Guest Picks: Nature-Loving Holiday Decor
Christmas doesn’t always mean relentless red and evergreen to me. Sometimes I love to celebrate this season with decoration that reflects winter for what it truly is: a time when Mother Nature, deep in slumber and tucked beneath a blanket of snow, takes on a quiet, skeletal beauty. It’s a time of freezing weather and bare trees. The sunlight breaking through the freezing skies and the first snow fall are the true gifts of this season. — Justine out of Design Skool
Terrain
Copper Olive Leaf Garland – $38
Capturing the fleeting beauty of this first frost on fall leaves, Terrain’s aluminum and olive leaf garland is much more permanent.
Etsy
Eco Laser-Cut Cardboard Christmas Tree by Seequin – $18
In mini, these laser-cut cardboard trees are as stately and calm as the real thing.
Terrain
Stargazer Lights – $48
Instead of green plastic (which is never the exact same color as a true tree), Terrain’s Stargazer lights have aluminum cord, which makes the strand decoration in and of itself.
Anthropologie
Felted Polar Bear Ornament – $20
Willing to adopt the holiday season? This cuddly felted bear is.
Etsy
Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Ornament Sachets by Okay – $28
Filled with fragrant balsam needles, Quite Alright’s hand-sewn tree ornament combines great old-fashioned craftsmanship with a little bit of contemporary neon.
Etsy
Custom Artisan Candy Canes by Sweet, Sweeter, Sweetest – $65
These homemade candy canes by Sweet, Sweeter, Sweetest can be custom ordered in several flavors and sizes.
Etsy
Christmas Ornament, Big Pendular Folded Books by Paper Statement – EUR 35
Fashioned from recycled novels, a group of Paper Statement’s handmade decorations is as gently amazing as the falling snow.
Etsy
Hand-printed newspapers remind me of the ones my mom and I used to make using stamps we chased out of raw potatoes.
Etsy
Beautiful Windchimes by Irona – $34
Hand-forged from recycled metals, Irona’s mini bells result in charming Christmas decoration. As the weather warms, it is also possible to use them as wind chimes.
Olive Manna
Wire Garland – $8
Twisted into evergreens or just left on its own, this antique-inspired garland is a beautiful way to add a little bit of holiday glitter and glow.
Terrain
Magnolia & Pine Garland – $248
Hints of chestnut and chartreuse add a little bit of sophistication to this traditional garland.
Etsy
Coffee Stencil, Penguin Adventures by Cosmic Emotions – AUD 18
A mug of hot cocoa or a latte is a nice way to stave off winter’s chill. Adding a colony of penguin chicks will warm your spirit in addition to your body.
Papa Stour
Stocking, Personalized – GBP 30
Reminiscent of stockings which great-grandma used to make, these hand-embroidered woolens out of Papa Stour can be personalized with any name or saying.
Etsy
Organic Himmeli Ornaments by AMradio – $25
A Finnish tradition, handmade himmeli are easy, natural and easy to make yourself.
Etsy
Handmade Advent Calendar, 24 Handknitted Mittens by Irmi Black – $100
Hand-knit from Irmi Black, this charming advent calendar, that comes complete with mini clothespins and wood-burned amounts, will definitely be handed down for generations ahead.
Design Public
Filigrantrae Danish Wooden Christmas Tree – $275
You are able to use the Danish Filigrantrae tree year after year. It’s very good for small spaces or minimum design strategies. You can also use it as an advent calendar. On top of that, it isn’t plastic!
Christmas Tree Stand – EUR 45
Really getting back to fundamentals, this tree stand by Austrian designer Matthias Lehr is a fine illustration of simplicity at its best.
It should be noted that there’s debate about whether trees actually require water or not. Europeans testify their favored firs do not. Any Americans want to test it out?
Etsy
Wood Deer Postcard by Formes Berlin – EUR 4
Send a friend a little bit of DIY holiday cheer. Formes Berlin’s reindeer arrives as a wooden postcard and transforms into a festive reindeer.
Etsy
The MANorah by Frick and Frack Scraps – $27
Fashioned from branches that are real, you can’t get more natural than Frick and Frack Scraps’ MANorah.
Next: Winter Wonderland: The Beauty of White