Decorating with fresh greens for the Holidays has always been a passion of mine. For the past few years, I have performed this ritual not only for myself but for several clients! After so many people have asked me for tips on the best ways to decorate, we thought it would be fun to put together a checklist for the entire process! 

Here are the five easy steps to decorating with fresh greens for the holidays!

First: Placement

Walk around both the inside and outside of your home and decide where you would like to display your fresh greens.

1- Your Entrance

The entrance to your home is a wonderful area to hang a wreath or drape the door with fresh garland. Unlike, other Christmas items such as ornaments, trees and stockings, wreaths need nothing but themselves. They can stand alone, on doors, walls, table tops, indoors or out.

Decorating with swags of fresh garland around doors are a wonderful and welcoming addition to any entrance. This will make even the most simple of entrances look grand.

2- Table Tops or Containers

Fresh greens look lovely on table tops as centerpieces. There are a variety of containers that you can use, simple glass vases, antique metal garden urns, terra-cotta pots just fill them up with your favorite fresh greens and you have an instant natural display. You may choose to add cut flowers, such as red roses, to your beautiful vase filled with fresh greens.

3- Bookcases and Furniture

Laying mixed fresh greens on top of your furniture and bookcases adds interest and color to an otherwise boring piece of furniture. These greens can be displayed with bulbs in containers such as paper whites and amaryllis. Bulbs can be bought online or at a garden store. When planted in a container and “forced’ to grow with soil and water the bulbs will produce beautiful flowers.

4- Mantles

Mantles are probably my favorite way to display fresh greens. Let beautiful mantle decor turn your fireplace into an eye-catching focal point for the holidays. Layers and layers of fresh greenery that can be decorated with a variety of items.

Second: Sourcing

Now it’s time to decide where to cut your greens.

1 – From your own home

The least expensive way to gather your fresh greens is in your own backyard. If you own your own home, incorporate holly, ivy, cypress, boxwood and magnolia in your landscaping plans. This way, all you have to do is walk out your door and ahh…..everything you need is right there.

2 – From your tree

Another good time to gather your holiday greens is when you go to cut your Christmas tree. You can even make a family outing of it since you will be cutting your tree anyway. Pack a bag or basket with clippers, shears, and gloves. Also for the loose clippings, pack an extra heavy-duty trash bag. Reminder, when you cut your greens and berries, cut the branches at an angle as close to the joint as possible so you don’t damage the trees.

3 – From a store or market

If you don’t have the setup yet in your yard and you can’t cut down your own tree you can always go to local markets, stores, and outdoors vendors that will have some fresh greens available. Some even pre-decorated!

Third: Selecting the Greens

Have in mind what fresh greens you will be cutting for the best decorating. I have listed below a few of the best cutting greens for the area that I live in, Northern, Virginia.

1- Holly

Holly trees with red berries are the most colorful of winter trees and will accentuate any natural display that you set up during the holidays. On a table, across a mantlepiece, at a window, on a wreath, or in a planter. Simply clip clusters of red berries or long stems of leaves and berries and add them to all your favorite holiday greenery.

2- Ivy

has been used in holiday decorating for centuries. It’s perfect to twist and drape across mantles and hang loosely out of arrangements of greens on tabletops.

3- Cypress and Juniper

Cypress and juniper make excellent choices laying flat across a mantle or wired together with holly. Urns filled full of these beautiful branches add the perfect texture and shade of green to the exterior of the home.

4- Boxwood

Boxwood is another beautiful holiday green. With is small leaves that dry beautifully, it can be cut and placed in wreaths and inserted with other greenery for tabletop arrangements and across mantle tops.

5- Magnolia

If you are fortunate enough to have a magnolia tree or have a friend that does and is willing to let you clip branches, it is truly the most amazing for home and seasonal decorating. With it’s long, shiny, green leaves, the Magnolia is used in planters, across mantle tops and when added to Cypress and Juniper, make the most gorgeous garland.

Fourth: Prepping

When you get your greens home and if you have a folding table or a work table of any kind set your greens up for decorating. Lay down plastic sheeting or newspaper so that you can roll up all the debris when you are finished. Set out florist wire, clippers, ribbons, and ornaments or anything else you’d like to work into your creations re-snap everything you’ve gathered into manageable pieces. If necessary, measure the space once you decide where your arrangements will go.

Fifth: Decorating

Add that festive touch by threading ribbon, glittery cord, glass or wood beads, lights, or strings of popcorn through the greens. To domesticate them further, add dried pomegranates, pinecones or walnuts. If you can’t wire them to your greens then try working with a hot glue gun available at most Michael’s or Home Depot or craft stores. Keep the party going until the whole house is decorated. You will be thrilled with the results.

There you have it! The step-by-step way to make your home festive, smell amazing, and bring some holiday cheer to everyone coming to visit this season! As a final bonus, here are several examples of ways we have used greens in the past to give you some inspiration!

Do you want to share this checklist with a friend or use it when you’re working on the house? Download our checklist with additional bonus inspiration photos at the link below!

Click Here to Download the Checklist to Decorating with Fresh Greens