Craft: Foraged Yule Baubles
As Yule approaches and Winter settles fully into the land, the ancient instinct to bring evergreens indoors returns. In Celtic tradition, holly, fir, larch and ivy were gathered at Midwinter to symbolise life enduring through the dark. This simple, nature-led craft brings that same quiet magic into your home: clear glass baubles filled with foraged treasures, tiny reminders of the living world beyond the window.
These baubles are quick, sustainable and endlessly adaptable—a gentle ritual for a dark December afternoon.
Materials
Clear glass or plastic baubles with removable metal tops
Foraged natural materials (tiny cones, larch tips, fir sprigs, seedheads, feathers)
Scissors or secateurs
Tweezers (optional but helpful)
Ribbon, twine or naturally dyed string for hanging
Foraged materials to consider:
Larch cones and tiny branch tips
Fir or spruce sprigs
Holly leaves (choose small, soft ones)
Fallen feathers
Dried rose hips or seed pods
Wisps of dried moss
Always forage lightly and responsibly.
Method
Prepare your materials. Choose pieces small enough to slide through the bauble opening. Trim fir sprigs to a short length, select miniature cones or seedheads, and lightly bend feathers if needed. Aim for a simple palette inspired by the forest at Yule: greens, browns, whites, soft golds.
Remove the bauble top. Pinch the metal prongs and gently lift off the cap. Keep it to one side.
Fill with foraged treasures. Using your fingers or tweezers, place each object inside the bauble. A few tips: feathers curl beautifully inside, pine cones can sit naturally at the base, a tiny fir sprig creates a miniature woodland scene. Play with combinations until it feels balanced and calm.
Replace the cap. Pinch the metal prongs and slide the topper back into place, securing it firmly.
Add your hanging ribbon. Choose ribbon, twine or naturally dyed silk in a Yule-inspired shade: forest green, berry red, winter white or gold. Tie in a bow or knot depending on your style.
Display with candlelight. Hang the baubles on your tree or create a small midwinter vignette on a mantle with foraged branches. Backlighting them with fairy lights or candles casts soft shadows and makes the natural details glow.
A Seasonal Note
Foraging and crafting baubles in this way echoes an ancient midwinter tradition: bringing symbols of life, protection and endurance into the home when the world outside lies cold and still. These tiny woodland scenes celebrate the quiet magic of Yule and offer a simple, soulful ritual to mark the turning of the year.
