Colour expert and blogger Maria Killam (colourmehappyblog.blogspot.com) loves the idea of decorating her home with evergreens. Natural and inexpensive, evergreens add a beautiful touch of colour and a delightful fragrance to your home.
"Last year I held an open house in my home in December," says Killam. "I have a large cedar hedge in my front yard so I clipped some branches and put them in a vase for my dining room table. I loved the fragrant scent they brought into the house and as soon as I saw the effect on my table, I realized I could have started in November!"
Here are Maria's five super-easy ways to add a splash of green to your decor, simply by using evergreens from your garden or local garden centre:
1. For a contemporary look, place just one evergreen branch in a curvy vase and leave it in your powder room.
2. When you set the table for a buffet, instead of a fabric runner, use branches and then strategically place votive candles down the middle of the table for a cozy, wintertime look.
3. For a fresh coffee table centerpiece, take a natural, carved wooden bowl, line it in moss and then add walnuts and a nutcracker.
4. Fill three square or cylindrical vases with limes and line them on your mantle until they are replaced by your Christmas garland.
5. If you have a fig tree, (their branches are thick and shapely), cut some branches and spray paint them silver for a sculpted transitional arrangement on your entry console.
By starting with green, it's easy to add splashes of red to transition your living space right into the holiday season.
Discover more great ways to decorate with green by browsing through the slideshow Make your home sparkle with these green Christmas decorations.
Natalie Bahadur is the editor of styleathome.com and is a regular contributor to CanadianLiving.com.
