I took these photos at our local library, where Sherry did a brilliant job of decorating with boughs of Cedar and Pine cut from the trees in her backyard. Free is as frugal as it gets! If you don’t have a big back yard filled with evergreens, check with your local Lowes, Home Depot or Christmas Tree lot. Most of them give away the branches that are trimmed off the trees for free.
The bows, ornaments and Christmas “Picks” (ie those spikes w/pinecones, berries etc) are items that can be purchased once, then reused year after year. Plan ahead for next year and pick some of those items up for a song in the post holiday sales.
Enjoy-I hope they provide some inspiration!
Hi Jenn,
Love the decs. I like to dec. with nature ,a big bonus makes the home smells yummy.
Merry Christmas!
Blessins’,Lib
They’re beautiful and I bet they smell fabulous! Being in FL we have to pay huge bucks for freebies like that!!! .. We do have pine trees however, and use cones.. but not as aromatic as the firs… sigh. Thanks for sharing.
It never crossed my mind to cut my own boughs for in the house. Thanks for the great idea!
PS. I have linked to this article in Things to Write Home About, posting later on today.
Seems like after reading this, you can look around your own yard, and it opens your eyes to the possibilities that are right there in front of you. Such as, in my area, the leaves on the magnolia trees are still green – large and waxy, and would make beautiful boughs for a mantelpiece, tabletop, or foyer. Another plus for the magnolia–the branches are often low to the ground and easy to cut.
We can all echo the sentiment: “Use what you have! Your pocketbook will thank you.”
Lib-you are right. I just love the scent of pine and cedar. mmmm.
Tikig-No freebies? Even at Lowes & Home Depot? You should ask to be sure. But you have lots of other greens you could use. . .Do you have bay? Magnolia? Anything like that? Get uber creative with Pampas grass 🙂
Tara-Thanks for the link! And isn't it funny how you can sometimes run across an idea that just makes you slap your head and say "Why didn't I think of that?" It happens to me ALL THE TIME on the internet-so many wonderful folks out there with fab ideas.
foamfan-I love when folks use what they have. And magnolia leaves really ARE very beautiful!