Who’s classy, fierce, and nurturing all at once? Okay, yes, Beyoncé—but she’s not going to help decorate your home for the holidays. However, Mother Nature will. Elegant natural elements will beautify your indoors far longer than any plastic Santa-hatted penguin.

Create many items for free when you forage for greenery, pinecones, and plentiful branches from birches and other trees. Check craft stores for low-cost cinnamon sticks, driftwood, and grapevine for wreaths. A real Christmas tree provides a ready-made source of evergreens. (Unless you’re putting it in the middle of the room, you can cut bits off the back and no one will notice.) And you’ll find fragrant, colorful selections in grocery-store produce departments.

All skill levels may apply!

Make friends with containers. Bud vases, brandy snifters, baskets, and bowls can become joyful accents. Think contrasting colors and shapes: a clear pillar candleholder filled with fir cones and oranges, a floor vase with birch and spruce cuttings, bowls of cranberries with plain branches loosely framing them. Once they’re filled, place them anywhere you need a dose of cheer.

Bring the beauty and serenity of the outdoors inside this holiday season with these tips, and make decorations you’ll want to keep around even when the holidays are over. But if you feel the need for even more serenity and want some guidance for improved mental health, contact us at Hancock Counseling and Psychiatric Services. We want to help!