Two years ago, my husband and I traveled from central Texas on a two-week road trip to the most southern point in the United States, Key West. While the beach view was breathtakingly beautiful, I still daydream about our stay at the Oak Alley Plantation and the Christmas décor that filled the home.
It was an honor to be invited to stay at Oak Alley for Christmas and even more spectacular to be allowed to photograph the inside of the home as it would have appeared at Christmas in the 1800s. I’m sharing the rare Oak Alley Plantation Christmas photos in this story in hopes that you too will find a little decor inspiration like I did, as they do not allow any photography of the home during public tours.
As we start to decorate our homes for the holidays, I’m reminded of the beautiful garlands that draped across the front of Oak Alley and up the staircase as you walked through the front doors. I recall how elegant and simple the décor was throughout the entire home with fruit elements that created pops of color and a citrus aroma that filled the air as you walked down the hallway.
While I may not have embraced the simplicity of the Oak Alley Christmas décor this year, I will take a page from their decorating book and incorporate citrus into my dining room tablescape as they have in the photos below. This year I will try to make a DYI citrus garland.
Join me in my citrus adventure and incorporate a little color into your tablescapes with a step-by-step guide for making a citrus garland and ornaments with a little help from DIY expert, Erica Chan Coffman.
Citrus Garland Supply List:
- 5-10 lbs of navel oranges
- 4 oz dried bay leaves
- 15mm + 20mm wooden beads
- waxed cotton thread
- cotton tassel
- embroidery needle
- scissors
You can also experiment with other citruses, such as grapefruit and lemons. This year I plan to keep it simple and follow Erica’s guide to the letter. She recommends starting this DIY project by drying the navel oranges. Brace yourself because this process takes time and the name of the game is low and slow. Read how Erica got started with this DIY project and the steps she took to create the perfect citrus garland.
Do you use Citrus in your holiday decor?
Share your photos with me of your holiday citrus style on Instagram
I just dried grapefruit to do a garland! Citrus seems to be popular this year!
Author
That’s so exciting! I definitely think it’s a trend this year, I’d love to see your garland when you are done!