Yes, minimalism is very “on trend” and quite the buzzword these days, thanks to people like Marie Kondo , Joshua Becker, Courtney Carver and several others who have gone viral as of late with this concept. Personally, I started to explore this myself in the last year or so, before it became a “thing”. This exploration was due to being inspired by the season of life I am in to simplify things and also because I was part of cleaning out a loved one’s estate after they passed away. I began to shift my perspective on what is important in my life and figure out how my possessions fit into that.
What exactly does minimalism have to do with natural Christmas/Winter décor? Well, a lot, actually. For starters, a lot of people striving for minimalism want only things that they love and that spark joy and happiness surrounding them in their environments. Having natural elements from the outdoors both inside and outside their living space as decorations, creates a feeling of connectivity with nature, which in turn makes them happier people because it’s visually soothing.
Also, with natural decorations, like evergreens, pine cones, and branches, when you are done enjoying them, they can all be recycled. Any wire or metal from wreath frames or the wire that ties the greenery to it can be recycled. The greenery, cones, and branches are natural and can be composted to break down naturally or piled in a flower bed as nesting material for wildlife.
You don’t have to purchase a gazillion plastic tubs to sort and store away an overwhelming amount of glitzy, kitschy faux decorations and accents. You can have only the pieces that really make you happy and let go of all the rest.
Letting go of the overabundance of plastic, fabric, or other themed elements lets you focus on the ones that really speak to you. It reduces stress because you aren’t spending hours sorting, and trying to figure out just where to put it all around your house. You aren’t spending hours untangling that jumbled ball of lights….instead you enjoy the fragrance of the garland you string around your doorway or along your porch or fence-line. When you are done with it, you just recycle it and you move on. You are not untangling, unpacking, re-packing, hours upon stressful hours…you are enjoying the entire decorating process and even more so, the results of your efforts, in a simple way and with time left over to have cocoa by the fire with your family.
Using natural evergreens and materials helps put the joy back into the art of holiday decorating, instead of feeling like the stressful chore decorating has become. It can almost be meditative in nature…breathing in the fresh, natural scent…allowing yourself to focus on the texture of the branches in your hands. You can get immersed in the experience in positive way, instead of feeling the pressure that decorating is just one more thing to check off that never-ending to-do list. You can hang a few simple pieces or mad-rush around to trying to cram in a decorating session that leaves a messy wake of tubs and totes and boxes behind you that you will have to clean up and put away, only to pull it all out again a few weeks later to pack it all up again. Your time is so precious, make sure you spend it well, sparking joy in your heart and soul along the way.
