Making a Winter Nature Table
a simple way to honor the season
The first light of advent is the light of stones,
The light that shines in crystals, in seashells and in bones.
The second light of advent is the light of plants,
Plants that reach up to the sun and in the breezes dance.
The third light of advent is the light of beasts,
The light of hope that we may see in greatest and in least.
The forth light of advent is the light of humankind,
The light of love, the light of thought to give and understand.
Living in the hills of Massachusetts, the seasons turn in a beautiful, intense way. We have ice and snow in the winter; tender buds and rain showers in the spring; sunshine and cicadas in the summer, and abundant produce and gorgeous leaf colors in the fall.
Something I learned to do while working for Waldorf schools over the past years is to create a small centerpiece for the home every season with materials gathered from nature. It’s meant to inspire, ground and bring beauty to those who pass by. It could be on the table where meals are shared, on a windowsill, or a mantel.
In this letter I’ll break down how I think about putting together a seasonal centerpiece for winter.
The Base:
Start with a planter, tray, or platform of some kind. At it’s simplest it could be a handkerchief. It’s nice to place this at table height, if you have kids make sure it can be easily interacted with at their height. This is a child safe decoration.
Planter or Textile:
In the winter the indoor forcing of bulb flowers can be a beautiful thing to integrate into the display. As seen above, I used a bowl and layered the bottom with gravel, then planted a few paperwhites into potting soil. I then added moss (purchasable for a few dollars at a florist shop, if you can’t find any in nature) to create a velvety floor.
Here’s a beautiful living display with an amaryllis, paperwhites and an air plant by Caitlin:
Textile:
If you’re not going the planter route, find a scarf or length of fabric in a color that evokes the season— for winter, I might choose silver, white, light blue or dark purple. Try to use a natural fiber, and something that drapes well, like silk, cotton, or linen.
Topography:
The best displays have something happening on a low, mid, and high point. The bulbs add a movement factor to this as every day will be different as they grow. You can also use plants, feathers or candles to get height.
For a mid-height element, I like the idea of using a wooden branch, burl or polypore for a textural background.
On the lowest level you could put shells, beautiful gemstones, or small dolls/gnomes.
In the above verse, each Sunday of Advent is focused on a different “kingdom”— mineral, plant, animal, and human. I think it could be fun to add in these elements to your centerpiece as the weeks go by, so that on 3rd Advent maybe a feather appears, or a toy horse, etc. Or you could just throw some gnomes in and let them have the run of the place from the start!
As the years go by, I’m sure my nature displays will collect more sparkly crystals and felted gnomes. For now though, they will be simple, and perhaps all the more beautiful for it. I hope you have fun making this seasonal decoration for your home. Please share a picture if you do end up making one!
Happy winter to you!
Til soon,
Lily
Thank you! Where does the Advent verse come from?
So inspired !! Thank you for sharing