Hey earth muffins! The Christmas tree is up, holiday decorations are everywhere – and of course, I have been playing Christmas music nonstop. 🎄 The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year, and it seems like many agree. My house doesn’t feel as spirited without cute decorations and ornaments on the tree. Many of these are secondhand, but upcycling your own decor is a great way to add a personal touch to the holidays in your home. For today’s post, I wanted to share my top three eco-friendly Christmas decorations – perfect for a sustainable holiday!
Felt Light Bulbs Garland
If you are like me, you probably have a craft drawer or cupboard in your house. I used to be a hardcore crafter… And now that I try to live sustainably, I utilize leftover craft supplies often. It is important to use what you already have before making new craft supply purchases. Don’t underestimate the items you can find at secondhand stores too! For this upcycled holiday decoration, you will need a bunch of felt and a ribbon. I recommend creating a stencil to draw out each individual “light”. This will keep them all a similar size! Either use a black/gray marker or black/gray felt to add in the bulb details. Cut each one out and attach to the string with glue (or sew onto the ribbon if you prefer). If you have some sort of stuffing in your craft bin, you could even create three dimension “bulbs” too!
Tree Stump Ornaments and/or Coasters
The next on this eco-friendly Christmas decorations lists is a classic – a tree stump coaster and/or ornament! For those of you who cut down real trees for the holidays, this is the perfect upcycled project for you. All you have to do is saw off a bit of the stump at the end. I suggest trying to cut it on the thinner side, but feel free to cut it as thick as you want. To personalize it, you can write “Christmas 2021” or a fun holiday quote. Or just leave it blank for a cozy log cabin vibe. 🙃 My parents made a coaster of their very first Christmas tree together – so cute and romantic (and we still take it out every year)! If you decide to turn it into an ornament instead, just drill a hole through it and use some ribbon to hang onto the tree.
Dried Orange Garland and/or Ornament
Many great sustainable decorations for the holidays use dried oranges (or other citrus fruits). If you have some leftover oranges that are going bad, this is an awesome way to divert food waste from going to the landfill. And I think they look really festive too! To dry citrus, cut into slices and cook for 4-6 hours in a 175-degree oven. Rotate every couple of hours; they are done when dry to the touch! The most important part of drying the fruits is to make sure all of the slices are uniform, as this ensures they cook evenly. Once cooked, string the orange slices into a garland, hang onto the tree as an ornament, or use in a vase/mason jar for a holiday centerpiece. Get creative!
Finals Thoughts on Eco-Friendly Christmas Decorations
There you have it, three eco-friendly Christmas decorations for the holiday season. For those who call themselves crafters, making a leftover felt “light bulb” garland is such a fun project to tackle this winter. Now your lights don’t have to just go on the Christmas tree! 😍 If you are less confident in your crafting skills, make a tree stump coaster or try your hand at drying citrus fruits. These are all excellent ways to decorate your house sustainably by upcycling what you already have in your home. What holiday decorations have you made this year? Comment below and share some other Pinterest ideas too!
Love,
Jenna ♥
Oh my goodness! These are such wonderful ideas. I just love the felt bulbs!