• Popcorn and cranberry garlands are a timeless Christmas favorite.Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Primitive Christmas decorations give a cozy, old-fashioned feeling to the holidays and are often inexpensive and low maintenance. Whether your goal is rustic charm, nostalgia or saving money, a primitive theme keeps your decor earthy and delightful at the same time. Get your whole family in on the fun and festivity by making Christmas decorations together.
  
  

Winter Fruits & Flowers

• Winter fruits and flowering bulbs brighten up the drab winter season with color and aroma. It can be as simple as piling pears, persimmons, oranges, pomegranates and nuts in a rustic basket or on a tray. Blooming bulbs like hyacinths, narcissus and crocus are a bright spot, much appreciated during the holidays, that last much longer than cut flowers. Bulbs are "forced" in winter by keeping them in cold storage until the roots are established and then bringing them into the light to bloom when desired. Once they have bloomed, move them out of direct sunlight to keep the blossoms as long as possible.
  
  

Wreaths

• A traditional holiday wreath of evergreen boughs fits with a primitive Christmas decorating theme, but there are lots of other ways to make a festive, rustic-looking holiday wreath. An aromatic twist on a traditional wreath is to make one out of fresh herbs. Large bay leaves and bunches of rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, sage and other herbs combine on a wreath form to make a fragrant and rustic holiday decoration. Apple slices can be dried with lemon juice and cinnamon and strung on a wire or glued onto a cardboard wreath form. Try a more whimsical approach with a yarn ball wreath by wrapping various sizes of foam craft balls with red and green yarn and gluing them onto a wreath form.
  
  

Tub Tree Stand

• Forget the tree skirt this year and place your Christmas tree inside a large galvanized washtub for a rustic way to show off your tree. You'll be hiding your tree stand, which may not fit with your primitive theme, inside the tub and a tub also holds a large amount of water so you won't run the risk of your tree drying out.
  
  

Popcorn Garlands

• Popcorn and cranberry garlands are fun and easy to make, and evoke the best of Christmas tradition. Hang popcorn strings on your Christmas tree, over windows and doors and even outside. If you plan to use your edible garlands outdoors, hang them up right before a special event. The birds will find them soon, so don't expect them to last long.
  
  

Primitive Ornaments

• Trim your tree with rustic ornaments to complete your primitive theme. Use twine to tie twigs together into a star shape or bake gingerbread cookie ornaments; coat them with varnish to make them last. Other edible tree trimmings also fit a rustic theme; try hanging candy canes and ribbon candy. Any ornaments with a natural theme will also fit in, such as cardinals and bird nests, pine cones and ornaments woven from straw or paper. Many ornaments made or decorated by children will complement a homespun or old-fashioned theme as well.