How to Decorate With Fresh Cut Holly

Fresh cut holly adds a very festive touch over the holiday season. If you plant a holly tree within several years you will have holly available to cut for decorating. Bring the outdoors inside with beautiful Holly branches and add a touch of nature to your Christmas decorating.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh cut holly
• Red or green ribbons to decorate for Christmas
• Strong cutting shears
• Vase

Instructions

1. Find a holly tree in your yard with enough branches available to cut some to bring into your home. Pick branches that have healthy leaves and perhaps some red berries as well.

2. Fill a large vase with water and insert some tall holly branches for a very dramatic centerpiece to a dining table. The vase full of holly would also be beautiful in the foyer area of a home.

3. Pick about ten tall branches of holly to use as a swag over the top of your curtains. Either just tuck the holly branches into the area between the curtain rod and the wall or attach the holly to the curtain rod with florist's wire or festive red or green ribbons. Use the holly abundantly to make a dramatic swag of bright green holly over your window. This display will add a very festive holiday feel to any room.

4. Make a wreath out of Holly branches. Cut the branches into smaller pieces and attach to a round foam wreath with florist wire. Add a red or green ribbon twined through the branches and or place a large bow made of ribbon at the bottom or top of the wreath. You may want to add some glitter to the leaves with super glue to make the wreath even more festive.

5. Make a holiday wall hanging with holly. Pick 5 to 7 branches of holly and cut them to a similar size. Bind the branches together at the top with florist's wire or a rubber band. Then tie a large ribbon in solid green or red, a plaid holiday print, or gold or silver around the top if the holly wall hanging. Hang the holly swag on the wall and await the compliments you will receive.

Tips & Warnings

• Shop flea markets and thrift shops through out the year to find inexpensive ribbons and florist wire to use to hang the holly.

• Avoid use of holly if you have small children in the home. Holly leaves are prickly and should be well out of the area in which children or pets play.