DIY Foraged Evergreen Bouquet

The absence of a Christmas tree will do things to a person. As I mentioned in the Holiday Wall Art post Michael and I are going home to Florida for 2 weeks. We couldn’t justify buying a tree, setting it up, fussing over ornaments (that one’s on me) for such a short Holiday season in the apartment. And so the free trimmings a la Home Depot became my outlet. A couple branches as garland, a few as gift toppers, and now a seasonal bouquet that will last us until we leave!

Taking a snowy walk to gather supplies might have been the most fun part. Michael and I just went up and down a few parks with a tote bag and gardening shears and started collecting anything that looked interesting. Double check you’re not taking plants from someone’s private property or that you’re grabbing anything poisonous! Apartment Therapy has a good technique for cleaning your finds afterward.

Supplies
evergreen trimmings
foraged clippings
floral wire/tape
tissue paper
twine

1| Lay your evergreen trimmings on a sheet of tissue paper with the paper’s corner pointing ‘up’. I used a mix of Douglas and Blue Pine from Home Depot’s trimming bin (trimmings are free near their tree cutting area).

2| Layer your other finding throughout the main bunch. Stemmed pieces won’t need anything extra, but small things like berries or pinecones can be attached with floral wine or tape. Hot glue also works great on pinecones in a pinch!

3| Follow the 3 step folding technique demonstrated below, making sure that the bottom of the bouquet is right up against the first fold to ensure the arrangement is snug in the wrapping.

4| Tie together with twine and there you go!

I’ve made a few for hostess gifts and put one bouquet in a vase with water and small ornaments for our apartment. The trimmings make a perfect mini tree and help carry the holiday scents throughout the house.