Urban Rebellion: Tips for a Rustic Christmas

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Monday, November 17th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

An old fashioned country Christmas has a timeless appeal. No one knows that better than the folks at rustic-lodge-lifestyle.com so they’ve put together a few tips and ideas to share with you. Whether you live in the country or not, you can still put some rustic in your Christmas.

“Here are some ideas for a rustic Christmas that can be enjoyed by all ages,” says Sandra Thornton. “And you just might create some family traditions that you can enjoy for years.”

Do-it yourself table centerpiece

A simple but elegant way to dress up your dining room table is to create a striking rustic Christmas centerpiece using readily available, natural materials. It’s not difficult and can be done quite quickly.

If you have coniferous trees close by, cut a few boughs (pine, silver fir, and cypress retain their needles especially well), gather up some pine cones, and if you can find them, a couple of branches with red berries. I made a quick trip into the woods to find my supplies. Add a shiny Christmas ornament, perhaps some ribbon, and definitely some candles to round out your centerpiece. By artfully arranging these items you can create a visually appealing, fragrant, and very rustic looking centerpiece.

Note: be very cautious with candles. Make sure the flame is not close to the evergreen boughs or any other flammable materials. Never leave candles burning when everyone leaves the room! Your natural centerpiece should only be kept in the house for a few days…as the boughs dry out they will become very flammable and will start to lose their needles.

Pomander

Literally, apple of amber in French, a pomander is generally thought of as a mixture of aromatic substances. We use an orange and cloves to make our rustic Christmas ornament.

Children will enjoy this project. I made my first one when I was 12. Now I’m making them with my grandchildren. It’s an easy project and you’ll love the results.

All you do is stick whole cloves into an orange until it is evenly covered all over. Use a push pin to pierce the skin of the orange. At minimum there should be an equal amount of clove cover with orange showing through. As it dries, the cloves preserves the orange so it doesn’t rot and the aroma of the cloves and orange is wonderful! Garnish it with ribbon and you’re ready to hang it on the tree, over a window, or above a doorway. It even makes a nice gift. The pomander will last for years.

(Pomander photo courtesy of nickyfern)

Chistmas garlands

We love the look and feel of natural garlands. You can use a variety of natural materials – evergreen boughs, crab apples, dried flowers, cinnamon sticks, and pine cones.

Make a simple and rustic Christmas garland with popcorn and fresh cranberries. Again, this is a geat project for children!

Use a heavy thread. You can also use nylon line - it offers more durability - although that’s not really an issue as it’s only meant to last over the holidays. You’ll need a needle that can accommodate your thread or line. Then make your popcorn and let it cool. You might want to set aside a bowlful to snack on too! Young children will be able to thread the popcorn onto the line, but may have difficulty with the cranberries.

You may want to create a repeating pattern - such as three berries and one piece of popcom - or you can choose to create a random string.

Harvest your own tree

Cutting down your own Christmas tree is the stuff of romance and memories! If you have land with coniferous trees, you can harvest a tree from your own property. If not, you may know a landowner who will allow you to cut a tree on their property. You’ll need a small, but sharp, buck saw.

When heading out to get your tree, remember you have to come back the same distance, only you’ll be dragging a tree!

The first time we cut down our own Christmas tree was at a newly acquired family hobby farm. Our kids were about 5, 8, and 10 years old. It was a crisp winter day and the snow was knee-deep. We found our tree, cut it and hauled it back. It’s a mystery how much a tree can change size from when you first cut it to when you bring it into your home! So be sure to size up the tree carefully before you cut it. Our tree was perfect - once we took the top off so we could stand it in the house! Do you know we all still laugh and reminisce about that tree!

Real or artificial – which is better? Despite the convenience of an artificial tree, it may surprise you that a real tree is the “greener” choice. Fake trees are manufactured from non renewable petroleum products. It’s the impact on the environment caused by the manufacturing and ultimate disposal of the artificial tree that makes a real tree the better choice. Next spring, plant at least one tree (maybe more!) to replace the one you cut down.

Ready for your rustic Christmas? Maybe you aren’t the do-it-yourself type - or perhaps you just don’t have the time. If you find yourself running out of time, with just too much to do at this time of year, check out the rustic Christmas selection and ideas at Rustic-Lodge-Lifestyle.com.

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