Sustainable Holiday Decorations
Every year since I was born I received two Christmas ornaments, one from my mom and the other from my grandmother. Over time the ornaments began reflecting my personality, with a series of Taz ornaments (my nickname earned from overacting to bad shots on the golf course) showing up in my preteen years. As a result, my Christmas tree is well supplied each year with ornaments so I never thought of it as a sustainable issue. But not everyone has a stockpile of ornaments built up over 30 years and others may want to add more than one tree to their home. So before buying a box of plastic wrapped ornaments consider a few sustainable alternatives first.
Homemade decoration ideas from naturallivingideas.com
Make your own ornaments and decorations
One way to cut down on waste is to make your own decorations for the holidays, plus it gives you another activity to do with your kids. I recall making several holiday decorations during my early years in Girl Scouts and the star on our tree was just a piece of cardboard we decorated with glitter. Back in the day all ornaments were handmade. I toured the historic Ramsey House in St. Paul, MN a few years back where they showed the original pressed cardboard that had been painted to look like metal tree ornaments. Back in the 19th century before electricity, they used candles to light the tree and only did so for special guests and on Christmas to limit the risk of fires. Today we have LED lights that offer a more sustainable and safe alternative.
For inspiration on making your own decorations Natural Living Ideas has 32 ideas to try out.
Homemade Trees: make a festive tree out of recycled cardboard, scavenged wood, pallets, or old books.
Wreaths: scavenge some pinecones, use edible herbs, newspaper, and my favorite use, the holiday cards you received in past years.
Ornaments: create a snowflake out of puzzle pieces or twigs and pine needles, a ball with soda can tabs, a Santa with toilet paper rolls, pine cones with Epsom salt for a snowy look, or use mason jar lids with fabric scrap designs.
Garland: we’ve all heard of making popcorn garland and I’ve attempted the tradition once, but there are so many other items you can use to adorn your tree. A cinnamon and orange garland will keep your home smelling nice, while a recycled gift bag garland will put your plastic bags to good use.
Centerpieces: make some cute centerpieces with Epsom salt, cranberries, and evergreens or just fill a bowl with cranberries, water, and floating candles. There is also the ever popular tree stump with candles centerpiece.
Image Source: Kayle Kaupanger @notaphotographer
Shop a craft fair or holiday market
One of my favorite things to do with my mom is shop at craft fairs for homemade and unique finds. Fall craft fairs always have several booths dedicated to holiday decorations and you can be sure they were homemade and avoid the plastic wrap that comes from a store bought decoration. Plus you are helping a local small business owner when you shop a craft fair or market.
Buy through an eco friendly store
Many online retailers specialize in eco-friendly products, but unfortunately not many seem to offer sustainable holiday decorations. Other online retailers such as Etsy let you search by eco-friendly ornaments, although its unclear what makes the items eco-friendly other than the fact that they are handmade. Amazon seems to have the same standard for eco-friendly decorations. Another consideration with an online purchase is the extra packaging and shipment.
With so many ideas and likely many of the materials laying around your house, it’s easy to choose a more sustainable and eco-friendly holiday. Spend a little extra time with your family making your own decorations that will have a story attached that a store bought ornament would not. Find a craft fair or holiday market and buy from a local business owner. If you are not the crafting type and do not have a market nearby, try a site like Etsy with suppliers that make their own decorations with more sustainable products like wood rather than plastic. Above all, have a wonderful holiday season.
