Yule celebration or better known as Winter Solstice is a holiday normally celebrated on the 21st December every year, which is the first day of winter. Some people believe that the Yule holiday is where many of the current Christian Christmas festive celebrations originate due to lots of its decorations that are similar to traditional Christmas decorations. Besides that, it is also a celebration that symbolizes the coming of the sun and allows you and your family to decorate your house whether indoor or outdoor with homemade decorations for winter solstice. Below are some of tips that you can follow in order to make your homemade Yule decorations.
What you need to do:
- Yule tree
- Yule Wreath
- Cedar, spruce, fir of holly springs, pine cones, nuts or berries
- Oak Leaves, grape vine, glue, wire and an orange
- Ribbons and garlands
- Lights and candles
- Lighted Sun symbol decoration
- Nails
- Tape
Yule Decoration
Method:
- The Yule tree tradition, which originally originates from Germany, is to actually decorate your house especially on the patio area, and gifts are to be left beneath the tree for the spirits of the land. Nowadays, modern Yule tree are being used and decorated with glitter, ornaments and colorful lightings. For simple decorations, you could also use small outdoor lights and natural ornaments like berries and pine cones.
- During the Yule celebration, pagans normally do set their wishes and place their oaths on the Yule’s wreath. The wreath are usually made of natural materials like cedar, spruce, fir of holly springs, pine cones, nuts or berries. The wreath will be hung around the house and according to tradition; it will be burned on the twelfth night of the Yule’s holidays which normally falls on the first of January.
- Another popular symbol of winter solstice is an oak tree because it represents the Oak King’s fight for the coming of the sun. Some of the decorations that can be done using an oak tree are to make an oak leaf and orange wreath for your outdoor Yule decorations. In order to make the wreath, you need to have some grapevines, oak leaves, glue, wire, and an orange.
- Take the orange and slice it before you dry the slices on low using your oven until it reaches leathery consistency. After that, you have to wrap the grapevine around itself into a wreath shape and if necessary secure the vines using a wire. Once finished, glue your oak leaves into different places on the wreath, add the orange slices or up to you to be creative when doing this step. To give your wreath a more attractive look, add other natural materials that can be found in nature.
- You can also hang mistletoe in doorways using red ribbons, which is also one of the traditional Yule decorations. Use greenery items decorated along with brightly-colored ribbons and bows or even add some more glitter into it with more red and silver ribbons.
- Look for holly branches, wire and other nature look items for creating a Holly garlands. First thing to do is to gather some of the holly branches and overlapping. Once done, secure all of the branches using the wire. Next, use glue or wire to add pinecones, acorns, and leaves. You need to continue to use the wire to overlap and securing the branches. This garland can also be decorated with bows or just hang it as it is on your entrance door or outside your house during Winter Solstice.
- Brighten up your house with a wide variety of lightings available in the market during the Yuletide holidays. The lights can be placed on your evergreen boughs; mantles, doorways, Yule tree, or even in front of mirrors and in windows. Besides using lights, you can also decorate candles with natural elements around your house and make sure it is a safe location for safety reason. To add more Yule holidays mood, you can even use carved out apples as your tea light candle holders, or place holly ivy beneath your pillar candles.
- Create a lighted sun symbol for your Yule decorations because it represents the increasing hours of sunlight that starts on the winter solstice. In order to do that, you need some nails along with yellow strands of lights. The decoration of the sun can be made either on the floor, hang it on your wall or window (use tape for windows). Firstly, you can start to make a long straight line with lights and the nails. Make sure that it is much loner than your sun’s circle.
- Create a wide X shape by making two more lines across the first line that you have created and place the end of another light strand in the centre area where you want your sun to be. Then, attach it to the first light strands. After that, you have to encircle the lights in a spiral shape until you manage to create a big enough circle for your sun. When you choose to make this decoration on your wall, you need to use nails in order to hold the lights or just weave it through the lines for sunrays that you have created.
Additional Reading:
Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth
