Saturday, November 21, 2020

A Creative & Eco Friendly Christmas List 101

 We have been spending a lot more time in the house due to the pandemic. With year end around the corner, we can gather the family members at home and decorate the space to create a festive mood . My sibling and I made a wreath by collecting sticks and leaves around the garden and neighbourhood.   

The suggestion list below consists of eco-friendly and low budget recommendations. Try to spot my wreath !

Have lots of fun! 

Christmas Tree Ideas

  1. Book Christmas Tree

Stack your favourite books up to create and decorate christmas ’’tree’. It can be a colourful one or just one color green if you have enough books in green! You might find yourself with too many favourite books, that you can’t decide which one to stack up. To help with the decision try putting together your favorite books that match (eg: by colour, category or even alpathbaticly!) 

 

  1. Picture Christmas Tree

Put up some pictures on the wall to resemble a christmas tree shape, turning it into a memory tree.. It will be a meaningful experience, going through pictures and reminiscing good old times. The family trip, a birthday party, gathering, it makes a fun activity to go through old pictures and at the same time creating a christmas tree. 


Eco Tip: Don’t use fairy lights to decorate your christmas tree, Because using fairy lights or any christmas light will create wasteful burning of oil, natural gas and coal, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and pollutes the environment. Did you know that the carbon dioxide produced by christmas lighting is enough to fill up 15,500 hot air balloons!



  1. Ladder Christmas Tree

Using a ladder in your house can be a quick, no set-up christmas tree. You can put planks on the ladder to put decorative items on it like the picture shown below. Or decorate it by wrapping it with garlands and tying ornaments to it. Do remember to clean your ladder before using it, otherwise you might end up cleaning more than just your floor! If you don’t have a ladder leaning two boards securely together to create an A-frame will also resemble a christmas tree shape. Eco Tip: If you wish to have christmas decorations, keep reusing the same decoration every year. Making sure you don’t buy decorations that use light. Another option is to make compostable or biodegradable ones with leaves and dried fruit. Or use your own unbreakable household decor to decorate your tree.

.


  1. Tree Branch Christmas Tree

If you have a garden and have some old tree clippings or found some tree branches in a park, why not use them as a christmas tree? This is an idea my sibling and I did this year. Make sure the branches have something to secure it, otherwise it might fall over like ours! It is not easy to find a big branch to decorate, I had to use two branches tied together to create a bigger look. Small note: if you can’t find a branch, please do not tear or cut off a branch off a tree that doesn't need trimming or isn’t yours!


Christmas Decor Ideas

  1. Scrap Cloth & Ribbons Garland

If you sew and have some scraps of cloth or just have those too-short-to-do-anything ribbons, tie them on a piece of string to create a unique christmas garland. It might be hard to find a lot of short ribbons or scrap cloth, so try looking for things to tie with in different areas. Ask a supermarket for a free jute bag and cut it up to create a rustic look, or use an old t-shirt you never wear.


  1. Keychain Ornament

Have a lot of random keychains that have no use (I do!)? Put them to use by hanging them as Christmas ornaments. Try arranging them in different sections (eg: travel keychains, animal keychains, event keychains) or arranging them by putting different textures and shapes mixed up for a more balanced look. If you are hanging this on the branch christmas tree idea (see above), try not to put big heavy keychains at the tip of the branches and more to the center bottom of the branches, or not your tree might tip over!


  1. Wreath Christmas Garland

Collect twigs from your garden or a park and tie them together to create a hexagon like frame. Using plants from your garden or a park attach them to the frame to create your own compostable, fresh christmas garland. You might want to make this only 2-3 days before christmas otherwise the plants will wilt before it reaches christmas! Or you can just keep putting on fresh plants onto the frame of the wreath, though this might be tedious and you might neglect the wreath for a few days before it has fresh plants again.


No comments: