Natural Christmas Decorating Tips for House and Home

Last Updated on November 29, 2022 by Diane Hoffmaster

Looking for nature inspired Christmas decor?  As a fellow nature lover, I fully understand the need to keep things simple and of the earth whenever possible.  With these natural Christmas decorating tips, you can celebrate the season without all the over the top lights and plastic that you find in most stores.  

Natural Christmas Decorating Tips for House and Home

From DIY natural Christmas decorations to homemade potpourri made with dried orange peels, take a step back this holiday season and bring nature inspired Christmas elements into your home.  Embrace simplicity.  Bake cookies.  Watch Christmas movies with your kids.  Even if all you have time for is to buy wooden Christmas ornaments, find a few simple ways to downsize this holiday season. 

How do you start decorating for Christmas?

I absolutely love Christmas and all the food, traditions, and Christmas decorations that go along with this wonderful holiday.  One thing I am not all that thrilled with is gigantic plastic lawn decor or Christmas decorations that require huge amounts of electricity in order to operate. 

I prefer my Christmas decorations be a bit more subtle and help bring nature and a feeling of peacefulness to my home.  Simple yet meaningful Christmas decorations help bring a bit more meaning back into the chaotic holiday season.  How do you start decorating for Christmas?  Here are a few tips:

• Look for and wide: Nature inspired Christmas decorations can be found, made, bought, or upcycled.  Check out my post on natural decor ideas for tips. 
• Hang wreaths. More on that later!
• Make candles. Homemade candles are easy to make.  They also make wonderful gifts for family and friends.  Check out my Christmas candle ideas for inspiration.
• Sew stockings. If you need ideas, you can find Christmas stocking sewing kits to get you started.
• Add outdoor decorations.  If you want your front yard to be simple yet festive, hang outdoor solar fairy lights on your bushes and trees.  Not QUITE natural, but still simple and elegant. Outdoor decorating doesn't have to include a giant inflatable. 
• Put up indoor decorations.  Keep in mind the ideas of natural materials, upcycled items, and simplicity.

Choose a Natural Wreath

Your front door is the first place that all of your guests will see so you definitely want it looking pretty.  Choose a natural wreath instead of one that is filled with lights and plastic.  A simple and understated look will go a long way towards bringing peace to your front porch!  

Like this post about natural Christmas decorating tips?  Try these Christmas ideas, too:

• Frugal Christmas Centerpiece Idea for Your Holiday Table
• Simple Holiday Party Ideas to Help You Celebrate in Style
• Christmas Party Planning Tips and Artichoke & Kale Bruschetta Topper Recipe

If you want to make your own wreath, you will have to start with a wire wreath form for best results.  Then, head to your local nursery and see if you can get pine tree trimmings to tuck into it.  You can also find pine cones and acorns out in nature to decorate it with. 

How do you decorate with fresh greenery for Christmas?

Looking for tips to decorate with holiday greenery?  Think beyond the pine needles this month.   Here in the south, magnolia trees are very popular.  If you can find them where you live, mix in magnolia along with your pine boughs.  The large, glossy leaves give a rustic look to your homemade wreath.  

You can also decorate smaller areas with bay leaves, twigs, berries,  ivy, eucalyptus leaves,  or fresh holly branches .  And don't think you have to stick to a round wreath for your fresh Christmas greenery.  Stuff branches in baskets, cedar boxes, vases, or any other container that inspires you. 

Put stuff in baskets

Head out into the woods and gather yourself some pine cones.  Spray with a bit of water that has a few drops of essential oil in them.  Invest in a rustic box made of reclaimed wood.  Then, set your basket of scented pine cones on your table or fireplace mantle.  You now have a Christmas decoration that cost you very little money and brings a bit of the outside into your home. 

Make natural Christmas crafts

You can create quite a few Christmas decorations with simple and natural products you already have in your house.  Use cinnamon sticks glued to a tin can to create a simple candle holder.  Turn your old coffee grounds into Christmas ornaments.  Make some salt dough air fresheners with pine essential oil.  There are a lot of ways to bring nature into your home that also allow you to use your creative spirit! 

Choose Natural Materials for Christmas decor

Natural materials make much better choices for Christmas decorations than plastic.  You would be amazed at how beautiful decorations made from twigs can really be!  When you are out looking for your Christmas decorations, try to choose natural materials, pure essential oils, or recycled products to decorate your home. 

Bringing the outdoors inside always seems to inspire a peacefulness in my home that I really need during the chaotic holiday season!  Bring a little bit of peace inside and reduce your carbon footprint by choosing Christmas decorations made from and inspired by nature! Get inspiration for natural Christmas ornaments on HGTV.  

Diane Hoffmaster

Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy.  She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire  but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time.  You can learn more about her HERE.