An old fashioned country Christmas has a timeless appeal. No one knows that better than the folks at rustic-lodge-lifestyle.com so they’ve put together a few tips and ideas to share with you. Whether you live in the country or not, you can still put some rustic in your Christmas.
"Here are some ideas for a rustic Christmas that can be enjoyed by all ages," says Sandra Thornton. "You will be creating more than decorations, you'll be creating memories that will last for years."
Do-it yourself table centerpiece
A simple but elegant way to dress up your dining room table is to create a striking rustic Christmas centerpiece using readily available, natural materials. It’s really quite easy and doesn’t take long to do.
If you have coniferous trees close by, cut a few boughs (pine, silver fir, and cypress retain their needles especially well), gather up some pine cones, and if you can find them, a couple of branches with red berries. I found my supplies in the forest outside my home. A shiny bobble or two, perhaps some red or gold ribbon, and some candles are all you need in addition to your natural materials. By artfully arranging these items you can create a visually appealing, fragrant, and very rustic looking centerpiece.
Note: be very cautious with candles. Make sure the flame is not close to the evergreen boughs or any other flammable materials. Make sure you always extinguish your candles before leaving the room! And, only keep this natural centerpiece on the table for a few days over the holidays because as the boughs dry out they become VERY flammable and will start to drop their needles.
Pomander
Literally, apple of amber in French, a pomander is generally thought of as a mixture of aromatic substances. For our rustic Christmas ornament, we make a pomander out of an orange and cloves.
Children will enjoy this project. I made my first one when I was 12. Now I’m making them with my grandchildren. Making a pomander is fun and easy.
All you do is stick whole cloves into an orange until it is evenly covered all over. Use a push pin to pierce the skin of the orange. At minimum there should be an equal amount of clove cover with orange showing through. As it dries, the cloves preserves the orange so it doesn’t rot and the aroma of the cloves and orange is wonderful! Garnish it with ribbon and you're ready to hang it on the tree, over a window, or above a doorway. You can even give it as a gift. This natural ornament will last for years.
Chistmas garlands
We love the look and feel of natural garlands. You can use a variety of natural materials – evergreen boughs, crab apples, dried flowers, cinnamon sticks, and pine cones.
Here is a very simple and rustic looking garland – made of popcorn and fresh cranberry. Again, this is a fun project to do with kids!
Use strong thread. You can also use thin fishing line but it really doesn’t need to be highly durable – you’ll throw it out when the holidays are over. You will need a large needle. Make your popcorn and set it aside to cool. Make enough to snack on too! Even young children should be able to thread the popcorn successfuly (watch out for the needle) but they may find the cranberries too difficult.
You may want to create a repeating pattern - such as three berries and one piece of popcom - or you can choose to create a random string.
Harvest your own tree
Cutting down your own Christmas tree is the stuff of romance and memories! If you have land with coniferous trees, you can harvest a tree from your own property. If not, do you know anyone who will give you permission to cut a tree on their property. Take a small, sharp buck saw with you.
When heading out to get your tree, remember you have to come back the same distance, only you’ll be dragging a tree!
The first time we did this was on property belonging to my in-laws. Our kids were about 5, 8, and 10 years old. It was a chilly day and there was a fair amount of snow. We found our tree, cut it and hauled it back. It's surprising how much a tree can change size from the time you first find it outdoors to when you bring it into the house! So make sure your tree is the right size before you cut it down. Our tree was perfect - once we took the top off so we could stand it in the house! Do you know we all still laugh and reminisce about that tree!
Real or artificial - which is greener? Despite the convenience of an artificial tree, it may surprise you that a real tree is the "greener" choice. Artificial trees are made from non renewable petroleum products. It’s the impact on the environment when the tree is manufactured and again when you dispose of it that tips the scales in favor of the real tree. We encourage you to plant a tree (or several) to replace the one you cut down.
Ready for your rustic Christmas? Not everyone has the time or inclination to pursue the type of projects outlined above. If you find yourself running out of time, with just too much to do at this time of year, check out the rustic Christmas selection and ideas at Rustic-Lodge-Lifestyle.com.
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