Find steps to create a fresh and natural runner or centerpiece using evergreens the EASY way, to add the smell of Christmas to your table for the holidays.
Using evergreens to the deck the halls or the table is one of my favorite ways
to add a bit of ‘freshness’ and nature at the holidays!
Freshly-cut evergreens are the smell of Christmas and makes the house so fragrant,
especially if you’re using an artificial tree!
We have cedar, juniper, Leyland cypress, pine and magnolia around our property,
and I’ve been known carry a pair of gloves and clippers in the car and do some judicious ‘pruning’
when I run across some scrub pine or cedar out in the country!
While you can always use a ready-made garland on your table,
I like to create an evergreen runner the easy way, no wiring required.
For my Visit From St. Nicholas Christmas Tablescape,
I started with some greenery clipped from the trees and shrubs. . .
boxwood, juniper, Leyland cypress, magnolia leaves,
along with some pine cones as the base for the runner/ centerpiece.
I laid the greenery down the center out of the table, starting with the cypress,
then mixing in other bits and pieces of other greenery to fill in,
adding some different textures and shades of greenery.
Don’t hesitate to cut your longer pieces of greenery apart, piecing them back together
so they’ll lay flat on the table. Cut more greenery than you think you need
and keep it in a bucket of water until you’re ready to assemble.
Having all your greenery ready to go, makes for quick and easy assembly,
without having to stop to gather more greenery if you run out.
If you have access to Leyland cypress, it’s an ideal evergreen to deck the halls or table with,
since it doesn’t have a sticky, sappy residue like pine or fir.
Evergreens vary in their sap production, one cedar tree can differ than another.
I find pine and fir the most sappy/sticky and lean towards other greens like juniper, cedar and cypress,
so check what you’re cutting before using it on the table.
Alternatively to keep sap off your table, layer your greenery on a piece of wax paper
as a barrier between the greenery and the surface of your table or tablecloth.
For the other elements of the runner / centerpiece, I used some red Christmas ornaments,
red and green mercury glass votives, candy canes and some beaded garland
in my Christmas stash that we’ve used to decorate the tree in previous years.
I reuse candy canes in my Christmas decorating from year to year.
I store them in a ziploc bag in a closet, away from heat and humidity to help them last.
Glasses provide vases for candy canes with an ornament
and sprig of boxwood, at both ends of the table. . .
And a larger glass compote holds candy canes and red ornaments in the center of the table.
A pair of reindeer and a some decorative salt and pepper shakers
finish out the runner / centerpiece.
This is a favorite method to add evergreens or create a centerpiece for a Christmas table.
You can see a different version using the same method on my Plaid Tidings Table, HERE,
using apples, pine cones, nuts and ornaments, mixed in among the greenery.
*Dash* or *Prance* over to see the details of my
A Visit from St. Nicholas Christmas Table, HERE. . .
And find more Christmas table inspiration from 20 more bloggers
at a Christmas Tablescape Blog Hop this week.
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Metamorphosis Monday
Thank you Mary for breaking down the steps with your easy tutorial! I’m ready to grab my pruners and head out the the woods :)
Like the center compote! Great inexpensive way to decorate and we can all cut greens and use what we have!
So enjoy your post each time.
Thank you for this post. Your tablescape is so beautiful and elegant I would never have dreamed how easy it is to achieve.
I love a table runner of fresh evergreen/foliage….My first experience of a fresh greenery centerpiece with fruit and flowers was in France…at the beautiful home of our host of the tour. We have some Leyland Cypress here at the Berry Patch House so I shall begin to take advantage of that!…One on those gorgeous cypress trees died practically overnight…one of the downsides of these magnificent trees…How wonderful the aroma of this centerpiece must be!…thank you for all of your beautiful inspiration and you sharing just how you create your beautiful centerpieces and tables. Have a very Merry weekend Mary!
I would love to do this…but, how do you keep the sap, etc from running and possibly staining your tablecloth? After seeing your posts with Dash and Prancer, I have been on the lookout for those reindeer…I just love them…I think I seen them at Home Goods but they weren’t Fitz & Floyd…been doing the Hop all week and all have been beautiful and I signed up for Debbie’s Buzz..she a plaid freak too!! Looking forward to more!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hi Ellen, you use Leyland Cypress, it doesn’t have sap or leave a sticky residue! Neither do boxwood or magnolia leaves 😀 🎄🍽
Mary,You make this look so easy! Thank you for breaking down the steps and showing the materials you used. I’m in love with your gorgeous St. Nicholas pattern and table! I think I’ll ask Santa to look for some pieces on eBay to go under the tree!🎄🍽
Mary, there isn’t anything prettier than a fresh evergreen table runner. Leyland Cypress is the perfect green, but I do love the smell of cedar and pine. Wishing you a merry weekend!❤️
Oh so beautiful and you make it look so easy too! Thank you for all your beautiful tables throughout the year. Your creativity and photos are an inspiration!
Gorgeous and so “do-able” Mary! Thank you!!
Just lovely! Elegant, beautiful, sparkly, and charming all at the same time…it has everything that makes a Christmas table memorable. Thank you!
Thank you Mary, what a great tutorial. I just may have to go out and cut some greens from our tress and boxwoods. I’ll have to see if the leaves on our Tulip Tree( cousin to your Magnolia) are worth anything. They may be too far gone from the frost. I may have to scout around for some Leyland Cypress as I don’t have any of that and it sure is pretty. I do have White Pine, but will be cautious about the sap. I like the long soft needles of it, though. My dinning room table is a round one, so I won’t need much. I will incorporate my wooden charger too, I think. Thanks Mary,…fa lalalala. 🎄
Thank you for the tip on wax paper. Will watch out for the sap as it is awfully sticky.
Mary, Should you have to use pine or cedar because there isn’t any cypress available, do you have any suggestions of a protective barrier between the tablecloth & table runner? You always have such clever ideas! Love this table runner! Clara 🍽️
Hi Clara, You could always use a wax paper layer between the greens and the tablecloth, making sure it was concealed by your greenery. I think evergreens vary in their sap production, one cedar tree can differ than another. Our juniper and cedar are not sticky or sappy, just the pine, so check what you’re cutting :)
Very pretty Mary! I’ve been known to sneak a little snip here and there too:@)
I didn’t know that about Leyland Cypress Mary, what a great tip! I love the magnolia leaves mixed in, so so pretty!
Jenna
Love it all.
Thank You for sharing this lovely DIY. Wishing you and yours a Blessed Christmas and a Happy,Healthy and Peaceful 2019.
Joan,Marion and marilyn
That’s so beautiful. I clip my magnolia tree and gather cones and pine branches on my walks (you’re right, messy with sap, but I still use because I can’t seem to find a free cypress source). This year I used a store bought garland, and then dressed it up with naturals. I swear, I think it was harder because I had to shape it into behavior!
What a beautiful table runner! I love the fullness and different textures of the various greens. Love, love your posts!
So very pretty and festive. I would have never tried this one without your easy breakdown of simple instructions. Thank you, it’s beautiful❤
Question, how long do the clippings last? Want to do this for a wedding and not sure when we should collect the cuttings?
Hi Summer, When the blooms start to feel ‘papery’ you can cut them to dry. I cut them and place in a little water and let the water evaporate. They’re ready in about a week. If you’re using dried hydrangea blooms, give them a spritz of hair spray to help keep the blooms from shattering.
Thanks for replying! I’m looking at the evergreen table runners though. It’s a December wedding and have Leyland Cypress available along with others. Just not sure how long they stay “fresh” once collected.
So lovely. I especially like the addition of candy canes with ornaments. Never thought to add those. Going * to give the centerpiece a try. Thanks Mary