A festive welcome for every home
By Margaret Griffin
Your Christmas decorating efforts should start at the entrance way to your house. It is the first thing your visitors see when arriving to your home. Creating an enticing festive front door doesn’t have to be elaborate, a few simple accessories can add so much.
The most beautifully decorated homes are usually theme-based from the front door through to the rest of the house. Some individuals base their entire Christmas theme on a particular colour or style, while parents with small children tend to decorate with fun, fictional themes like Santa, Frosty the Snowman, reindeer, stockings and toys. Experiment using different ideas and ornaments to discover a theme that represents you, your house and its occupants.
When we think of festive front doors, the first thing we think of is a wreath. Making a stunning Christmas wreath is simple; just gather the right supplies, seasonal embellishments, and a large dose of Christmas spirit. Here is a recipe for your own wreath:
What you need:
14ins wire circular frame
Fresh garden greenery to include some conifer foliage
Cones and nuts
Red ribbon velvet would be nice
Reel of floristry wire
Method:
Bulk up your circular shape with green foliage you’ve gathered. Using florist’s wire, wind tightly around the foliage to secure it to the wire base. Make sure to overlap each piece so you will have a continuous circle when you are finished. Now add your decorative bits like pine cones, nuts and cinnamon sticks.
Pine cones are easily transformed with gold spray, or use some sticky glitter to bling them up. Evenly spread your decorations to highlight the circular nature of the wreath. Finally, make a large luxurious ribbon bow to complete your wreath!
Top tips
All fresh materials being used should be conditioned straight after cutting. Simply put them in a tub of water for a few hours.
If you are worried about your door being scratched, put a piece of felt at the back of wreath. Have you a supply of red berries in your garden at the moment, but worry they may be gone by the time you’re making your wreath? What you can do is pick your berries now and leave them outdoors in netting, something like bird protection net will suffice or an onion bag.
Some of your fresh cones may be closed, if you bring them indoors for a while, they will open up. To keep your ribbon nice and stiff you can spray starch on it. Also, you should mist your fresh wreath daily.
You can continue the style of your wreath in a planter near the door. Make an outdoor floral arrangement with pots that you may use earlier in the year with summer bedding plants.
This idea is becoming very popular in sheltered areas. Create an outdoor floral arrangement with lots of vibrant greenery, branches cones, berries and ribbons. These can all be displayed using blocks of green oasis in your pots. Tier three pots and add a little sparkle with battery operated lights.
Another option that is popular at the front door is battery lights through conical buxus or sphere buxus. These under-planted with cyclamen will have an instant festive look. The perfect symmetry of two formal Christmas planters makes a rather grand frame for your front door.
Add fun and personality to your front door with unique planters or ornaments. I love this year’s fun Santa boots in ceramic.
If you wish to add extra festive cheer, place firework starburst stakes up your pathway. These are beautiful both at this time of the year but ideal for summer too. Each year there are lots of new and exciting product on the market that will bring a magical display. At Griffins, we have thousands of new products in our Christmas shop to inspire you.
Mix it up!
It’s that time of the year when we are all looking at our Christmas decorations and looking to see if we can change the look this year.
Many people are in the habit of putting the same decorations in the same place each year. This year, challenge yourself to move things around and add extra lights, pick beautiful leaf garlands through each display and you will surprise yourself by how easy it is to create a whole new look.
We are excited to say that nature inspired themes are back in style this year. Rustic woodland and organic is the main theme throughout this year.
It’s easy to create a rustic style Christmas by incorporating small woodland creatures, such as foxes, owls, bear, deer, squirrels and feathered birds. I also love to bring the outdoors in by adding natural woods and foliage. You can find lovely realistic looking logs, branches and floristry as part of our range.
On your hall stand, why not place a hurricane lamp wreath on a faux log? Add a classical set of firecracker lights and a few ornaments like gold stags.
Other ornaments in this collection include cozy log cabins and lit forest ornaments, vintage village houses, woodland stockings, faux fur cushions and throws, reindeer, twig trees pre-lit in an array of sizes and stunning white feathered owls. The style embraces an earthy and natural trend in design, and works well with organic Christmas decor.
To achieve this look, adorn your trees with woodland creatures and ornaments made from natural materials such as wood, burlap, jute, twigs. Add plenty of greenery and the finest silk flowers that your home deserves.
There is a free Christmas demonstration every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 11am for the month of December.
Be inspired and learn lots of top quick tips to create a magical festive display in your home and garden. For full details go to our Facebook page or griffinsgardencentre.ie.