Who doesn’t love the aroma of a fresh cut fir tree or the imperfectly perfect way a real tree’s branches aren’t quite symmetrical (unlike those plastic gizmos)? I know I do. And top that tree with strings of popcorn, baked orange slices, and gingerbread stars and you’ve got yourself a good ole fashion, traditional Christmas tree. And the best part, it’s all compostable meaning NO storage necessary at the end of the holiday season.
In the spirit of the season, we moseyed on over to a Christmas tree lot to find the ideal tree for our small apartment. We acquired a six foot tall tree with a slightly more narrow base that fits just right in the corner of our living room. We then spent the night slicing oranges to bake and stringing hundreds of tiny pieces of popcorn to form white ribbons around the tree. I had an old burlap ribbon from last year that I repurposed as a tree topper and completed the décor with gifts at the base.
To make the citrus ornaments, thinly slice lemons and oranges and arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours until dried out. And voila.
For other decorations, go on a foraging adventure in your neighborhood park. I scavenge pine tree branches and pine cones, along with any colorful berries I can find to make holiday wreaths. Also consider laying out pine branches and cones rather than buying fake garland. Nature’s winter bounty and some candles can go a long way. For more wreath making information, see my post from last year.
Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal!