So, you have gone through the process of sourcing that eco-friendly Christmas tree, thanks to the ideas we gifted you on the first day of our 12 Days of Christmas Special series.
It’s now time to decorate it. But there are two problems.
Firstly, because we’re looking at sustainable decoration options, there is every possibility that we might end up with decorations that aren’t “flashy” or visually appealing ( it depends on perspective).
Secondly, most traditional decorations which include lights, ornaments, and garlands, are made with plastics either in part or full. And many people resort to buying them because they are cheap.
However, plastics aren’t good for the environment and there’s a whole lot of carbon footprints especially as most of these decorations are shipped in.
How then can we get that sustainable Christmas tree decoration that won’t be drab and cause harm to the environment?
Not to worry. Our second Christmas gift to you on our 12 Days of Christmas Special series is helping you explore 3 sustainable Christmas tree decoration hacks. We hope you like them.
Ornaments
What is a sustainable Christmas tree decoration hack without the mention of ornaments? Ornaments add life to Christmas trees, making them a beautiful sight to behold.
The good news is that you can sustainably source for them around you. You can get creative and DIY by using materials lying around your home.
You can cut out star shapes from colorful papers, use dried leaves or flowers lying in your yard, cut ut patterns from fabrics, or any other items you can find.
Another way is asking friends and family for ornaments they have that they aren’t using or you can simply go to a local thrift store and buy some used ones.
If your creative juices aren’t flowing to create eco-friendly ornaments, you can buy handcrafted ornaments from local artisans.
Christmas lights
Christmas lights contribute to e-waste because they have components that are unrecyclable, making them harmful to the environment at the end of their lifecycle.
Unfortunately, there are no sustainable Christmas lights but we do recommend using the ones you already have in your homes. You can try replacing dead bulbs or repairing a spoilt plug to get it working. This is more sustainable than getting a new one.
However, if the Christmas lights you have at home are broken beyond repair or you simply do not have any, you should consider buying LED Christmas lights as they consume far less energy – about 80% – making them eco-friendlier than traditional ones.
Garlands
We like to think of garlands as the finishing pieces of Christmas tree decorations. A beautifully adorned garland can give your tree a terrific look.
DIY garlands are the way to go if you’re thinking sustainability.
You can string some fruits, flowers, and even wooden pegs together to create unique, biodegradable garlands to hang along your tree. Remember, the more diverse the items, the more colorful and appealing your garlands are likely to look.
And so, our second day of Christmas ends. Join us tomorrow as we will be sharing eco-friendly Christmas gift and packaging ideas for you to try out this season.
Don’t forget to share our sustainable Christmas tree decoration hacks. Happy holiday!