How to Create 3 Stunning Holiday Center Pieces with Stacy Risenmay

The holiday season is a time for warmth, light, and bringing beauty into our homes. While store shelves are overflowing with glittering decorations, there’s an unmatched magic in crafting something by hand—especially when the materials come directly from your own garden. This year, why not skip the crowded aisles and create a holiday centerpiece that is not only beautiful but also deeply personal and completely free?

Our incredibly talented Digz Ambassador, Stacy Risenmay (@stacyrisenmay), shows us exactly how to do it. With her gardening gloves on and a pair of shears in hand, she "shops her yard" to gather a bounty of winter greens and transforms them into three distinct and breathtaking holiday arrangements.

Let’s follow her creative process and learn how you can design your own show-stopping centerpiece this season.

Step 1: The Foraging Mission - What to Gather

Before the crafting can begin, it’s time for an adventure in your own backyard. Even in the winter, your garden is full of textures, colors, and fragrances perfect for holiday décor.

First things first, protect your hands! Evergreen needles can be prickly and sap can be sticky. Stacy wisely puts on her durable Digz Gardening Gloves to keep her hands comfortable and clean while she works. Grab your gloves and a sharp pair of pruners, and look for these natural treasures:

• Evergreens: The foundation of any holiday arrangement. Look for a variety of textures. Spruce offers a classic, structured look; fir has softer needles; and juniper can provide unique textures and even beautiful blue berries.
• Aromatic Herbs: Hardy perennial herbs like rosemary and sage not only add a lovely silvery-green color but also release a wonderful, festive scent when brought indoors.
• Broadleaf Evergreens: Plants like boxwood or holly add a different shape and a rich, deep green to contrast with the needle-like evergreens.
• Unique Textures: Stacy even clips a few leaves from her Christmas cactus! Don’t be afraid to look for unexpected elements. Pinecones, interesting bare branches, or dried seed pods can also add a rustic touch.

Step 2: Crafting Your Own Decorative Picks

The secret to a truly custom centerpiece is in the details. Stacy elevates her arrangements by creating her own decorative "picks" using simple craft supplies she already has. This is where you can let your personality shine!

Here are some of her brilliant ideas you can try:

• Dried Orange Slices: Thinly slice an orange and bake the slices on a tray in the oven at a very low temperature (around 200°F or 95°C) for 2-3 hours until dry. They add a gorgeous pop of color and a lovely scent. Attach them to floral wire to easily poke them into your arrangement.
• Air-Dry Clay Stars: Roll out some air-dry clay and use small cookie cutters to create festive shapes like stars. Let them dry completely, then glue them to floral wire or wooden skewers.
• Jingle Bells & Pinecones: Thread jingle bells onto floral wire or use a hot glue gun to attach pinecones to the ends of bamboo skewers. This turns them into sturdy picks that won’t get lost in the greenery.
• Gingerbread Men: For a truly whimsical and fragrant touch, bake a batch of gingerbread cookies and attach them to skewers. They look adorable peeking out from between the branches!

Step 3: Assembling Your Masterpiece - Three Inspiring Styles

Now, with your greens gathered and your decorative picks ready, it’s time to assemble your centerpiece. Stacy demonstrates three different styles to suit any holiday table.

Style 1: Rustic & Natural Woodland

This design is perfect for a cozy, cabin-chic vibe.

• The Vessel: Stacy uses a rustic container that looks like a birch log. A wooden box or a simple terracotta pot would also work beautifully.
• The Method: Start by tightly packing the container with your longest evergreen branches to create a full, lush base. Layer in different types of greens to add texture and depth.
• The Details: Once your greenery is in place, tuck in your decorative picks. Stacy artfully places pinecones, dried orange slices, and a few festive jingle bells for a look that feels like a magical walk in the woods.

Style 2: Sweet & Whimsical Charm

This elegant arrangement is full of playful, traditional spirit.

• The Vessel: A beautiful gold pedestal bowl adds a touch of sophistication.
• The Method:  For a shallow bowl like this, wet floral foam is your best friend. It holds the stems in place and keeps them hydrated. Tip: Cut the end of each stem at a sharp angle—this makes it much easier to slide it into the foam.
• The Details: After creating a base of evergreens and boxwood, Stacy adds her delightful homemade picks: sweet gingerbread men, simple clay stars, and pops of red from faux berries. The result is fragrant, festive, and full of joy.

Style 3: Cool & Modern Winter Blues

For a more contemporary and serene look, focus on a cooler color palette.

• The Vessel: Stacy chooses a lovely white vase with snowflake cutouts, which perfectly complements the theme.
• The Method: This arrangement is all about celebrating the simple beauty of the foliage. Loosely arrange your branches, allowing their natural shapes to create the design.
• The Details: Focus on blue-toned and silvery greens. Stacy uses blue spruce, juniper with its dusty berries, and elegant eucalyptus. The final arrangement is simple, chic, and breathtakingly beautiful without any extra embellishments.

This holiday season, take inspiration from your own garden. Crafting a centerpiece from foraged finds is a wonderful way to connect with nature, express your creativity, and create lasting memories.