Gilded treasures - Christmas decor

Sunset, Dec, 1993 by Peter O. Whiteley

Bring nature home for the holidays with a touch of metallic paint

FEW HOLIDAY PROJECTS START as easily as this one and require so little skill, but yield such bold results. Begin with a stroll into your garden or a hike into a field, where you can collect dried branches, leaves, pine cones, grasses, and seed pods.

Then, add a little bit of magic with metallic paint. A coat of silver, gold, or some pearlescent shade adds the same sparkling elegance as a dusting of winter's frost.

Spray paint is easiest to use on the complex and delicate shapes of natural materials. Be sure the materials are well dried before painting. (An hour in a warm oven will get rid of dampness.) Working with spray paint requires good ventilation, so pick a protected outdoor site, and cover the ground with a drop cloth.

Shapes that are irregular or have intricate surfaces will take longer to paint because you'll have to turn or roll them between coats. Some objects, like bunches of fine twigs, may be easier to paint if you suspend them with thread.

Once painted, these natural objects can be used to decorate a tree, grace a table, accent a mantel or simple mirror, or memorably enhance the wrapping on a gift.