How to Decorate with Live Greens for Christmas

Make your home come alive with Christmas magic by creating a colorful wreath, a brimming mantle, or a playful centerpiece. With some planning and the right greens, you can craft stunning Christmas decor designs you’ll want to replicate year and year. 

For the most holly-jolly season, follow these six tips to learn how to decorate with live greens for Christmas.

1. Scope Out Your Space

Walk through your home—and outside—to narrow down the spots where you'd like to add a little extra holiday cheer. You can even measure the dimensions of each space to ensure you purchase or collect enough greenery to go around. Coordinate colors and types of greenery across your home or opt for unique decor in each area. 

With a list in hand, you can better shop for and plan your Christmas greenery. Consider putting fresh Christmas decorations:

• On or around your front door

• Across your mantle

• In porch planters

• In centerpieces or vases

• As wreaths

• As window treatments

• Along your banister or staircase

• In front or back entryways

• Around lamp posts

2. Buy Fresh Greenery

Decorating with fresh Christmas greenery has long been a tradition cherished by families around the globe. Fresh greens are natural, fragrant, and the perfect pop of color. 

Consider shopping at farmers’ markets and farm stands to support local vendors, or snag your greenery at a garden center or home improvement store. You and your family can also hunt for evergreen branches, fallen pine cones, and holly bushes in your neighborhood.

3. Select the Right Greenery for Your Project

There are countless choices when it comes to fresh holiday garlands, centerpieces, and porch pots. The most popular Christmas evergreens include pine, cedar, spruce, juniper, and cypress. Mix two or three types of greenery for a balanced look, or keep it all the same for a simple statement, like a fresh pine garland.

Above all, determine what type of greenery matches the aura you want to create. Keep in mind that some varieties last longer than others. Short-needled pines lose leaves after a few days, such as spruce and hemlock. Long-needled pines, such as cedar and pine varieties, last several weeks.

Depending on your climate and what you'd like to create, here's a breakdown of the best holiday greenery:

Best greenery for outdoor wreaths, garlands, and porch planters:

• Black or white pine

• Boxwood

• Cedar

• Douglas, Fraser, or Noble fir

• Juniper

• Redwood

Best greenery for centerpieces and table decor:

• Black or white pine

• Blue spruce

• Cedar

• English or Burford holly

• Eucalyptus

• Hemlock

• Magnolia

• Redwood

Best greenery for indoor wreaths and garlands:

• Blue spruce

• Boxwood

• Cedar

• Cypress

• Douglas, Fraser, or Noble fir

• English or Burford holly

• Eucalyptus

• Juniper

• Magnolia

4. Hydrate Your Greenery

Like your perfect Christmas tree, your greenery needs some prep work before settling in for the season. Before making your arrangements or wreaths, give your greenery a facelift and a longer life by rehydrating it. Follow these guidelines to keep your greenery fresh.

• Fill buckets with room-temperature water.

• Make diagonal cuts on the stems with a hand pruner, then gently bust the tip of the stem with a hammer.

• Set the ends in water for a few hours.

• Spray greenery with an anti-desiccant to help the foliage retain water and last longer. Check your specific species before spraying.

• Mist your greenery with water every few days to keep the cuttings fresh.

5. Mix in Colorful Accents

Fresh greens are beautiful on their own, but adding color and metallic accents can enhance the festive vibe. Consider adding berry branches, pussy willows, pinecones, tinsel, ribbon, bows, ornaments, and Christmas lights to your wreaths and arrangements. 

Other enhancements, such as faux snow, winter flowers, and candles, can give your holiday decorations visual diversity and texture. Play with each element to create the look you want, whether it’s classic, modern, or bursting with color.

6. Coordinate with Lights and Other Decor

If a garland sweeps across your mantle, consider how it complements your Christmas tree. You might opt to match the type of evergreen or aim for a contrasted look. If you put a wreath on your front door, consider adding Christmas lights to brighten it and match your other outdoor lights. A local Christmas light installation contractor can help you design a stunning presentation that’ll wow your whole neighborhood.