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01/11/23
Christmas trees with a difference
The hallmark of Advent is a beautifully decorated tree, a mainstay of households around Britain in the run up to Christmas. This is where poinsettias come into their own, offering a charming alternative to plastic baubles and tinsel. With their colourful bracts, the quintessential Christmas plants add that extra special touch to festive decorations, both as cut flowers and as pot plants. Here, the poinsettia lovers at Stars for Europe share their top festive style tips that will appeal to lovers of real trees and those who prefer alternative options. Image library: https://www.starsuniteeurope.eu/en/image-database
Traditional Christmas Tree Dressing
DIY decorations such as cut poinsettias in baubles and homemade tree decorations are quick and easy to make and add a personal touch to any Christmas tree, whether it’s real or artificial. Choose bright red poinsettia for a traditional touch, or yellow and cream for something more Scandi style. With their colourful bracts, cut poinsettias in baubles that have been turned into vases that make Christmas trees stand out.
Tip: To ensure cut poinsettias last a long time, immediately after cutting, dip the cut ends briefly into hot water (approx. 60°C) then into cold water, before placing them in water-filled Christmas baubles and hanging them up.
For minimalists: Scandi chic with cream poinsettias
Cream poinsettias fit perfectly with a minimalist, Scandi-chic festive vibe, bringing beautiufl highlights to a real tree, whilst also making the presents underneath look even more tempting. Cut poinsettias tucked into baubles also work wonderfully as dainty and decorative festive vases. This is a great way to style your home at Christmas, without depending depend on the usual red accents.
DIY enthusiats who want to make a special festive decoration for themselves can also get involved in the poinsettia fun. The triangular shape of this simple wooden shelf is evocative of the real thing, whilst offering the perfect, plastic-free and reusable alternative to the classic fir. Here the shelves are filled with poinsettias, cones, foliage plants, gifts and Christmas decorations; the personalisation possibilities are endless, just add a string of lights and your’re all ready for Santa!
DIY tip: You can build a triangular shelf yourself using a wooden stepladder. Simply attach wooden boards between sets of opposite rungs, as well as under the feet so you can screw castors underneath.
Natural alternatives to trees
Some people don’t have room for a real tree but still want to enjoy the natural beauty and warmth that winter floral arrangements bring to the home. Affordable, readily available and much smaller in scale, Poinsettias are a great solution, offering endless opportunties for spectacular table centrepieces and window dressing.
Poinsettias make a beautiful floral centrepiece for any Christmas table and you can make them as large or small as you like, depending on the space available. In this opulent design in red, gold and bronze tones and gleaming colour contrasts, they play the starring role. A footed bowl with a gleaming metallic finish, planted up with red poinsettias, makes a fantastic centrepiece on a festively laid table. Fresh winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and faux autumn foliage add beautiful accents between the glorious bracts.
Advent joy
Unleash your creative spirit this Christmas! An Advent wreath made using dried florals and cut red poinsettias is a real gem, and a great thing to create as a family when the nights are drawing in. This artistic design doesn't use any pine foliage at all and skilfully bridges the gap between tradition and modernity. As cut flowers, poinsettias will stay fresh for up to two weeks if, immediately after cutting, the stems are dipped for a few seconds in hot water (approx. 60°C) and then in cold water. They can then be placed in water-filled flower tubes.
A decorative footed platter forms the basis for this Advent arrangement in gold and earthy shades. The apricot of the mini poinsettia creates a charming colour contrast and, together with the Scandi-style Advent candle, is a real attention-grabber.
Tip: Wrapping the root ball of the poinsettia in moss looks both beautiful and helps provide the poinsettia with water, as the moss stores plenty of moisture.
Barbiecore décor
Several poinsettias next to each other in a room create a special effect, whether or not you’ve got a Christmas tree. These three magnificent specimens in different colours and sizes can help you create a room fit for Barbie this festive season! Arranged in golden planters, they perfectly match the elegant mid-century interior and bring a joyful burst of colour to the scene.
Whether as a gift or table decoration: a bowl filled with cut poinsettias, a candle, baubles and gilded leaves is sure to create a festive atmosphere. This elegant arrangement is quick to assemble: Water some fresh flower foam and place it in the bowl. Wire the candle and insert it into the foam together with gilded leaves and cut poinsettias. Finally, finish off the arrangement with Christmas baubles. Tip: Immediately after cutting, dip the poinsettia stems in hot water (approx. 60°C) for a few seconds and then in cold water. They will stay fresh for up to two weeks in moist foam. Image credit: Stars for Europe.
04/10/23
Autumn DIY Crafts
Nuts are as much a part of Advent and Christmas as poinsettias. These decorative fruits with their hard shells are not only a popular snack, they are also ideal for handicrafts. For example, you can use them to make decorative holders to display cut poinsettias, for the ultimate Scandi-chic autumn interior decoration.
For this design idea, created by Stars for Europe, you will need mixed nuts, small test tubes or flower tubes, a hot glue gun, hot glue, pine branches, small cones, pearl head pins and poinsettias.
For even more cosy hygge goodness, wool covers transform plain planters and simple glass vases into charming features to display cream poinsettias and candles beautifully. With old clothes, scissors, hot glue and a few buttons, it's easy to make this simple upcycling idea quickly and affordably.
To make it: Use the scissors to cut out pieces of clothing slightly longer than the length of your vase/planter's circumference. Use hot glue to stick them onto your containers and decorate them with buttons. If you use a section of a sleeve, simply pull it over the container. Finally, place the poinsettia or candle in the upcycled container and place your finished piece where you wish.
Tip: For a more colourful look, choose bright clothes with matching candles and poinsettias.
Widely available in garden centres, florists and nurseries from October onwards, Poinsettias bring autumnal flair into any house and with the right care will see you through to Christmas and the New Year. The simplest way to incorporate them into your decor is to hang a few miniatures onto a coat rack together with a string of lights and other decorations, ready for the most beautiful time of the year.
Images should be credited to Stars for Europe, the pan-European marketing agency for poinsettias.