Eco Friendly Christmas Decoration Ideas

If you haven’t dusted off the Christmas tree and decorations already chances are you will be in the next week.

Here are some eco friendly decoration ideas to get cracking on:

Tree decorations

·         Xmas Card Decorations - Last year’s Christmas cards can be upcycled into cute Christmas tree decorations by cutting the front off of each card, punching holes all around the edges of the picture and using string to weave through the holes. To finish add a ribbon loop for hanging.

·         Natural Ornaments - Items found in nature make great eco-friendly Christmas tree decorations and give your tree a natural look. Glue a piece of ribbon or twine to the backs of pine cones, nuts or sea shells to make natural hanging ornaments.

·         Paper Chains Use - scrap paper you have saved from advertisements and the newspaper or drawings made by the kids during the year can make great paper chains to decorate your Christmas tree instead of using fake garland or tinsel.

·         Material Animals  - make animals out of upcycled clothing using a needle and thread. Finish sewing up by adding a piece of ribbon for hanging.

·         Paper Mache Ornaments - if you like the look of round ball ornaments on your Christmas tree you can create an eco friendly version of this traditional Christmas decoration using old newspapers, small balloons, liquid starch and paint. Simply blow up the balloon, cut the newspaper into strips, soak it in the liquid starch and completely cover the balloon with the strips.

Once dry use a pin to pop the balloon, paint in your choice of colors and glue a piece of ribbon on for hanging. Once Christmas is over you can store these eco-friendly Christmas tree decorations for use the following year or simply toss in your recycling bin along with your newspaper.

Oragami - There are a lots of different origami shapes you can make to decorate your Christmas tree from very simple to quite elaborate. If you've never done Origami the following www.origami-resource-center.com has free directions for a variety of different origami projects.

 Gingerbread - consider using edible treats like gingerbread men. These can be eaten after Christmas is over too.

Here is a list of other eco friendly ideas you can use to make your Christmas greener than the Christmas tree.

·         Wrapping - pictures drawn by you or the kids during the year or even old newspaper can be used to wrap gifts.

·         Cards – the most eco friendly traditional cards are those made from post consumer waste paper and vegetable inks. E-cards, like those at smilebox.com, save on paper completely.

Nepalese felt cards are popular because the inner paper is changed each year. The felt cards are handed back to the giver from the year before, this time with a new message.

Bring out last year's decorations - digging out last year’s decorations is obviously more environmentally friendly than buying the "latest fashion" of baubles every year. You may be able to fix any damaged decorations, or customise them if they are starting to look tired.

Normal Christmas fairy lights don't use that much energy, and LED lights use less energy than conventional Christmas lights.