CARING FOR AND USING BOXWOOD DURING CHRISTMAS

CARING FOR AND USING BOXWOOD FOR CHRISTMAS- LOTS OF TIPS AND IDEAS!

When I think of boxwood I automatically think of Christmas. As in, a Dicken’s Christmas. Boughs and sprigs of boxwood and holly tied up with red silk ribbons! Luckily we can still decorate with boxwood and have it look beautiful for years and years thanks to the process of preserving. Today we are looking at how to care for and decorate with preserved (and faux) boxwood during the Christmas season.

I mostly decorate with preserved boxwood wreaths and faux sprigs of boxwood. Because preserved boxwood is a bit pricey I like to get a big decorative WOW for my buck so that usually means using boxwood wreaths.

They are GORGEOUS! And have a charming quality that makes them my favorite!

 

When hanging preserved boxwood wreaths make sure to choose a beautiful ribbon that works with your decor or Christmas color scheme.

Here are a few ways to use them…

  • hang them on the inside of windows
  • hang them on doors
  • hang them over mirrors
  • hang them in an empty picture frames

  • hang them in picture frames with fun paper behind them
  • hang several going down the stairs
  • hang them on coat hooks with winterwear and hats
  • hang a tiny boxwood wreath on a long ribbon and tie it to the throat of a lamp

CARING FOR AND USING BOXWOOD FOR CHRISTMAS- LOTS OF TIPS AND IDEAS!

  • use boxwood wreaths to embellish gifts
  • hang them with ribbon to the back of kitchen or dining room chairs
  • hang one from a ribbon on a doorknob 
  • arrange them in a bookshelf with other items

  • hang them over a plate or platter on a wall
  • slip a boxwood wreath over the head of an animal figurine
  • use one to make an advent wreath
  • write a Christmas carol on a chalkboard and hang a wreath over it 

  • put one at each place setting on a Christmas tablescape
  • hang a trio of tiny boxwood wreaths vertically from a long wide ribbon
  • use tiny wreaths as ornaments in your Christmas tree
  • sit one upright in an urn to make a topiary

 Boxwood comes in more ways than just wreaths. Here are other ways you can purchase preserved boxwood…

  • garland
  • ball
  • topiary
  • tree
  • swag

The best way to purchase boxwood is a little at a time. I’ve been collecting boxwood wreaths for about six years. Now I have a very nice collection!!!! See the bottom of this post for my favorite sources. Not all boxwood is the same! Make sure you get your $$$ worth! Choose boxwood wreaths that are full and green and lush and without folded or crushed leaves.

 

Let’s talk about live cut boxwood vs preserved. Here’s my take. Live boxwood is beautiful and can last a few weeks if kept in a very cool place, out of the sun and given lots of misting. But when it starts fading the leaves shrivel and get crunchy. I think it is very unattractive.

So I opt for preserved boxwood. It is an investment that will last for years and years!!!! And with a little care will look as good as the day you brought it into your home.

 

I did not know for the first couple years I had preserved boxwood wreaths that they needed care. Yes, they do need a little care but it’s so easy!

Preserved boxwood need …

  • to be kept out of the sun or it will fade
  • misted with a very fine mist of water about once a month and left to completely dry

I store my boxwood wreaths in a clear plastic container making sure they are completely dry.

Easy peasy!

Another option for using boxwood is to go faux! I found these faux boxwood potted balls at Pottery Barn a few years ago. They came in terracotta pots but I slipped them into these gorgeous silver containers. Also, from Pottery Barn. And sorry, also not in stock.

Another way I like to use faux boxwood is to buy sprays or garland and cut them apart so I’m using little springs and bits of them mixed into other greens. The mixing of greens is so interesting and becoming.

Now that you know how to use preserved (and faux) boxwood in your Christmas decor we need to know how to care for it.

They too need a little care. Here’s all you do…

  • dust with a feather duster or blow with a hairdryer on low speed and the coolest setting
  • you can also swish them in warm sudsy water and rinse them under cool water then set them out to dry.

Nothing will ruin the beauty of Christmas greens like that greasy buildup. YUCK!

I store all my faux boxwood in clear plastic containers. 

Boxwood is a beautiful Christmas green to use throughout your home. I hope you use some this Christmas!

 

six inch wreath with ribbon  ||  2 12 inch wreath  ||  3  14 inch wreath  ||  4 boxwood plant 11.5 “  ||  5  topiary in urn set of two  ||  6  22 inch wreath  ||  7  boxwood bush in clay pot  || 8 21.25 inch wreath   ||  9 boxwood tree  ||  10 21.25 inch wreath  ||  11 cone topiary 

You might like to follow me on Pinterest and see all the things I’m finding to pin every day HERE. Did you know I have over 1,500 pins on my CHRISTMAS Pinterest board just waiting for you to peruse!

 

This post contains affiliate links.

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36 Comments

  1. Yvonne, thank you for this post on decorating with boxwood! I️ love boxwood but have really only focused on pine, red berries and pine cones @ Christmas. I️ love how you used the boxwood also I’m so many different places. Where is the best place to look for faux boxwood & preserved?

  2. Yvonne, thank you for your boxwood post ideas! I am also a perrenial holiday boxwood user of this beautiful green. I have planted several boxwood plants in our yard as well as the holly so I have fresh boxwood and holly for the holiday season for both indoor and outdoor designs. One of my favorite is making a fresh boxwood xmas tree. I always create it right after Thanksgiving and it lasts well beyond January with just a few mists of water to the actual boxwood used and by keeping the container that holds the green florist foam moist. Sometimes it is decorated with just a simple delicate bow on the top of it. Love it! Enjoy all of your ideas…..many thanks!

  3. Like Karen, I have been guilty of using pine or frosted pine for décor. Will search out some boxwood to give the house an updated Dickens look with Christmas décor. We do not see a lot of it in our part of the country and I believe the change will be most welcomed.

  4. I love boxwood and you are right about the cost. It is a good idea to keep buying it and collecting it. Your ideas inspire me.

  5. Thanks for sharing your decorating ideas and care tips for boxwood. I like the idea of cutting faux boxwood a part and mixing it with other greens. One can get more bang for their buck! Your home and ideas are just beautiful!

  6. Yvonne, I was looking for the sources you referenced in your blog post. I don’t see them at the end of your post. (Maybe I haven’t had enough coffee, yet!) Would you please share your sources? Thanks!

  7. Love the variety of ideas for boxwood listed here. However I missed the info on where you buy yours. Could you please add it here? (Both preserved and artificial — thank you in advance!)

    1. Sorry Mary, the link was broken so I had to make it over again. It’s up now!

  8. Theresa at Winterberry Lane says:

    Thanks for such a informative post on treated Boxwood and faux Boxwood. Your home looks so warm and inviting Yvonne. I’m now on the look out for treated Boxwood.Have a great Fall day????

  9. I would also love the info for where you buy your beautiful boxwood! Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas!!

    1. Hi Debbie, I have sources and the link is broken. Trying to fix that now. Check back later. Thanks!

  10. I would love the sources of the beautiful faux boxwoods.

  11. Love using the natural element of boxwood in decorating.The balls you got from Pottery Barn are adorable and would look great tucked into a bookcase or a on a shelf too.

  12. As usual gorgeous! I think I could use boxwood during the fall season and decorations.

  13. Christine says:

    Probably a silly question, but once you store your preserved boxwood in plastic boxes, do you still have to mist them once a month; or is that only when they are displayed?

    1. No that’s a great question, Christine. Once stored I do not mist them until I take them out of the container. They boxwood must be perfectly dry before putting them away.

