Eco-friendly Christmas Decorations
Christmas is coming, and that means that everyone starts to behave slightly out of character, panic buying, the must-have extortionate amounts of food and the Christmas lights and decorations that must outdo the Smith’s at number 43. If this time of year makes you slightly uncomfortable and you don’t want to get cause up in the excess waste and commercialism you certainly aren’t alone, so here are some ways you can reduce your littering and instead enjoy sustainable Christmas decor…
Environmentally Friendly Decorations
The first thing you can do is have a real tree, provided of course, it has roots, and you can plant it outside afterwards and let it grow. Some people successfully use the same tree for years; with a little TLC and careful uprooting, this could be you too. Another excellent tip for decoration the house this season is to get out and forage for your pretties. Commercial decorations tend to be laden with plastic and excess packaging so you head to your nearest forest, garden or nature walk and see art you can get. Holly leaves, pinecones, ivy and chestnuts all make stunning decorations and if you want to make them more festive hit the glitter and glue, and some lengths of pretty ribbon.
Tasty Decor
The other thing you can do is make your decorations out of food. Gingerbread is a simple idea, before cooking your gingerbread men poke a little hole in their head so you can string them up when they are baked and decorated to be eaten at a later date. Sugar mice bring back memories for many people and whether you buy them or make them they can add to the magical setting and be eaten afterwards. The same is true for hard candy, Christmas canes, brightly coloured boiled sweets, the only limit is your imagination.
Wrap Well
Even the presents under your tree can be given the eco-friendly sustainable treatment with a little extra thought. You can use hessian, brown paper, newspaper and string to create some pretty and unique packages and some of your foraging fun can add a bit more in the way of embellishments too, with a sprig of a pine tree or a pinecone completing the parcel. Boxes can also be decorated and wrapped to create a more environmentally friendly way of presenting your gift. A scarf is also a creative way to wrap something, and it could even be part of the gift.
Careful with Candles
If you love candles at Christmas and let’s be honest with the flickering lights creating a lovely atmosphere who doesn’t? Take care to choose the more environmentally friendly ones, paraffin candles are probably the cheapest sold, but the burning creates a tremendous amount of pollution when burnt. That is because they are a by-product of crude oil and one of the most significant additions to air pollution. Choose beeswax or soy candles instead, and you will be helping to make a difference.
Thanks Simone for sharing these great tips for eco-friendly Christmas decorations!
About The Author
Simone is a blogger at Midlands Traveller. She holds both Brazilian and British citizenship and has been living in Birmingham for almost a decade. She has a keen interest in green living and is vegetarian.
Midlands Traveller is a blog about business opportunities, the travel industry and well-being. You can also find her on twitter, instagram and facebook too.Â