3 Easy Holly Crafts for the Holidays
Haul out the holly, and make yourself one of these three crafts to ring in the holiday season.
When you have an abundance of lush holly bushes — one of the few things that deer can’t be bothered with — it’s easy to incorporate it as a natural element into holiday decor. When freshly cut, green holly will remain lush and healthy for many weeks (Variegated holly may brown sooner, but it still makes for a good decoration, nonetheless). With a little scheming, this undeniably traditional holiday plant can take on a modern, unexpected role. If you don't have a holly plant, get a strand of holly garland at the craft store and clip it into pieces.
Keep reading to see three ways to add holly to holiday decor.
A Scandinavian-Inspired Holly Wreath
This lovely, minimalistic wreath uses only a few items:
- a large embroidery hoop
- wooden beads
- holly leaves (berries optional)
- hot glue gun and sticks
Attach the wooden beads on the hoop using a hot glue gun. Leave the screw of the embroidery hoop at the top, and reserve space on the bottom of the hoop for your holly leaves. I kept mine asymmetrical, but take creative liberties! You can overlap the leaves to fill gaps. Attach berries if desired. Hang on the door using the screw of the embroidery hoop.
A Lush Holly Centerpiece
Floating candles nestled atop holly leaves makes for a lovely holiday centerpiece. You can add extra touches like cranberries. If freshly trimmed, be sure to wash the leaves well before submerging them, or you’ll run the risk of dirt settling to the bottom of the glass bowl.
A Spiral Topiary
Fresh Uses for Holly in Holiday Decor
Fresh holly leaves are used to make a spiraling DIY tabletop holiday topiary.
Photo by: Emily Fazio
Emily Fazio
This spiraling holly topiary takes the cake! And it looks great amongst your other holiday decorations. Like the other projects, it only requires a few items for assembly:
- heavy-duty multi-use wire
- wire cutters
- cross-section of a log, approx. 6" diameter
- holly branches, ideally 5-6 leaves on each branch (berries optional)
- floral tape
- drill
Holly leaves are prickly, so use scissors to trim the edges of each holly leaf to get rid of thorny tips before assembly.
Cut a length of wire using the wire cutters, and coil the wire to be narrow and pointed at the top, but wide on the bottom — similar to a Christmas tree.
Fresh Uses for Holly in Holiday Decor
Fresh holly leaves are used to make a spiraling DIY tabletop holiday topiary.
Photo by: Emily Fazio
Emily Fazio
Attach holly branches to the coiled wire using strips of floral tape. Continue attaching the holly until the wire is covered. Attach berries if desired.
Predrill the wooden log base with a drill tip the same size as your wire, and fit the wire into the base. It should stand upright without any additional support.
