Evergreen Christmas Swag

Gathered branches and pine cones come together to create a beautiful, yet simple foraged Christmas swag.

Gathered and Foraged Evergreens

I have always been a bit of a gathering type of person. Picking wildflowers in the spring and summer to create beautiful bouquets for our home, twigs, sticks and dried flowers in the fall and the winter time is no different. Gathering evergreens, taking in the smell of the fresh greenery is something that I enjoy every winter season.

Where to Gather Fresh Evergreens

Christmas Tree Lots: most Christmas tree farms or lots cut off the bottom branches of the trees when they cut them for their customers, leaving behind piles and piles of fresh evergreen branches. Most places will allow you to take as many branches as you want. They may not be the greatest quality but gather a lot of them because you will be amazed at what you can make from gathering the branches.

From Nature: If you are local to woods or have friends that would allow you to forage and gather, then look there. Gather fresh greenery, pinecones, and even sticks and twigs to create a swag.

From the Garden: If you live in an area where you can garden during the Christmas season, then add in fresh herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme and Eucalyptus.

How to Make a Fresh Evergreen Swag

Materials I used:
Fresh Greenery
26 gauge floral wire

Begin by laying out your greenery. Pick out a firm, strong branch to be your base and then begin to layer additional greenery on the top of the base. To create the swag, you will want your longer pieces on the bottom and then the shorter ones layered on the top. You can be as creative as you want, adding in the desired foraged and gathered pieces that you may have. I wrapped wire around the first several branches of greenery and then continued to add in greens and wrap those. Once you are finished, you will want to look at the swag and trim off any branches that are out of shape. To hang the swag you can create a hanger out of the wire or use ribbon, pieces of fabric or twine to hang the swag. I chose to use pieces of fabric that was cut down into strips to hang my swag.

That is all it takes to complete a gathered and foraged Christmas swag. Christmas decorating doesn’t have to be expensive and this is just one way that you can decorate for the holiday season and spend very little money. Do you create your own swags and garlands from fresh greenery? If so, I would love to hear your tips and tricks!

Thanks for stopping by!
Sarah