Countdown to Christmas - Day 13: for an old fashioned look use natural ingredients on your mantel or table

Source: bhg.com via tamara on Pinterest

Let's talk about decorating 

your home for the Holidays

I enjoy using natural materials like pinecones, real greenery, fruits, vegetables to create elegant holiday vignettes - I adore this one from Better Homes & Gardens above

Fireplace mantels are just begging to be decorated for the holidays.  And for those of us without a mantel to work with there are always console, dining and hall tables to create a festive tablescape.  One of my very favorite mantel decorations is to add a cornucopia of in-season fruits and vegetables to my greenery.  I love the simplicity of natural items mixed with green, and intertwined with green apples and pine cones, the simplicity is elegant!

Another great idea is pomegranates (one of my favorites), clementines, sprigs of herbs and even cinnamon sticks and apples.  I love the look of pine garland 

and the smell of Eucalyptus greens.

love the color combination of my pomegranate, berry and lavender wreath

Here I combined cut red orchids and other flowers with greenery and pomegranates on a holiday table for a festive look

 Here I am picking up sturdy and dark green boxwood garland
at the NYC wholesale flower market.  I personally prefer boxwood best over other pine and greenery because it dries a dark color and sheds less.  

I found these natural looking nest ornaments at Bronners.com and they look great snuggled into a bed of boxwood

 even small pots of red peppers when planted in pretty terra cotta or ceramic pots can add a festive note to a table 

 For our tree I like to add sprigs of red or white berries to brighten the green color of the tree

 I also like to add unexpected pink on my holiday table because red and pink make a great color combination.

I bring out my mother's pink sugar house every year and add ornaments and fruit nearby for an old fashioned vignette

I created a simple natural and gold tree with woodland creatures adorning the branches and I think it came out well in this formal museum in Pelham, New York last Christmas season.

Happy Nesting
XO Tamara