Christmas Decor – An unconventional Christmas decoration

This week we are looking at alternative Christmas tree ideas…

It was always going to be tricky. Bright and shiny, baubles and glitter or simple and rustic. I couldn’t decide, so I took inspiration from all three. Bright, baubles and simple. With a bit of rustic thrown in. The Spotty One remains unsure, looking out of the corner of his eye as his tail brushes past her. And Master M, returned home from Uni simply grunted “she’s still here then” in more of a statement of fact manner than a question. I am of course talking about the delightful Doris. And I simply cannot wait for you to see her Christmas decor …

I love that right on our doorstep, infact 10 small steps from our boundary across a quiet and unmade road, is the start of some of the most breathtaking walks in Hampshire. Sometimes I ask “why did it take so long to get here?” figuratively speaking I mean. And I think the answer has to be, I just would not have understood the privilege of living somewhere so naturally beautiful and wonderful, if I’d been lucky enough to do so before. I would not have enjoyed its peace and semi-remoteness. I feel sure I would have complained at its few shops and the drive to the nearest post office. I would not have got the whole a few doors away from the local pub vibe we have going on here. And without a doubt I would not have enjoyed the woodland walks as I do now with The Spotty One.

Last weekend it was just me, the dog and Mr M so we went for one of those beautiful walks as we love to do. With our big blue Ikea bag and secateurs we climbed the small hill, walked a fair distance and foraged for my unconventional Christmas decor. We took a few trimmings from a few fir trees with Mr M justifying the process as “helping nature with a little thinning out”. We gathered moss from the fallen branches of a huge silver birch for my indoor Christmas bulbs and then we began the walk back home to freshly made coffee with a homemade biscuit or two.

Then whilst Mr M chopped more logs (we seem to get through a few these days) I began the happy task of dressing Doris with foliage in her Christmas decor. As with her autumn get up you saw here, I started at the bottom, poking fir off-cuts through the chicken wire, working my way up to waist height, overlapping as I went. Spot The Spotty One.

Once at the waist I threaded a few previously bleached pine cones with florist wire and placed them around the front of Doris to form a type of dropped waistband.

These twinkly lights from here get a real thumbs up from me. I’ve bought a few sets this year. They are inexpensive, delivered within a couple of days and I can see will be used through dark January and February days, until the first signs of spring start to show. I simply wrapped them around the pine cones and dropped the battery pack behind the skirt.

The dining hall in our bungalow where Doris lives, will eventually be the entrance hall to the house we build. It’s a space I can totally see in my mind’s eye and it will be painted in shades of grey and white. Colour will come from pretty accessories and flowers and a few paintings and prints here and there. And there will be a huge mirror of course. And there will be Doris adding playful colour with her fun outfits.

For her Christmas decor outfit, I played around with a few ideas for her top half yet nothing seemed quite right. Choices either looked too glitzy or too dull. And I felt the need for a bit of colour around her neck, unusual I know. So I went with this little number using old blue baubles from Christmas’ past.

And here she is in all her finery…

Unconventional Christmas tree ideas I agree and yet perhaps my favourite decor this year. That is after the Christmas tree I mean. Oh and the rustic decor at Belle’s. I hope her skirt makes it to Christmas day and a little beyond when friends and family visit our home for the holidays. And I hope too your Christmas decor is coming together now, in time for the festive fun. As I write this blog post, the snow is falling ever-so lightly and I have to declare, I am more than a little excited for the few weeks ahead. Have a wonderful week yourself and I do hope you can join me next Thursday. I have a little Christmas story to tell. x

Why not share your Christmas tree ideas…