  14. Norma Rolader says:

    How beautiful is the boxwood and thank you for all your great information

  15. So many great ideas, Yvonne!

  16. Karen VanLoo says:

    Thank you for the tips on caring for preserved boxwood wreaths! I bought some a couple of years ago to put around the house for Christmas – in front of a large mirror over my fireplace, two small ones in my little kitchen windows, above my guest bed on a ribbon, etc…and love them so much I keep them out all year! Sometimes I just change the ribbon colors for the seasons. I absolutely LOVE them! I’ve actually found some very nice preserved boxwood items at Target. They have lasted very well.

  17. Yvonne, help!

    I have a preserved boxwood wreath. The big one that goes on a door. I hung mine outside last year and it has mildew or mold on it. I live in Houston, and didn’t give one thought to the humidity that would cause such a problem. Any ideas on what to do now?

    Thanks!!

  18. Yvonne . . . cannot tell you how much I LOVE reading your blog. Can you tell me the link to the boxwood items . . . didn’t see it after you said you reposted. Also, I chair the luminarias that grace The Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs during the holiday season. We put white pine roping on the gazebo and along the bridge railings. I have always had a difficult time finding quality, full roping at a reasonable price. Can you tell me if there are any sources you know of in or near Lancaster that offer quality roping? Appreciate all you do to brighten all of our days with your design style!

    1. Look down towards the bottom of the post Marilyn. You will see lots of boxwood options.

  19. I have always loved seeing your boxwood wreaths that you use throughout your home. Thanks for sharing the links on where we can get them!

  20. I purchased a preserved boxwood topiary at Homegoods awhile back and there wasn’t any tags on it so I didn’t realize it was real. Needless to say it started getting a little brown and the leaves dried out. I had no idea I needed to mist it. A hard lesson learned for sure.

  21. Yvonne, thanks for the links to the boxwood wreaths as I’ve been looking to find a nice set this year. Your advice is great, as usual, and will help me keep these investment pieces going, year to year.
    THANKS!

  22. Lisa from featheringmyemptynest.com says:

    Great post–so many great ideas for displaying preserved boxwood. I have quite a bit of preserved boxwood but I did not know you were supposed to mist it. Thanks for the tip!

  23. Oh my, so many great boxwood things to choose from! Thanks for a great round-up!!

  24. Love the DTT podcast today. I actually listened to two, Christmas tree placement and stockings and Christmas mantels today. What a treat! I enjoyed each one so much! Thanks for sharing.

  25. Arla Philippbar says:

    Thank you for the tip on preserved boxwood. I didn’t know I was supposed to mist it. I will start doing it . Thank you

  26. I too love boxwood. I thought they were so beautiful all my themselves. However, after seeing all the different ways to decorate them, and to hang them, I am even more in love with them. I also appreciate your tip in how to store them. I have a few, but been storing them all so wrong.

  27. Susie Jackson says:

    Your blog inspires me to do a better job of decorating my home. At Thanksgiving I used your idea of a dough bowl filled with vegetables and fruit, and we actually did eat everything but the radishes the next week. The thing I like most about your blog is that you are bold in sharing your faith each Sunday. As a believer, I can relate to what you share, and you give me fresh insights into God’s holy word. Thank you!

    1. Susie, I know this is why StoneGable is such a successful blog. And this is my ministry.

  28. Mary Stewart says:

    I love boxwood but have always been a little leery about using them. Your post has changed my mind. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

  29. Hello!

    My mom and I just opened Morgan Ashley— The Boxwood Shop. We are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We have always had a love for decorating with Preserved Boxwoods, so we figured why not open our own business called “The Boxwood Shop.” It was always a struggle to find the right Boxwoods for our homes. We would either have to purchase online or find some around town for an expensive price tag! We would love to opportunity to talk with you about our products. They are 100% real Preserved Boxwoods. We have everything from topiaries, balls, wreaths and more! Feel free to check us out on Facebook and Instagram, or our website http://www.morganashleytheboxwoodshop.com! We can’t wait to hear from you!