Natural Elements
Bring the Outside In – Natural Elements Found In Your Own Backyard
Finding natural elements to decorate your home is one of the most rewarding ways to make your home beautiful. Some natural elements are easily found in a park, on a nature hike, or even in your own backyard. Others are a little more exotic, and you might find them on your travels, nature stores, or florist shops. If I find a natural item with a beautiful color or sculptural design, I take it with me. If I find many of these items, I take home a bag full! There is always something lovely you can create with them. Pictured above, pinecones that dropped from a magnolia tree last fall are nestled in a glamorous, antique bowl.
Items that are easy to find in “your own backyard” are leaves, pinecones, tree branches, acorns, eggs (some grocery stores sell quail eggs), and even tree pollen. I have two large bags full of pollen I collected one spring. Now, whenever I need to fill a bowl or compote or pot with a natural looking filler base, I have a plentiful amount. The warm color retains and it is absolutely beautiful. In my silver compote, the tree pollen filler acts and looks like a nest as the quail eggs rest upon it.
A bleached manzanita branch rests on the second glass tier of my iron coffee table.
Magnolia leaves I found on a nature walk give gorgeous tones of sage and brown to my silver bowl with hand-painted gold eggs.
A large manzanita branch I found on a hike in the mountains floats effortlessly in a corner.
This is the hike in California where I found my large manzanita branch (shown above). I like to call this place “Manzanita Heaven.”