie them with floral wire in the middle.
- Decorate the olive plants by placing the fruit and pine cones around the bundle and atop it
Conifer
Conifer plants are known for their needle-like leaves and cones. There are over 400 species of conifer plants in Australia, which makes up 20% of the country’s native flora.
Their popularity is no exception in Australian backyards. Boasting beautiful foliage, a tolerance of many soil types and low maintenance makes it a common plant found in the garden. They are commonly used in Christmas decorations and the Christmas swag is one of them.
Materials:
- Conifer branches. Large and small sizes, making sure they are long and teardrop shaped.
- Floral wire
- Wire cutters
- Hot glue
- Decoration: Ribbons, artificial fruit
Method:
- Gather your conifer branches, and trim any excess stem.
- Lay down and sort the branches by smallest to largest.
- Gather them as a bunch, putting the largest branches at the bottom and layering the shorter branches on top. Fan them out slightly to achieve more lushness while still maintaining the swag’s typical vertical shape.
- Wrap the floral wire around the base of the branches to secure the stems together. With the excess floral wire, create a loop at this base of the swag so it can be hung. Trim accordingly.
- Wrap another floral wire around the other end of the branches. Trim excess wire.
- Now you’ve got the foundation, time to decorate! A bow is usually tied at the base of the swag. Your artificial fruit can be interspersed throughout the foliage, using hot glue or being tied with floral wire.
Christmas Cheer Right In Your Backyard
Get into the festive spirit this Christmas by creating DIY decorations using materials straight from your outdoor space! Plants and foliage from your garden can inspire fantastic Christmas decorations, and can create a more cosy, rustic atmosphere in your home. These are just some of the many decorations you can create this holiday season simply using the natural foliage from your backyard.