the holly and the ivy Homemade Garlands, Swags & Topiary BY P E R RY PAY N E M I L L N E R
As a child I remember Christmas Eve at my parents’ house in Lynchburg. The tree would have been decorated a week or so earlier and tree lights would finally be switched on that night after the long waiting season of Advent. My sisters and I would be there with our mother on the kitchen floor amid great piles of greenery, helping her make the tabletop boxwood trees she created each year. We’d trim tiny sprigs, poke them into the topiary forms she made, give them
a haircut when complete and decorate them with tiny lights and ornaments. I still love to make my own natural decorations, so this time of year, my husband and I forage for whichever evergreens, berries, cones and magnolia are prettiest, from our backyard or our generous neighbors. These decorations are more than simply beautiful and great fun for the family; they’re also thrifty during this season.
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