Mother nature is beautiful, and if you’re a lover of nature, you may be at peace when surrounded by it. What better way to incorporate more aspects of nature into your day-to-day than with some DIY nature decor that is easy to make!
What’s great about decorating with nature is that you can usually pick these organic elements up for your projects while you’re out exploring.
That makes these nature DIY ideas super cheap since these natural materials are technically free.
When decorating with nature, use elements of the earth such as tree branches, leaves, plants, pine cones, flowers, rocks, sand, and shells.
So head to your backyard or to your local beach or forest to get some materials for your nature-themed decor. These DIY ideas will help you bring nature into your home.
Here are some creative DIY ideas when decorating with nature.
1. DIY Natural Garland
This DIY natural garland is easy to make, inexpensive, and beautifully minimalist, perfect for adding a touch of nature to your holiday decor. It’s also a sustainable option for Christmas decorating.
What you’ll need:
- Evergreens (pine, cedar, or fir branches)
- Dried orange slices
- Twine or string
- Scissors
- Needle (optional, for threading)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Evergreens and Oranges: Gather fresh evergreen branches and cut them into smaller, manageable pieces. If you haven’t already dried your orange slices, do so by baking thin slices in the oven at a low temperature until they’re completely dry.
- Cut the Twine: Measure and cut a piece of twine to your desired garland length. Add some extra length to account for knots.
- Add Dried Oranges: Thread the dried orange slices onto the twine. You can either use a needle to pierce the orange slices and slide them onto the twine or simply tie them on with additional pieces of twine.
- Attach the Evergreens: Tie pieces of evergreen to the garland using a simple knot. Continue adding branches along the length of the twine, overlapping them slightly to create a fuller look.
- Finalize and Hang: After adding all your elements, secure the ends of the twine with a knot or loop for easy hanging. Drape your natural garland over a mantel, along a staircase, or across a doorway to bring a festive and eco-friendly touch to your home.
This DIY garland not only looks beautiful but also brings the fresh scent of evergreens into your home, enhancing your holiday atmosphere naturally and sustainably.
2. DIY Rock Collection Display
If you’ve got a rock collection, make a beautiful and minimalist display for them using a pegboard. As a rock and mineral collector myself, this DIY is on my to-do list!
What you’ll need:
- Rocks or other small objects
- Pegboard
- Square dowels
- Brass screws
- Middle hinges
- Copper wire
- Picture hanging bracket
- Black paint
- Tools
Read the tutorial by Lay Baby Lay to learn how to make this DIY rock collection display.
3. DIY Twig Triangle Wreath
Using some fallen branches and some twine, make this triangle twig wreath for your home. Attach flowers with twine and you’ve got a simple yet beautiful nature decoration perfect for Spring.
What you’ll need:
- Twigs
- Flowers
- Wire clippers
- Scissors
- Jute twine
- Rubber bands
See this DIY twig triangle wreath tutorial by a Pretty Fix to make it yourself!
READ MORE: 15 DIY spring decor ideas with flowers
4. Handmade Clay Leaf Dishes
How pretty are these leaf dishes? Perfect for plant lovers, these are great for holding jewelry and other small items.
What you’ll need:
- Air dry clay
- Dental floss
- Leaves
- Rolling pin
- Sharp edge or knife
- Sponge
- Craft paint
- Sealer
Read this clay leaf dish tutorial by Garden Therapy to learn how to make your own!
5. Tree Branch Art
Using fallen tree branches or driftwood off the beach, you can make branch art that’s perfect for any room in your home.
What you’ll need:
- Large piece of cardboard
- Black marker
- Tree branches
- Pliers
- Craft paint + paintbrush
- Nylon thread
Learn how to make this tree branch heart art over at eHow.
6. Woodland Wreath
For a super easy and cheap DIY nature home decor idea that’s perfect for both inside your home and outside, make a wreath out of twigs and pine cones.
What you’ll need:
- Twigs/branches
- Pine Cones
- Embroidery Hoop
- Florist wire
- Garden snips
Read this woodland wreath tutorial by Satori Design For Living to learn how to make it yourself.
7. Driftwood Jewelry Hanger
Driftwood is always a great choice when considering nature decor to add to your home. This driftwood jewelry hanger is no exception!
What you’ll need:
- Driftwood piece or Wood base
- Crystal knobs
- Flat nose pliers
- Screws
- Jute string
- Tools
Check out DIY Candy to for the tutorial on how to make this driftwood jewelry hanger.
READ MORE: 25+ easy driftwood DIY decor ideas
8. Birch Log Blanket Ladder
Blanket ladders are great for their practicality and for simply looking amazing. Why not make your own out of small tree logs?
What you’ll need:
- Birch logs, or any type of tree branch
- Nails
- Rope
Check out Liz Marie Blog to read up on how they made this birch log blanket ladder. They even use this blanket ladder as an advent calendar during the holidays!
READ MORE: 13 DIY reusable advent calendars for a sustainable Christmas.
9. DIY Seashell Plank
For a super easy and super cheap DIY nature decor idea, make this seashell plank! This DIY project was done with sand dollars but you could easily use any type of seashell to get a similar effect.
What you’ll need:
- Seashells
- Pallet plank, or similar
- Hot glue and glue gun
Check out House by Hoff for the instructions for this DIY seashell plank.
READ MORE: 15 cheap and easy coastal DIY home decor ideas.
10. Pressed Plants Display
What better way for a nature lover to display their love of plants than to have them framed and displayed in your home? You can frame any type of plant leaves and flowers that you want for this natural DIY decoration!
What you’ll need:
- Plants, leaves, flowers, etc.
- Book
- Tissue paper
- Floating frame
- Double-sided tape
- Nail + hammer to hang
Read the tutorial by Alana Jones-Mann to learn how she went about making these DIY pressed plant frames.
11. Driftwood Wall Hanger
Using a piece of driftwood or tree branch, make a rack by attaching some coat hooks! Naturally gorgeous and practical.
What you’ll need:
- Piece of drift or reclaimed wood
- Coat hooks
- Phillips head screw driver
- Paint (optional)
- Blue painters tape
- Screw eye hooks
- Screws
Learn how to make this driftwood wall hanger by The Effortless Chic.
12. DIY Herb Drying Rack
This nature DIY has a main purpose, to dry your herbs! It just happens to also look amazing that it can double as decor for your home.
What you’ll need:
- Macramé hoop
- Curtain ring clips
- Macramé cord
- Wooden beads
- Pliers
- Scissors
Check out Hello Glow to read the tutorial for this DIY herb drying rack.
13. DIY Tree Art Sculpture
This DIY natural decoration is so easy, cheap to make, and beautifully minimalist. As a bonus, decorate this tree during the holidays for a more sustainable Christmas tree!
What you’ll need:
- Dead tree or branches
- Rapid Set Concrete mix
- Plastic pot
- Water
- Stirrer
- Cooking oil spray
- Scissors
- Old plastic container + gaff tape
Check out Tomfo to learn how to make this awesome tree art sculpture.
Final thoughts on these DIY natural decorations
These DIY natural decorations help create a cozy, calming atmosphere in your home while being easy on your budget. Crafting with natural materials also supports sustainability by reducing waste. Plus, these simple projects are a fun way to unleash your creativity and make your space truly unique.
Want more natural DIY home decorating ideas? Check out these awesome DIY home decor ideas using driftwood.
