Ideas for Seasonal Decorations

by Charlie Rainbow Wolf

seasonal decor

How many times have you had a wonderful idea for a decoration to go with a particular season or holiday, only to find out that you should have started several weeks ago in order to have everything you need? Maybe you’ve thrown something together last minute, and while everyone else thought it was awesome, you kept thinking how much better it could have been if only you’d planned ahead. With a little forethought, you can produce stunning seasonal decorations for your table and other areas, and it doesn’t have to break the bank either. It only takes organization—and, in my case, the ability to actually remember what it was I’d planned to do in the first place!

Planning

Let’s start with the basics. It may be off-season now, but there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t curl up on a cold or wet day and plan out what you hope to achieve for future festivities. My daughter depends on a bullet journal to organize her thoughts. I have a large loose-leaf binder with subject dividers. We’re both avid writers, though; if you’re not, you might want to go with something more simple, such as a month-at-a-glance planner or even an app for your phone or tablet. There’s no wrong or right way to do this part. The main thing is that you brainstorm your ideas out of your head and into a notebook or program where you can start to organize them.

Begin by writing down the occasions you wish to celebrate and how you’re planning on theming them. Is this an indoor or outdoor event? That will make a difference, because the weather is never guaranteed.

Once you have listed the experience you’re making the decorations for, it’s time to conceptualize what you want to do with it. Consider colors, what’s going to be available at that time of year, what’s within your budget, whether you’ll need to obtain unusual items or enlist the help of someone else, and more. Make notes of everything that might go wrong too, so that you’re able to see where backup plans are necessary. There’s nothing worse than planning an elaborate outdoor Halloween decoration focused on candles and jack-o’-lanterns, only to have it rain!

Now it’s time to prioritize your lists. What is most important? What’s absolutely necessary to pull this off? What’s merely a cool addition but not part of the fundamental piece? Look also at what you can prepare beforehand so there’s not so much pressure on you when it comes to putting your decoration together. Baked goods can be frozen; flowers and herbs can be dried. You might be able to purchase end-of-season things on clearance to be incorporated at another time or even the next year. For example, decorations that are appropriate for flag-centered or patriotic holidays might be purchased at one and used for another—they are the same colors, after all. The colors of Halloween spill over into Thanksgiving, perhaps even Christmas too. If you’ve made your lists and have them with you, then you’ll always be ready to take advantage of the seasonal sales in the shops.

So, you have your list of celebrations, and those lists are broken down into things you need to purchase or acquire and things you need to make or do. The last step in the organizational process is to work out a time frame. What do you need to do a week before? A month before? Even more in advance? If you structure these into your planner, then you’ll have your reminders so that nothing gets overlooked or forgotten. Just remember to keep checking your planner.

Seeds and Plants

One of the simplest ways to know you’re going to have what you need when it’s time to make your centerpiece is to grow it yourself! Obviously, you won’t be able to plant a sapling and gather a bountiful harvest the same year, but it is possible to grow seasonal items such as herbs and flowers for future use. If you have a larger plot of land, think about making a raised bed dedicated to your decorations. Even if you live in an apartment or are unable to get out and garden, growing things in bags of potting soil or in pots on the windowsill isn’t beyond reach.

Some grow-your-own ideas might be peppermint for Christmas, pumpkins and squash for Halloween or Thanksgiving, and daffodil bulbs for spring and Easter. These all have very different growing habits and their own needs. Mint creeps, but it’s possible to contain it in a windowsill pot if needed. Pumpkins and squash are sprawling vines and need quite a lot of space. Daffodils are bulbs; they’re planted in the autumn for the following spring but can be force grown indoors in pots.

Check what is available in your area and keep an eye on clearance. Often the companies marketing the seeds and bulbs—and trees and bushes, for that matter—sell them off at the end of the season for a fraction of their original price. This is all the more reason to have your planner handy; you never know what you might find on your travels. I’ve plopped many a five-dollar tree in a little postage stamp of land we lovingly call “the orchard.” Yes, I’ve had to wait a year or three for maturity, but I’m now rewarded with plentiful colored blooms and fruits that are welcome additions to both decorations and culinary delights.

Foraging

If you’re not able to grow your own, maybe you can get outside and forage, collecting things that you wish to include in your setting. Nature’s bounty makes a lovely addition to a table setting or centerpiece. In many parks and rural areas, it’s possible to gather nuts, seed pods, cones, bark, fallen branches and twigs, and more. Do your research beforehand and make sure you’re not collecting from a protected area.

Don’t dismiss what others might consider to be a weed. One definition of a weed is a plant growing where it’s not wanted, but that doesn’t detract from either its beauty or its usefulness. Many so-called weeds are quite beautiful and grown as cultivated flowers in other areas. Milkweed pods, pokeweed, teasels, mullein stalks, and the hips from wild roses all make very welcome additions to topical centerpieces.

Seasonal Themes and Thoughts

This is where your planner will come in really handy, because very often you need to get started on one season’s decorations weeks before that season even starts—sowing seeds in the spring for autumn’s project, for example. Ideas for spring tables include seeds and other items that represent renewal and rebirth. Even plants that you’ve started indoors for future use might be included here, for nothing says spring like young seedlings bursting forth from the soil after the long winter’s sleep.

Spring

Spring is the time for planning and planting. If you’ve got the area to till up a bit of soil, do this as soon as the ground is soft enough to work. The more you aerate it and add well-rotted compost, the better your plants will grow. For perennials, I like wild roses and berry bushes. The flowers of both are decorative, plus the flowers of the wild rose are also edible. The hips from the rose and the berries from the bushes make nice ingestible additives to centerpieces and place settings. If you have a dehydrator, the berries can also be dried for future use.

If your growing space is limited, look for things to start indoors. Seasonal bulbs such as daffodils and tulips might be started in plant pots and grown on windowsills. Many low-growing herbs are also suitable for indoor gardening. A fun idea might be to make a Scarborough Fair–themed piece, growing your own parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Even if you’ve nowhere to grow, nature will provide—although you might have to venture out into rural areas to do your gathering. The early days of spring are ideal for collecting twigs and branches to use for your future pieces. Add some sphagnum moss (available from florist suppliers) and even some seasonal fabric to make a one-of-a-kind place setting for your table.

Summer

Concepts for the longer days and warmer weather in summer embrace themes of relaxation, sunshine, and growth. The seeds that were planted in the spring are now taking hold and stretching, and that’s a metaphor as well as a gardening observation! There are many wildflowers blooming at this time of year. Don’t overlook things like wild rose, Queen Anne’s lace, or beautiful ditch lilies when initially planning your piece. Many of the wildflowers are also edible—but some aren’t, so make sure you double-check before creating an edible decoration.

Summer is often a bit of a paradox because there’s a lot of outdoor work to do for the farmers and other people who depend on seasonal income, but there’s also the lure of lazy days, when it’s too hot to do anything but breathe and when water and picnics and outdoor recreation extend an invitation to slow down to the speed of life.

When you’re planting the garden, keep an eye out for items that have more than one season. For example, gourds and squash have beautiful (and edible) summer flowers as well as the autumnal fruits. Another summer favorite that has many uses is the humble sunflower. There are dwarf varieties if your outdoor space is limited, or you can grow the traditional giants if you have the room.

Autumn

As the wheel turns into autumn, the seedlings of spring have grown through the summer and are now bearing fruit—which is perhaps another metaphor. If you planted pumpkins or squash, they’ll be ready for carving into jack-o’-lanterns or making into breads and pies. Other autumnal activities that also make nice additions to centerpieces and decorations include putting up preserves and drying herbs and flowers.

One of the things we used to do on the farm was forage for the odd few cornstalks that harvest left behind and put them into stooks—bundled up and stood on end. This made a nice backdrop for other items and arrangements. Smaller versions might be placed on the table for an imposing centerpiece. Theme it with a few ears of dried corn. In the past, we’ve even grown the colored grains specifically to use as decoration. Keep an eye out for heirloom varieties such as big horse spotted corn, Cherokee white eagle corn, and glass gem corn, all of which belong to the flint corn species (Zea mays var. indurata).

Autumn is also the time of year when flowers that bloomed in the summer might be dried to add to your arrangements. Think of hydrangea heads or my favorites, sea holly (Eryngium) and globe thistle (Echinops sphaerocephalus). Look for vegetation in your area that is going to seed and add that abundance of texture and color to add to your theme. Even if you don’t need them this year, you might want to gather some seed pods and winter them over for future additions.

Winter

It may be hard to find growing things for the colder weather, but if you’ve outlined everything beforehand and used your planner throughout the year, you will find you’ve got a plethora of items just aching to be turned into something tantalizing. Look for bark that trees may have shed, fallen twigs and small branches, cones and seeds from evergreens, and nuts from nut trees. Bushes such as holly (Aquifoliaceae) have evergreen leaves and bright berries that you could add to a wreath or decorative bough. Mistletoe (Viscum album) is another seasonal favorite. It is usually purchased, but perhaps in your locality you’ll find it growing wild on a host, such as an apple.

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La Noche de los Rábanos is a tradition from Oacaxa, Mexico, celebrated around December 23. Radishes and other root vegetables are carved to represent saints, animals, the nativity scene, and more. The radishes for this festival are huge and not to be eaten.

