Читать книгу Homemade Christmas and Festive Decorations: 25 Home Craft Projects - Ros Badger - Страница 11

Festive mantelpiece

There are all sorts of fancy Christmas decorations for sale in the shops, but to our mind, nothing can beat the traditional favourites, especially a holly and ivy garland over a roaring fire.

You will need

 Trailing ivy (can be freshly pruned from the garden or bought from a florist)

 Sprigs of holly

 Fir cones, berries and other woodland items, perhaps gathered on a winter’s walk

 Set of fairy lights

 Baubles and other favourite decorations

To decorate the mantelpiece

• Clear and dust your shelf or mantelpiece, then drape the ivy in swags, anchoring the pieces with the heavier sprigs of holly and punctuating with fir cones, bright berries and other natural objects.

• Weave a set of fairy lights in among the foliage – plain white or red chilli pepper lights look wonderful at Christmas.

• Add a few baubles, other special decorations or cards as you like. It can be nice to give homemade cards some recognition by displaying them in a prominent place, as shown below.

• A real fire in the grate is the true finishing touch. If you have one, stack plenty of wood alongside it for a feeling of warmth and security, whatever the weather. For Christmas, you might like to track down some apple or pear wood, both of which burn with a gloriously atmospheric scent.

Tips

The garland doesn’t have to be made of ivy – pine, holly leaves or any evergreen will do. To decorate stairs, tie the evergreen and baubles to some thin rope using twine or wire.