Welcoming Christmas, you must have started planning various things, including what to prepare to decorate your home. In order to stay environmentally friendly and support a sustainable lifestyle, don’t forget to have minimal waste decorations.
The most sustainable Christmas decorations are what you already have at home. So, make the most of it. However, if you need a new decoration, making it yourself with local materials is also an environmentally friendly option. You can also look for used items that are suitable for use or buy high-quality decorations with a sustainable concept.
Here are some ideas for eco-friendly Christmas decorations.
Crochet Decoration
With crochet techniques, you can make various types of Christmas decorations. Starting from star decorations, Christmas-themed placemats, flower garlands, to animal characters and more. You can buy or make it yourself through the many tutorials circulating on YouTube. Don’t forget to choose environmentally friendly materials.
Origami
Same with crochet, origami is also an environmentally friendly choice for Christmas decorations in your home. No need to use special origami paper, you can use paper that is no longer used. For example, newsprint, notebooks, paper bags, or wrapping paper. Tutorials for making Christmas-themed origami can also be found on YouTube or internet.
Dried Orange Decoration
You can use the remaining dried squeezed oranges to make Christmas-themed garlands or hanging decorations. To make it, slice some squeezed oranges and place them in the oven for two hours at 250° F. After baking, leave them in the fridge for a few days. Use a needle and thread to join them together.
Candle Jar
Use a glass jar and add a pinch of salt to the bottom of the jar. Then, place a tealight or candle inside and attach a few cinnamon sticks with string or ribbon to the outside of the jar. Instead of cinnamon, you can also use small branches of pine trees.
Mini Christmas Tree from Upcycle Items
Use cardboard or used paper bags that you have collected to make mini Christmas trees. You can also use used cereal or other cardboard packaging. How to make this mini Christmas tree is relatively easy, namely:
- Cut several pieces of cardboard or scrap to make piles of cones of various sizes, from small to larger.
- The number of cones is adjusted to the height of the tree you want.
- At the very bottom of the cone stack, line it with glued cardboard.
- Cut more pieces of cardboard 7 cm wide, then crumple and twist until curled.
- Glue the crimps together until they are long enough to go around the pile of cones you made earlier. Your mini Christmas tree is ready.
- You can add other upcycle decorations, then place the tree on the dining table, living room or bedroom.