• Ornaments made from natural materials can bring satisfaction and enjoyment to a home during the holiday season. Using pieces of nature to create ornaments is a small way of recycling. It also holds a traditional feel to use items collected from the yard or a nearby park instead of purchasing them from a commercial outlet. Be sure to wash and dry all objects brought in from the yard or park to prevent bugs or fungi from getting into the home.
  
  

Pine Cone Christmas Trees

• A Pine cone takes time to fully open.pine cone image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
  
  During the fall and early winter season, the pine trees shed their seeds. These seeds are encompassed in pods known as pine cones. Pine cones are woody in substance and range from palm to full hand size. When fully open, they resemble their evergreen parent. Use this resemblance to create an ornament. Miniature potting plants are available at craft and garden stores along with crafting sponge to fill them. Collect pine cones to fill each of the pots. Push the stem of the pine cone into the craft sponge so it stands erect, giving the appearance of a Christmas tree. Decorate the newly created tree with a small amount of spray snow or by coloring the tips of the branches with red and green markers. Fully painting the pine cone green is also an option.
  
  

Acorn Elves

• Acorns are plentiful in many sections of the United Statesacorn on hand image by Anton Chernenko from Fotolia.com
  
  The mighty oak tree drops small seeds each year commonly known as acorns. These marble-size seeds are brown in color and posses a small textured cap by which they hang from the tree. When the seed falls off, the cap comes with. Use this natural feature to create ornaments. Use poster or craft paint to color just the cap portion of the acorns. Use the obvious choices of red and green, but also consider silver, blue and gold. Paint small dots of green or blue to create eyes and a touch of red to make a mouth. The result is a miniature elf. Tie a small piece of string in a loop to hang the ornament on the Christmas tree, or incorporate them into wreaths.
  
  

Decorative Dried Leaves

• When dried properly, leaves will hold some of their fall color.leaves image by Terry Reimink from Fotolia.com
  
  When the fall season gets into full swing, the leaves change colors and drop to the ground. Early collection of these leaves leads to Christmas ornaments. Gather nicely shaped leaf and dry on a flat surface. As the holiday approaches, apply a thin line of silver or gold paint to the edges of each leaf. Tie a decorative string to the stem of the leaf and hang on the tree or on the front door.