Woodland Christmas Decor

Woodland Christmas Decor: forest creatures, natural elements like pinecones and acorns and DIY ornaments create a magical Christmas.
Woodland Christmas Decor: forest creatures, natural elements like pinecones and acorns and DIY ornaments create a magical Christmas.

This year I’m bringing the outdoors in with lots of woodland Christmas decor.  This theme is perfect for the holidays and adds a little magic to the season.

A Table Top Forrest with Woodland Animals

I have collected lots of table top Christmas trees over the past few years, and love the way they look all mixed together on my dining room table. This year, to go with our Woodland Christmas decor theme, I thought I’d add a few little woodland creature friends to the forest.

Woodland Christmas decor

I originally planned on painting all the little woodland animals white -you know how I love a little spray painting. 😉 But after seeing it all together, I kind of liked how they looked. Not to mention the kids pleading in the background. What do you think, should I paint them?

woodland themed Christmas decorations

I found most of them at the craft store. I started out with one of those tubes of North American animals, but I didn’t like how the animals weren’t to scale. (Maybe you didn’t know I was quite that particular about things -well I am, and just the thought of the raccoon being the same size as the deer was bugging me.) So, I found these other, larger animals. At first I thought it might be a little expensive to get enough of them but…about nine or so 50% off coupons later and it worked out great. 😉 Most of them worked out to be a dollar or two.

forest themed Christmas decor

I have to say I kind of love them. At first glance it’s just a regular, shiny, silvery Christmas tree display.

Woodland Christmas Decorations

But then, you see them, hiding in the trees, and you can’t help but smile, even at the skunk.

Woodland Christmas ideas

It’s going to be hard to put them away after Christmas.

Woodland Christmas Decor

Deer Head

 Christmas deer head

Sometime in October I got the idea that I wanted to add a deer head to my dinning room for our Christmas and build a whole woodland Christmas decor theme around him. I thought of a few options, and was buying supplies for another version when I laid eyes on this guy. A plain, brown paper, paper mache deer head. I decided I should bring him home, and abandoned my other plans. I gave him a few good coats of white gloss spray paint, and loved him even more. 😉

paper mâché deer head

Homemade Picture Frame

I knew I wanted to surround him with an old picture frame, painted silver. Of course when you need something you can’t find it. I looked at all my local thrift stores and couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for.  When I was driving by the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store and had an idea. What if I bought some old trim and made my own frame? I found this piece of trim for a $1 -sold!

how to make your own picture frame how to make your own picture frame

Once I got it home, I had a little help cutting it to size, with all the right angles. I glued it together, stapled it, clamped it, and then filled the little gaps and sanded them smooth.

how to make your own picture frame how to make your own picture frame

After a few coats of silver spray paint, I think my $1 frame turned out pretty well.

DIY Woodland Christmas decor

Boxwood Wreath

I needed one more finishing touch for the deer head, a little wreath around his neck. The box wood wreath came from trimming up my box wood and I made a little wreath. I just bent a coat hanger into a circle to make the form, and then wired little bunches of box wood around the form.

DIY boxwood wreath

DIY boxwood wreath

It’s the perfect natural element for this spot.

Woodland Christmas decor

More Woodland Christmas Decor

To finish off the display I used this gorgeous little black wrought iron tree my sister gave me a few Christmas’ ago. I love the little pompom garland, reminds me of little snow balls.

Woodland Christmas

I usually have some Black and White photos of Paris hanging here, but decided to change them out to go with our woodland theme too. These sweet little prints are from UNIK Printshop, at the One-of-a-Kind Show. They are printed onto wood veneer and I thought the snowshoes and feather were perfect with everything else. I framed them in some in-expensive IKEA frames, and I like the way the white frames match my dear, deer head -affectionately referred to by all my family, friends, and visitors as the moose.

Woodland Christmas decor

I didn’t do too much else on the table, just some candles, and the silver bowl I made here, filled with some pinecones.

how to decorate for Christmas with a woodland theme

paper mâché deer head

Woodland Entry Table

Woodland Christmas decor

I thought it would be fun to add a woodland touch to the entry area too.  The deer look so sweet in the fresh pine boughs on the table.

DIY pinecone balls

These pinecone balls were an easy DIY you can read all about how I made them here.

Woodland Christmas Tree

One of my favourite woodland touches this Christmas is my woodland themed Christmas tree.  

woodland Christmas tree

With lots of DIY woodland animals it’s the perfect touch for our theme.

Woodland Christmas tree

You can read all about all the details of the woodland Christmas tree here.

DIY Woodland Christmas ornaments

DIY Woodland Christmas ornaments

All the woodland Christmas decor details came together so beautiful.  This might be one my favourite Christmas themes ever.

With Woodland Christmas decor, life really is party!

15 Comments

  1. Don’t spray them – they look really natural and super cute! I love the whole woodland theme you have got going on – just stunning

  2. Wow!!!
    Again very beautiful:))
    You have truly inspired me:))
    I soo need to collect table top trees or even make some:))
    Thanx Dannyelle:))

  3. you’ve solved a great mystery for me! i’ve been looking for little plastic woodland animals everywhere! i didn’t think to check michaels:) silly me. i love all the trees!

  4. I am a lover of white…anything and everything! BUT, that close up of the little fox just stole my heart away! All of the little animals did…my vote would be to leave them the way they are! You COULD always get another set just like them and paint THEM. Just an idea!

  5. I vote not to paint the forrest friends. They look great just the way nature likes them to look. Your centerpiece is beautiful.

  6. What fun to have the different trees and group them together. Your little critters are cute. Love the theme of this centerpiece.

  7. I LOVE your table! I’ve been using a lot of silver this year and this totally inspires me. My favorite it the little critters – ADORABLE! Visiting from Crafty, Scrappy, Happy!

  8. Hi Dannyelle – This is April 2014 I have just returned from New York singing with my choir “Inspiration”. Whilst there I made a trip to Micheals especially to buy the animals. I bought the North American ones and was so thrilled to find them. They will have pride of place in my little “Life’s a Party” inspired forest this Christmas. Love from England x

  9. Love it Julia! Thanks for letting me know and so happy you were able to find them!
    Dannyelle

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