Fireplace Decoration for Winter with Natural Materials
Our homes need to be cozy, attractive and interesting at this dark time of the year, so in this post I suggest some ideas for winter fireplace decoration. The designs below will work for Christmas, particularly if you like traditional and natural decor. But I also wanted them to be suitable for late winter, when the holidays are over, and we desire a simpler, fresher and more organic look. To make the decorations as easy and inexpensive as possible, I used only a minimal amount of different materials.
All plant materials are natural and seasonal – thus I collected spruce and birch branches during a walk in a wood. Not unexpectedly, strong winds last month knocked down a birch and this is where my birch twigs come from. This happens every year – birches are not particularly strong trees, tend to be short-lived and often fall victims to winter storms. Generally, there is always a lot of material for creative projects on the wood floor at any time of the year.
You don’t need to live near a wood, however. Since birch twigs are widely used in floristry and decorating due to their attractive shape, they can be bought in garden centres or from online suppliers.
The materials I used
1. Spruce branches.
2. Birch branches.
3. Hyacinths in pots. I planted ‘prepared’ hyacinth bulbs in pots back in September, and grew them in a cold garage until early December. I then transported them to a windowsill where they flowered in time for Christmas and New Year. Hyacinths are also widely available from florists and garden centres throughout winter and early spring.
4. Candles. These can be dinner candles or larger pillar candles – it depends on the candle holders you are using.
5. Any available candle holders.
6. Vases in clear glass, or black or neutral colours.
The tools I used
1. Secateurs.
2. A small amount of floral foam.
3. A string.
Decorating the Fireplace for Winter
I put a small amount of floral foam in black non-transparent vases. It can be very useful for holding in place larger and heavier branches that can otherwise fall over. For other vases, however, it was not necessary. I left some birch branches long for a tall vase that is at the centre of one of the designs, and tied shorter twigs into bunches with a string.
To make the spruce branches last longer, I put them in vases with water. Birch twigs, however, were already dry and did not require water. I put pots with hyacinths on sauces to avoid any damage to the fireplace mantel.
Below are four different designs for a fireplace in winter that use the same materials and vases, but different candle holders. I tried to make the decoration as simple and natural as possible. Hopefully it reflects some the spirit of winter!
For more on decoration with natural materials see:
Natural Decoration for Home: a Table Centerpiece with Candles and Greenery