Tinsel is dead: Make your own natural Christmas wreath instead

Thin twigs (for example willow, dogwood or wild vine) are suitable as a basic framework for wreaths. They can be bent, twisted and braided in circles. Photos: Sebastian Funk/ausdemgarten/dpa

In the long history of Christmas, the past few decades will go down as a very plastic, very glittery blip in a tradition otherwise characterised by elements taken from nature.

Where we today see plastic baubles, electric lights and artificial trees, previous generations used real evergreens, candles and glass decorations and berries.