I love Christmas here in Lefkada, Greece. It's much less commercial than in the UK and its never too late to decorate your home for the festive season as the Greeks tend to start much later.
Its been difficult for some, unable to shop for decorations due to lockdown but that's actually driven us to be creative and thrifty, adapting what we already have and making homemade decorations using natures bounty.
Take a refreshing walk in the countryside or forest. You will need a pair of secateurs and a bag to collect the evergreen foliage. (firs, ivy, holly, myrtle, cypress and laurel are but a few.)
I enjoy making wreaths for friends and neighbours as gifts and spend very little money. Kirsty Allsopp has nothing on me.
Christmas wreaths.
You will need; a wire coat hanger, evergreen foliage, decorative extras and garden/floral wire (non plastic coated) or natural string.
1. Using a wire coat hanger bend it to the required shape of the wreath. I made a heart and a circle. (You can use two bound sticks as a cross, an old picture frame or re use an old plastic wreath.
2. Attach soft evergreen foliage to the shape of your wreath using garden wire or string. Then add sprigs of other evergreen like holly.
3. Attach finishing touches such as old baubles, and fir cones and berries. Be resourceful and use what you have. Add a little white paint to fir cones for a snowy affect. Use dried orange slices. Use beads threaded on wire for berries. You can paint them if you want red berries or use red nail varnish. Use old baubles and off cuts of ribbon. I dismantled and old plastic wreath and re used it with some natural foliage.
Table/windowsill decorations.
Using an old roof tile, evergreen foliage, fir cones and candles you can create a simple yet affective centre piece for your dining table or windowsill.
The roses in the above display are made from cardboard egg boxes.
The cyclamen plants are in season and only 1.70€ each. You can also add a splash of colour bunching red chilli peppers together. The acorns I collected were painted with gold acrylic paint as can walnuts and fir cones.
Other handmade decorations.
My neighbours family are also creative and each year make us a handmade decorative gift.
The pomegranate is made of velvet material, adorned with festive plastic foliage purchased from Jumbo. To make, these are a fraction of the cost sold in the shops.
The Christmas tree has a very modern look. Made from pasta shells glued to a cone made of card and then sprayed. They also make them using pistachio shells.
Christmas Tree
Having rescued two stray kittens this summer we decided that the traditional floor standing Christmas tree was not a good idea. Using graded sized driftwood and natural string we created a tree that hangs from a beam against the stone wall. The decorations are made from wood, cotton crocheted snowflakes and hearts and natural fir cones. The LED copper wire lights are battery operated and non plastic coated.
Christmas Stockings.
You can make your own gift stockings by using fabric from old clothing. Its easier to make a template shape first using a piece of paper. Fold the fabric right sides together, pin on the template and cut out. Either hand sew back stitch or sew on a machine then turn the right sides out. Decorate each stocking slightly different for each person. I crocheted a snowflake, hearts and made wool pompoms.
Gifts.
There is nothing more caring than making your own Christmas gifts and nothing more pleasurable than receiving a gift that someone has put time and effort into making.
Here are just a few that we have made with minimal expense but an immense amount of love.
Simple wooden boxes made with pallet wood and painted/stained.
Line the planter with a bit of plastic bin liner, fill with compost/soil, add a cyclamen and fir cone decoration.
Place a napkin in the bottom of the box and add a some of your homemade produce. I used a jar of marmalade and infused olive oil. Make pretty gift labels and attach with natural string.
Make a boot puller using an offcut of wood. Templates can be found online. Coat with wood stain, drill a hole and add string so it can be hung in the cloakroom/porch.
Make natural soap. Great for gardening hands, stubborn stains, washing hair etc. Wrap in brown paper and natural string and decorate with a dried orange slice.
Greek Country Living Wishes You a Very Merry Christmas and New Year.
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