Beautiful holiday décor makes a perfect hostess gift—your recipient can make use of it all season, then toss the cut greens in the yard or compost bin. Floral and landscape designer John M. McCaffrey of BitterSweet Floral and Design in Lawrence, Kansas, designed the swag on our cover using cuttings from his clients’ outdoor spaces. He offers these tips to make your own.
• Collect cuttings from your yard or any natural area. Ours includes cedar, Japanese yew, fennel, sage, Hypericum berry, Viburnum berry, rosemary, seeded eucalyptus and dead echinacea flowers.
• Using floral wire, bind like items together. For example, tie large evergreen sprigs in one bundle and small berries in another.
• Layer bundles in a pleasing format: Start with foundation pieces such as evergreen, layer on accents such as sage and rosemary, and top with decorative bits such as berries. Wrap the whole thing with wire, then tie on a piece of ribbon, raffia or burlap.
Read the original article, Homemade Holiday Gift Ideas.