It is Sunday and time for our first Christmas treat. Make your home the most eco-friendly house on the block without losing the holiday spirit:
- Less is more
The first rule of zero waste is to reduce. Plan ahead and think about how you want your home to look and feel like and how you can do that with as little as possible. Don’t overdo it! Make your home warm and welcoming but without the cluttering. Instead of going out and buying more, use what you already have!
- Bring nature inside
Nature is so beautiful around Christmas, so why not bring it inside? Use pinecones and fir to make a beautiful centerpiece or use cranberries to make this beautiful garland. Everything you bring in from the outside is natural and can easily be composted once Christmas is over, making sure you leave no wasteful footprint on the world. If you don’t know how to use natural decoration or you want more ideas, there is plenty of inspiration on Pinterest.
- Upcycled decorations
You probably already have loads of Christmas decorations for your tree, but if you don’t or you want to make some yourself together with you children or grandchildren why not opt for a recyclable solution? You can for example make ornaments out of old books, newspapers, or fabric scraps.We also have a bunch of DIY ideas for upcycled items made from some of your favourite products, for example these woven napkin rings from food wrappers, this ornament from cereal bags, or this silver ornament from used drink pouches. There are plenty of other ideas for upcycled decorations from our Design Junkies on our website OR you can come up with your own.
- Choose durables
Always opt for the solutions with the longest lifetime. Avoid single-use plastics and go for sustainable materials like glass and metal when you’re decorating your table. If you’re many, pool together your tableware and mix up your table setting. Avoid excessive paper use by changing your paper napkins to cloth ones. Go to your nearest charity shop and pick out a fabric or use an old fabric cloth in colors that will fit your theme to make your own, e.g. linen napkins to match your nature theme. These can easily be washed and used again throughout the year for all sorts of occasions!
- Buy secondhand
If you’re not the DIY type, fear not! There’s a solution for you. Instead of buying new decorations at your nearest IKEA, find ornaments, garlands, etc. in local charity shops or handmade items at your nearest Christmas market. These things will make your decorations much more meaningful and unique.
Share your sustainable Christmas decorations in the comments!