Decorating from nature's cupboard

When I was about eight years old I remember looking at the large pyracantha bush in our backyard and thinking how much it looked like holly. At Christmas I dreamed of decorating with fresh holly because of the songs about holly, but it didn’t seem to grow in the California climate with our warmer winters. So I settled for pyracantha.

No one else in our neighborhood seemed to have discovered the joy of decorating with pyracantha, so I decided I needed to go into the business. Placing some of the green leaves and red round berries in pie tins then covering them with cellophane wrapping, I peddled my wares door-to-door. “Would you like to buy some decorating pyracantha for 25 cents?” I asked. The neighbors took pity on me and I came home with several quarters. Now I don’t know if any of the neighbors ever really used it as a decoration, but I did. I proudly placed a tin of pyracantha on our kitchen table for all to see.

Guess what? Pyracantha is still abundant in California and if you can find some growing you’ve got an instant Christmas decoration. Drape it over the mantle where the green leaves and red berries will be reminiscent of holly. For a no-fuss centerpiece place pyracantha in a crystal bowl.

Your house will take on a fresh flair if you decorate from nature’s cupboard. Bringing the outdoors in will give your home a crisp scent and also be a reminder of our beautiful natural world.

Simple ideas that will bring a touch of nature to your Christmas:

• It is a Christmas custom in some Swedish homes to decorate with white roses and red tulips. Floating the flowers in a bowl of water adds a nice touch.

• Pinecones decorated with glitter or gold paint give the home a sparkly touch.

• A pinecone tabletop tree is easy to create. Just form a cone from flexible cardboard and glue the pinecones to the sides. Top with one larger pinecone.

• White pfeffernüsse cookies also make a pretty conical tree. Prepare the base the same way as the pinecone tree, using white cardboard, and then glue the cookies to the cardboard.

• Citrus fruit makes a good Christmas decoration. Lemons and lemon leaves wound with raffia make a nice wreath. Clove-studded oranges and cinnamon sticks gathered in a bowl create an old-fashioned and fragrant decoration. For a variation, slice the oranges, let them dry, then place with cinnamon sticks.

• Fresh cranberries make a nice tree garland. Stringing cranberries can get a bit tedious, but if you pop a Christmas video in the television, it will be done before you know it.

• Red and green chili peppers can be fashioned into interesting wreaths or just hung near a doorway for a bit of a Southwestern touch.

• Decorating with seashells is easy and inexpensive. Choosing white shells of various sizes interspersed with stout white candles along a gold table runner will lend light and sparkle to any table. Elongated trumpet-shaped shells mingled with white cockles or clams make an interesting tableau.

Decorating from nature’s cupboard will not only give your home a fresh look but will subtly scent it with a tinge of aroma that can’t be found in a bottle.