Woodland Christmas
GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR FORAGED FINDS FROM YOUR WINTER WALKS TO MAKE SEASONAL DECORATIONS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE BEAUTY OF NATURE
At Seasalt Cornwall, the wild landscape of our Cornish home always influences our designs, and this Christmas we’ve been inspired by the beautiful wintry woodlands.
Why not turn a frosty walk into a foraging adventure or bring a touch of the outdoors into your home with these two festive craft projects from Kate at
The Makery? Both use seasonal foliage as decorations, so look out for evergreen shoots that won’t shed their leaves too quickly, like ivy and pine.
We would love to see what you make, so don’t forget to tag us – @seasaltcornwall – when you share your creations on Facebook or Instagram.
WOODEN LADDER CHRISTMAS TREE
Create your own festive decoration from foraged finds – particularly ideal if space is tight.
You will need:
Wooden sticks/twigs – as straight as you can find (we used hazel as they’re particularly straight) Fairy lights Twine/string Tape measure Glue gun Scissors Secateurs Star decoration (either bought or homemade) Foliage, berries, dried oranges, to decorate
1 Cut the wooden sticks into 8 lengths measuring 40cm, 35cm, 30cm,
25cm, 20cm, 15cm, 10cm and 5cm.
2 Cut a piece of twine to 1m long. Tie one end to the 40cm stick, about 4cm from the end, then trim the twine.
3 Now take the 35cm stick and tie a clove hitch knot around the end. To tie a clove hitch: a) Lay the twine over the stick. b) Bring the twine back towards you, under the stick. c) Lay the twine over the stick again, this time crossing the previous piece of twine. d) Bring the twine back towards you, under the stick. e) Poke the twine through the loop that crosses over the top of the stick. You need to ensure that the knot is again 4cm in from the end of the stick. The distance between the 2 sticks needs to be 6–7cm. Pull tight once you’re happy with those measurements.
4 Repeat step 3 with each stick, decreasing the size of stick as you go. 5 Cut another 1m of twine and repeat steps 2–4 at the other ends of the sticks. You’ll now have a tree shape.
6 Tie the ends of twine in a knot at the top and trim the ends.
7 Wind the fairy lights around the tree and up the string.
8 Glue or hang the star to the 5cm stick at the top.
9 Now decorate your tree in whatever way you like! Using the glue gun, you can add foliage such as rosemary, ivy, dried orange slices or cinnamon sticks. Include whatever you fancy for a festive feel.