Natural Christmas Decorations You Can Make at Home

There’s something so special about decorating your home for Christmas with handmade, natural touches. The scent of dried oranges, the soft glow of beeswax candles, greenery clipped from the garden—each piece tells a story, slows you down, and brings a sense of calm to the festive season.

Whether you’re craving a more eco-friendly Christmas or simply love the look and feel of rustic simplicity, these natural decorations are easy to make, beautiful to display, and a joy to create.

Here are 15 natural Christmas decorations you can make at home—with links to step-by-step tutorials and a few of my own festive favourites.

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🍊 1. Dried Orange Slices

Simple, fragrant, and so pretty. Use them for ornaments, wreaths, or garlands.

Materials: Oranges, oven or dehydrator, baking tray
Overview: Slice oranges thinly, pat dry, then dry in a low oven for a few hours.
📎 How-To: My full post: How to Make Dried Orange Slices for Christmas

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🍿 2. Popcorn and Orange Slice Garlands

These are a nostalgic favourite in our house—and completely biodegradable!

Materials: Popped corn, dried orange slices, twine or thread, needle
Overview: Thread popcorn and orange slices in alternating patterns. Hang on trees or mantels.
📎 How-To: Popcorn and Orange Slice Garland

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🌸 3. Orange and Clove Pomanders

A beautifully scented, old-fashioned decoration.

Materials: Fresh oranges, whole cloves, ribbon (optional)
Overview: Press cloves into the orange skin in patterns or cover the entire orange. Tie with ribbon to hang.
📎 How-To: How to Make Orange and Clove Pomanders

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🌿 4. Foraged Greenery Wreaths

Use ivy, pine, holly, eucalyptus—whatever you have around you.

Materials: Foraged greenery, wire wreath frame (or coat hanger), floral wire
Overview: Create small bundles of greenery and secure them to your frame, overlapping as you go.
📎 How-To: Tutorial from The House & Homestead

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🕯️ 5. Beeswax Candle Ornaments

Make simple star or tree shapes using beeswax sheets.

Materials: Beeswax sheets, cookie cutters, wick, string
Overview: Cut shapes with cookie cutters, insert wick or string for hanging.
📎 How-To: Making Lemonade Blog

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🌲 6. Cinnamon Stick Bundles

Tied with twine and a little greenery, these are perfect for place settings or tree decor.

Materials: Cinnamon sticks, twine, evergreen sprigs
Overview: Bundle 2–3 cinnamon sticks and tie with twine and greenery for scent and style.
📎 How-To: Contentment with Simplicity

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🍁 7. Dried Leaf Stars or Ornaments

A lovely way to use autumn leaves even into the Christmas season.

Materials: Dried leaves, scissors, glue, string
Overview: Press and dry leaves, cut into star shapes, or layer and glue for a rustic effect.
📎 How-To: Sloely.com Christmas Traditions

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🕊 8. Salt Dough Ornaments

A classic and easy favourite to make with kids or teens.

Materials: Flour, salt, water, cookie cutters, string
Overview: Make dough, cut shapes, bake, decorate with paint or leave natural.
📎 How-To: Place Ideal Blog

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🌰 9. Pinecone Ornaments

Rustic, charming, and endlessly versatile.

Materials: Pinecones, twine, glue, optional glitter or white paint
Overview: Clean pinecones, tie with twine, decorate or leave natural.
📎 How-To: Escape Busy – Natural Christmas Decor

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✨ 10. Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

These smell divine and last for years.

Materials: Applesauce, cinnamon, cookie cutters, string
Overview: Mix applesauce and cinnamon into a dough, cut shapes, bake at low temp.
📎 How-To: Simple As That Blog

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🎄 11. Evergreen Table Garland

A fresh, natural centrepiece you can make in minutes.

Materials: Evergreen branches, eucalyptus, pinecones, berries
Overview: Lay greenery along the centre of the table, tucking in cones and berries.
📎 How-To: Home in the Finger Lakes

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🌾 12. Star Anise and Twine Ornaments

Simple and beautifully scented.

Materials: Star anise, twine or thread, glue
Overview: Glue star anise in small clusters, tie with thread to hang.
📎 How-To: Heart My Backpack – Scandinavian Winter

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🍬 13. Clove-Studded Apples

An alternative to orange pomanders, with a lovely rich scent.

Materials: Apples, cloves, ribbon
Overview: As with pomanders, press cloves into the skin and display in bowls.
📎 How-To: The Tannehill Homestead

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🪵 14. Twig Stars or Trees

Minimalist and so charming.

Materials: Small twigs, twine, glue gun
Overview: Arrange twigs in star or tree shapes, glue in place, tie to hang.
📎 How-To: Elizabeth Dhokia – 100 Things to Do This Christmas

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🌿 15. Mini Jar Terrariums

A sweet little nature craft using jars and foraged bits.

Materials: Jam jars, moss, berries, pine, small ornaments
Overview: Layer moss and greenery in small jars for a magical table or mantel display.
📎 How-To: Wilson Homestead

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❤️ Final Thought

There’s a quiet kind of joy in making things with your hands—especially when they come from the natural world. These decorations won’t just make your home feel festive—they’ll make it feel loved.

And if you’re looking for more simple, old-fashioned Christmas crafts, here are some of my own favourites you might enjoy:
→ How to Dry Orange Slices for Christmas
→ Popcorn and Orange Slice Garland
→ Orange and Clove Pomanders

Chat soon,

Ciara x