Christmas is so twinkly, so shiny, so artificial. Much as I LOVE all that stuff, I wanted to make something to wear on Christmas Day; an antidote to the tinsel-heavy bling surrounding us.
On Christmas Eve we headed to the wide open green space nearest our home, played hide-and-seek, picnicked in the cold, drank hot chocolate in the warm, and burnt off a bit of that over-excitement. The high winds and stormy weather the night before meant there were copious natural treasures on the ground: spindly green spruce and tiny cones, of which I picked up a few and put them in my pocket. (A woodland stroll is just not the same without a little keepsake.)
At home, I put this boutonniere together using the foraged greenery, plus bits from the florist and a ribbon from my stash. The viburnum berries go particularly well on a background of my latest wardrobe obsession, navy blue.
Step one:
Gather your bits and pieces: greenery of choice, long-stemmed berries, cones, or other natural trinkets. You'll also need twine, a ribbon, pins and scissors/secateurs (these neon orange-handled snippers are from Sisters Guild).
Step two:
Fiddle about with the greenery until you find a pleasing arrangement. Tie the stems tightly with twine.
Step three:
Wrap your ribbon around the twine-tied stems and tie at the back.
Step four:
Use the pins to fasten the boutonniere to your top for a bit of natural festive beauty.
It should last a day, perhaps two.
