Christmas PROJECTS

For a seasonal celebration with sustainability at its heart, create beautiful decorations that everyone will admire with plants foraged from your garden

- WORDS HAZEL GARDINER PHOTOS NEIL HEPWORTH

There's something deeply joyful about creating your own festive wreath. Beyond the finished design, it's the gathering of materials and the act of making that brings a special sense of connection to the season. Each wreath becomes a reflection of where you live and what you love - whether that's branches gathered from your own garden, clippings of common species ethically foraged from public pathways or seasonal stems from your local florist. These natural decorations don't need to be complicated or costly to feel abundant and luxurious.

Simple handfuls of evergreens, berries or seedheads can be transformed into something beautiful for your door, table or mantel. By choosing what's at hand and in season, we're not only creating something unique, but we're also gifting the planet our care by celebrating Christmas in a more thoughtful and conscientious way.

Jewel red wreath

Inspired by the deep hues of winter, this wreath layers both dried and fresh materials, amplifying richness and texture. Rosehips and hydrangeas in fresh and dried states contrast with vivid crab apples and dusky hips for a jewel-like glow. Shelter this wreath from wind and rain to preserve its freshness. Hydrangea macrophylla will dry in situ, so keep and reuse for future projects.

You'll need

* Reel wire * 30mm reusable wire wreath base * Sustainably sourced sphagnum moss * Dry plant material such as Hydrangea macrophylla, larch cones, nigella seedheads and hops * Fresh foliage such as eucalyptus, Acacia baileyana, alder catkins, cedar pine and crab apples * 28-gauge stub wire * Waterproof floral tape * Wide double-sided velvet ribbon * Natural twine for hanging

Fresh foliage wreath