Emily Thompson, DUMBO’s florist extraordinaire, took her talents to the White House last month — transforming the East Room into a wooded wonderland for the holidays. Here’s five quick and all-natural tips on decking Brooklyn’s halls:
•For the Christmas tree, use lots of one thing: “I love using lots of one thing. If it’s tinsel, really go crazy with the tinsel. If it’s popcorn and cranberries, try covering the tree in a web of the stuff.”
• Forage for wild material: “During my childhood, we made a lot of chains of pine cones, wiring them into these long ropes. And after a big storm last year, I found sweet-gum tree pods and horse chestnuts. It’s hard to forage in Brooklyn but you can do it.”
• Decorate with fruits and vegetables: “Make bowls of clementines and kumquats or other citrus and poke a few bits of foliage like fresh bay leaves into the crevasses between the fruit to dress it up. The bowls can be in an entryway or part of a buffet or side table.”
• Use evergreen as a last-minute touch: “Tucking evergreen foliage around candles, ornaments or trays of cookies adds an immediate seasonal feel.”
• Don’t be afraid of nostalgia and excess: “Cover an entire tree with metal icicles. Put real pinecones on a fake tree. Even though I’m in favor of more natural and wild aesthetic, I like the contrast with something man-made.”
— Kate Briquelet
Reach Kate Briquelet at kbriquelet@cnglocal.com or by calling her at (718) 260-2511.
