12 Easy Decorating Ideas Inspired by Nature
Give your living space a big breath of fresh
air by decorating for the season using simple, natural materials and
nature-inspired colors. From creative ideas for sea glass to fancied-up
pressed flowers, decorating with nature is a great way to wake up tired
rooms without spending a lot of cash. In fact, you may already have what you need around the house.
1. Paint a thrift shop find spring green.
Vintage, antiques and charity shops and flea markets usually abound
with small, funky wooden pieces like the little bench shown here. The flaws won’t matter after you’ve given it a lick of spring-green paint — and if the piece is too flawed to be used as intended, you can always put plants on it.
2. Add a botanical fabric. A textile featuring birds, branches, flowers or foliage is a great way to wake up a room for spring, and a few yards of fabric won’t break the bank. If you are an experienced sewer, you can try fashioning your own slipcover for an upholstered chair. If you are a beginner, try covering a seat cushion. Or use a botanical print oilcloth and simply cut out a tablecloth using pinking shears — no sewing required.
2. Add a botanical fabric. A textile featuring birds, branches, flowers or foliage is a great way to wake up a room for spring, and a few yards of fabric won’t break the bank. If you are an experienced sewer, you can try fashioning your own slipcover for an upholstered chair. If you are a beginner, try covering a seat cushion. Or use a botanical print oilcloth and simply cut out a tablecloth using pinking shears — no sewing required.
3. Make luxurious linen-backed pressed-flower portraits. A
morning’s walk along a local nature trail or in your own backyard can
provide you with enough botanical specimens to create your own beautiful
and one-of-a-kind art. First you will need to press the flowers you’ve
picked, so carefully close them in a heavy book or flower press, one per
page, and leave them until fully dried (one to two weeks).
When they’re ready to frame, trim a piece of linen to fit the back of your frame and attach it to the backing using a bit of spray adhesive (do this outdoors). You can either use a bit more spray adhesive to stick the dried flowers to the linen, or simply place the flowers on top and allow the glass to hold them in place.
When they’re ready to frame, trim a piece of linen to fit the back of your frame and attach it to the backing using a bit of spray adhesive (do this outdoors). You can either use a bit more spray adhesive to stick the dried flowers to the linen, or simply place the flowers on top and allow the glass to hold them in place.
4. Cover a windowpane in sea glass. Have a nice collection of beach glass? Take a cue from this creative homeowner and use glass adhesive to cover a window
in it. Use a clear floral-setting resin (find it in craft stores with
the floral supplies) to fill in gaps between glass pieces. This window
will block views but still let in light, so use it somewhere where that
will be an asset, like the bathroom.
See more of this backyard getaway
See more of this backyard getaway
5. Mix household staples with finds from nature for a unique display. A discarded bird’s nest or small potted plant can become part of a fun arrangement for your coffee table.
Dig around in your kitchen cupboards for things that could be used in a
display, like cake stands, dessert plates, glass jars and serving
trays, and play around until the arrangement pleases you.
6. Paint your coffee table legs summer-sky blue. Brighten up your room in an afternoon with this small painting project.
If you have any leftover paint in a fun, springy color, table legs are
the ideal place to use it, because they require only a small amount of
paint. Tape off the edges of your tabletop or ottoman cushion, and sand, clean and prime the table legs before giving them two coats of color.
7. Wrap branches in rainbow-hued thread. This simple project is the sort of thing you can do while watching TV —
just take any old twig (cleaned and dried thoroughly) and some
vibrant-colored thread, and start wrapping. Use a tiny dab of glue to
hold the thread in place at the beginning and end of each place you
wrap, leaving some bark exposed between colors for contrast. If you
choose a branch with a few forks in it, you can use the finished project
to hold jewelry, as shown here.
8. Collect feathers in a cup. Sometimes the simplest things can be quite beautiful. Collect feathers you find on walks in an earthenware mug and pop it on the shelf alongside your kitchenware to bring in a touch of the wild.
9. Make your own driftwood planter.
If you own a drill and can get your hands on a nice big piece of
driftwood, you can make your own version of the gorgeous succulent
planter shown here. Hang it on the wall, frame it in an old window or
use it as a centerpiece on the table.
Get the full DIY instructions
Get the full DIY instructions
10. Fill bottles and jars with your finds.
A glass jar filled with sea glass (with or without water) looks lovely
placed in a window to catch the light. Also try placing small, smooth
stones in a glass jar and nestling in a tea light for a nearly free
candleholder with natural appeal.
11. Start a curio cabinet.
Vintage drawers make excellent curio cabinets when mounted on the wall.
Fill the sections with rocks, shells, abandoned nests and other things
you find on your outdoor adventures. Tip: If you want to use a
nonvintage drawer, try staining it a darker color first to give it a
vintage look.
12. Use a chair rail to showcase a collection.
Have a chair rail in the dining room or bath? Use it to display a
collection of small shells, stones, sea glass or bits of driftwood. The
key to making this look like a collection rather than clutter is to be
really strict about what you include — don’t use a jumble of different items, and stick with one type or color.
Tell us: What’s your favorite way to decorate with finds from nature?
Tell us: What’s your favorite way to decorate with finds from nature?