Décor from the garden

The holiday season is upon us, giving you and your garden yet another reason to shine and show off. If you love entertaining, check out Life is a Garden’s top 5 DIY décor ideas and let your inspiration and creativity bloom. Showcase your homegrown table treasures and pull out a few fancy tricks up your green sleeves!   

Charming flower chandeliers

Elegant, aromatic, and unmissable – a flower chandelier is a total must-have as part of the patio party table. All you need is a hook from which to hang it from and these:

• An embroidery hoop/ring (available from most craft shops and material outlets)
• Twine, ribbon, string or fishing gut
• Bold blooms (visit your GCA Garden Centre for fragrant seasonal gems)

How to: To get that distinctive cascading chandelier look, tie your flowers at different heights onto the embroidery hoop. Begin with a long bottom layer and work your way up. You could even add some fairy lights down the middle for an ambient evening touch.

Try this: Spiral your flowers downwards instead of layering them and experiment with more than one embroidery hoop per chandelier.

The cutest cutlery ties

Wrap your utensils with love and life. Be a little adventurous and pair bright napkins with contrasting flowers, textured twine, or freshly cut vines. You’ll also need:

• Your choice of serviettes or napkins
• Blooms and foliage from the garden
• Twine, ribbon, or string

How to: Once you have wrapped the cutlery inside your serviette or napkin, secure the fold with twine or vines. Insert your flowers or foliage behind the string and voila! Remember to include some water jars on the table where guests can pop in their flowers after opening.

Try this: Use succulent offcuts instead of flowers that you can replant again later. Visit your garden centre for a texture-rich, water-wise succulent variety.

Zesty mozzie candles

Keep the goggas away while you enjoy your meal with pest-deterring plants. These candle creations add to the festive atmosphere while releasing a lovely fresh fragrance. You’ll need:

• Medium height jars
• Garden herbs and flowers such as thyme, rosemary, mint, lemongrass, lavender, marigold, basil, catnip, sage, and good old citronella
• A few lemon slices
• Tea candles

How to: Layer the empty jar with your selection of super plants and lemon slices. Almost fill the jar with warm water and then pop in your tea candle to float on top. The heat helps to release the scents, so try using medium-sized jars that won’t take too long to warm up.

Try this: Add drops of essential oil to the water and boost your anti-bug vibes. Try rosemary, peppermint, tea tree, lemon eucalyptus, and lemongrass oil.

Sweet leaf seaters

With family and friends coming over, here’s a super sweet way to organise your table seating. Get fancy and try your hand at some stylish calligraphy fonts and pens. Also get:

• Large green leaves from the garden
• A gold marker, gel pens or paint
• A punch
• Twine or ribbon
• Thin stemmed glasses (wine or champagne glasses look very sophisticated)

How to: Begin by punching a hole near the end of your leaf (not too close to avoid tearing and also leaving enough space for the names). Channel your inner artist and inscribe the names onto the leaves. Secure your leaf tags onto the glass stems using twine or ribbon.

Try this: Get the kids involved with something exciting to do! Equip them with a magnifying glass and goggles and show them how to burn your guest names onto the leaves.

Flamboyant flower screens

If you’re looking to cover up a wall, add more privacy, corner off a section, or get a little extravagant – this one’s definitely for you. Play with different colour combos and get:

• Your flamboyant flower selection (go for blooms that make good cut flowers. Your GCA Garden Centre advisor will be able to give you the best recommendations)
• Fishing gut or twine
• Several wooden rods (size and quantity will depend on how large you would like the flower screen to be)

How to: Measure and cut the needed pieces of gut and secure one end to the rod. Tie on your blooms at the stem, making sure they are all facing the same way. Try varying the row positions or go for a geometric arrangement. Secure your completed strips to the rod.

Try this: Wrap faux or real pieces of vine around the fishing gut. Add some bells and fairy lights that’ll ensure your stunning décor remains a focal point into the evening as well.

Enjoy your decorations from the garden and have a ball unearthing those juicy creative talents. These ideas are easy to execute and will surely add that organic touch to your next get together. You can also create some DIY potpourri from all the remaining flower petals and essential oils. Garden centres are loaded with some truly splendid plants this time of year, so go and see what tickles your fancy even more. Your Life is a Garden, and it wants to be decorated!  

Source: Life is a Garden