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You have to plan ahead a bit for your winter flora, but it’s not impossible. Here at our little smallholding, we even have hellebores that are frequently in bloom under the crabapple tree at this time of year, and of course, inside it’s the time for the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) to put on its show of color. Other ideas include thyme (Thymus vulgaris) to accompany a traditional Yule log, or even growing some radishes to carve in the spirit of La Noche de los Rábanos for a different twist on the usual trimmings. Before we moved to the country, we used to “first foot,” a tradition where the first person over the threshold of a home in the New Year would take a gift of a coin, a lump of coal, or a piece of bread. The coin represented wealth, the coal represented warmth, and the bread represented food. I would harvest herbs from my windowsill garden, herbs that resonated with plenty (thyme), health (rosemary), and success (basil), bake them into a loaf, and share the bread around the neighborhood to get the year off to a good start.

For most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is the time of year when everything slows down and sleeps. Themes include rest, sharing, and finding things to occupy your time in preparation for the coming spring. Those who know me know that this is the knitting season, sat cozy by a fireside. It’s possible to include pleasures like that in your table settings too. If you knit, sew, crochet, bead, paint, or whatever, consider making small tokens to go on seasonal wreaths, name cards, or place settings. Don’t forget the traditional wreath, either! While usually thought of as a door decoration, with a bit of ingenuity, a wreath makes a unique and beautiful centerpiece for a table or sideboard too.

Paper Projects for All Occasions

There are several easy ways to make your own paper and so many permutations for putting it to use. You can find full instructions for homemade paper online or in Llewellyn’s 2017 Herbal Almanac. You just need a few simple tools, most of which you can make yourself with common household items, which I recommend here.

Gather a bowl or dish, some window screen or plastic needlework canvas, an old picture frame, some kind of a blender (I got mine from the thrift store), a soft sponge (mine is a car wash sponge from the dollar discount store), and some scrap paper. Don’t use the shiny kind that advertisements are often printed on. Newsprint is the best, and if you use the packing kind that hasn’t been inked, that’s even better. I’m not fond of adding bleach into the process so that the paper isn’t dull.

Paper Additives

Once you’ve shredded your scrap and created the sloppy pulp needed for making paper, it’s time to include interesting additives. What do you have in your garden, or what have you gathered from previous seasons to throw into your pulp and really make it ring with the occasion that this piece is going to honor? Inclusions can be fresh or dried; let your imagination run wild! It’s best to introduce smaller items; you don’t want your finished paper to be too lumpy and bumpy!

Consider ornamental grasses and flower petals for spring, flower petals and dandelion seeds for summer, corn husks and fallen leaves for autumn, and evergreen needles and dried spices such as cinnamon or ginger for winter. This is the time to add a drop of essential oil too, should you want your piece to be fragrant. If you plan on carrying your decoration over from one season to the next, think about putting flower seeds into your paper so that when you recycle it in the earth, they might bloom and grow for your next project. The only limitation is your imagination—although some things do work better than others! Remember to keep inclusions small and fine; you don’t want great whacking lumps of vegetation in your finished paper.

Homemade Paper Decor

There are many ways to incorporate your homemade paper into seasonal decor. Garlands, paper chains, and streamers are all ideal for hanging. When it comes to your table, perhaps cut interesting shapes to add to your wreaths and centerpieces. Placecards made of your own paper and embedded with seeds make a nice gift for your guests to take home with them. It’s all about creating a lasting memory—what do you want to say in the way that you create your trimmings?

Seasonal Inspiration

I hope this article has inspired you to look at what is local and readily available to you in order to plan your festive decorations. Use your imagination when it comes to what you want your centerpiece or place settings to look like, and then fuel your ideas with seasonal colors, scents, and other inclusions.

Your planner is your friend, and a little forethought will go a long way to creating an atmosphere that is decorative, enjoyable, and unforgettable for years to come.

Suppliers

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

Mansfield, MO

www.rareseeds.com

Baker Creek provides a mail-order service for rare heirloom seeds.

Seed Savers Exchange Heirloom Seeds

Decorah, IA

www.seedsavers.org

This is a seed exchange dedicated to conserving endangered plant life by collecting, saving, and sharing plant starts and seeds.

Wooden Deckle

Twin Lakes, WI

www.woodendeckle.com

The Wooden Deckle is a well established source for paper-making supplies. They also have an informative and very helpful blog.

Recommended Resources

Farmer, James T. Wreaths for All Seasons. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2012. A useful handbook for making wreaths throughout the year.

Neddo, Nick. The Organic Artist: Make Your Own Paint, Paper, Pigments and Prints from Nature. Beverly, MA: Quarry Books, 2015. This is book is full of both practical and inspirational ideas for making paper and more using what nature provides.

Norman, Edle Catharina. Beautiful Wildflowers: Wedding Bouquets, Arrangements, and More from Nature’s Seasonal Abundance. South Portland, ME: Sellers Publishing Inc, 2014. A collection of ideas for using wildflowers in different arrangements.

Edible Art: Tricks and Tools for Mastering Centerpieces. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2006. This book is full of interesting ideas for making all kinds of unusual shapes and displays from fruits and vegetables.

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