How to Use Cedar Trees for Farmhouse Christmas Decor
If you want a farmhouse-style Christmas tree‚ you can't go wrong with a cedar tree․ The soft silvery-green foliage and natural pyramidal shape‚ along with the familiar woodland smell‚ are even better than pine-scented candles or air spritzers․ If you want your Christmas decor scheme to have an organic feel instead of a commercial one‚ cedar is the evergreen to use‚ from the living tree itself to the smallest leftover trimmed branch․
Of course it grows in Tennessee‚ Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) grows wild in fence rows and on hillsides in Zones 4-9‚ which is almost the whole of the Southeast and a really big chunk of the rest of the country․ That abundance is exactly why it's become a staple of all things rustic and holiday styled: people grew up around these trees and associate the smell with home․
Start With a Live Cedar Christmas Tree
A live cedar tree makes a far better centerpiece than most people expect‚ mostly because it does the work for you․ Cedars grow into that classic pyramid shape naturally‚ so you're not fighting the tree with pruners to get a decent silhouette․ The branches are strong enough to hold heavier ornaments and light strands without sagging by New Year's․
If using a fresh-cut tree‚ select one with flexible branches and needles that shed when a branch is stroked with the hand․ Make sure it was cut reasonably recently so that the needles are still somewhat moist․ Immediately upon bringing your tree home‚ cut the bottom of the trunk at an angle to remove one half inch (1․3 cm)․ Get the tree in the water within two hours․ Cedar trees can drink a quart of water daily for the first week․ Check water levels once per day․ If the stand runs dry even once‚ the cut will seal over and the tree will no longer be able to draw water․
If you're looking for a tree that keeps on giving after the holidays‚ consider a live potted cedar․ TN nursery grows the Eastern Red Cedar in indoor sizes for room-use then you can replant it outdoors in your landscape when the ground thaws and warm weather returns․ If the tree will stay indoors‚ don't keep it in the pot longer than 7-10 days․ The warmth and dryness of a heated house breaks dormancy too soon‚ stressing the tree when it moves back outside․ Water every two to three days‚ but not on the same schedule as the rotation for fresh cut birch․ A root ball needs different care from a cut trunk․
Use Leftover Wood For Farmhouse Accents
Cedar is soft enough to carve‚ and takes detail well‚ so it is often used to craft small decorative items in the farmhouse․ If you are cutting a live Christmas tree or have some branches from tree farming‚ do not throw them out․
Small branches may be cut into quarter-inch rounds‚ drilled at the edge‚ and strung on ribbon․ During this process‚ the bark is still on the outside edge‚ revealing the tree rings when cut․ Thin flat slices from larger branches sanded down can then be turned into simple photo frames․ The cedar accepts stain unevenly in a good way‚ thus the uniqueness․
The larger sections have a number of possible purposes: a section of trunk 12-16 inches high makes a sturdy stool or plant stand․ Hollowed out sections of branch make great candle holders for a farmhouse table runner․ Stick with battery operated tea lights‚ though: cedar is resinous and burns hot‚ so it's not the wood you want anywhere near an open flame․
Create a Statement Wall with Cedar Planks
Using rough-cut cedar boards‚ you can create one of the best farmhouse Christmas backdrops․ This is a project that most DIYers can finish in a weekend․ You can either mount the rough-cut boards to a sheet of plywood for a seasonal backdrop‚ or mount them right to the wall for a more permanent feature․ Either way‚ the fragrant oils in the wood will keep the room scented for weeks with no extra effort․
Instead of using it behind the Christmas tree‚ from the center hang a cedar wreath or swag of cedar‚ lean an old sled or ice skates‚ or place a galvanized milk can․ It is a good background for holiday photographs‚ since the texture registers well under both the natural light and flash․
Style With Cedar Boughs
But if a whole tree feels like too much‚ or you're just craving more greenery‚ cedar boughs go a long way․ An armful can dress a mantel‚ follow along the rail of a staircase‚ or fill a row of galvanized buckets on a front porch․
Another way to have a different perfume each night is to tie small bundles of boughs with string and throw them on the fireplace or woodstove․ The resin in the wood makes a pleasant crackling noise and the smell fills the room in a few moments․ It must be dry; green cedar thrown directly on the fire smokes and does not burn well․
A trick to bringing the look of cedar outdoors is bundling the boughs with a strip of burlap or plaid ribbon and hanging it on the front door․ This is effective because cedar needles do not dry out as rapidly during winter's cold weather months․
Add Cedar Shelving for Display
A set of rustic cedar shelves is a lovely place to hang ornaments that are too fragile for the tree: vintage glass balls‚ old Christmas cards‚ and small family antiques or treasures․ You could try a series of floating shelves or a small ladder-style unit․ The knots and grains of the cedar are already attractive‚ so staining is unnecessary․
For a more distressed look‚ use a light dry-brushed coat of white or gray paint‚ then wipe most of it off before it dries․ For the shelves‚ use distressed iron brackets rather than new or polished ones․ Slightly mismatched rustic wood stained shelves and old hardware sell the farmhouse look․
Whether you have a full cedar Christmas tree from a real TN Nursery or just a few gathered bunches from your local Christmas tree farm‚ cedar makes a scent and texture combination that is hard to replicate with any fake tree․ Use the tree‚ then fill in the rest of the house with the leftover wood and boughs․
