12 Days of Blogmas: Day 4 ⭐

On the fourth day of Christmas, GingerLeafLiving gave to me…….. festive yet reusable decorations!

Welcome to the second week of blogmas! Now we are a week closer to the big day, you may have bought out the annual Christmas box ready to decorate your home and Christmas tree. With Christmas such a big shopping event now and almost infinite designs of decorations being sold everywhere you look, how can we have a Christmas that is stylish and so very festive without over-consuming? Today we explore the sustainability of decorations.

First up, one of the major pillars of the Christmas season is nostalgia and tradition. Using decorations that have been passed down through families or friends helps us keep loved ones close to us at this time of year. So it is not only more sustainable to reuse our decorations year on year, but important for us to establish and maintain traditions and keep memories alive for ourselves. I know my tree at home basically chronicles my entire life in Christmases, and while the maximalist approach to decorating might not be for everyone, whatever your style you can make use of the decorations you have so that your tree reflects who you are. We know the detrimental impact plastic has on the environment, so keep your tree and house free of any new plastic decorations and stay away from the single-use/cheap trend led decorations each year to prevent any excess waste. Whether you have an angel on the top of your tree that has been there longer than you can remember, or a homemade clay decoration from school, these decorations keep our stories alive to share with others year after year.

The Christmas wreath is another key decoration we can make less wasteful. If you have an artificial one, the best thing you can do is reuse it every year. If it’s looking a bit tired, you could add some embellishments of your own to adapt it to your own tastes. Alternatively, making a wreath from natural materials means the resources can naturally biodegrade after use. You can buy natural wreaths or you could try your hand at making your own. Check your garden for any fallen twigs/small branches you could tie together, then use any excess plant material available to you, like leaves and branches to add colour and texture to your wreath. Make sure to only use anything in excess within your own space, and leave plenty for wildlife. Once the foliage has been used, it can be returned to your garden and any resources used, like metal hoop frames, put away to be used next year. Have fun creating!

There are also lots of more natural-based decorations you can make for your home that you can compost or recycle after use. This year I want to try making dried orange decorations, that you can use to make garlands, tree decorations or even gift tags (here’s an example of the drying method 🍊). Other activities to try include making paper garlands or homemade decorations with wool felt or fabric scraps, to lean into more of a ‘hygge’ festive season.

UPDATE! Here are the results of my attempt at making a dried orange garland ⬇️ Needs a bit of practice but love how it looks (and how it scented the house!)

On a related note, lighting is often very important at Christmas with all the dark nights and for creating ambiance. But remember to only have lights on while you are there to use them, and don’t leave lights on all day/night. For Christmas tree lights, it is advisable to choose more energy efficient LEDs and use plug in lights, while for battery powered lights, try and choose rechargeable batteries where possible. This way we can still enjoy the beauty of the season without the ugliness of the waste that comes afterwards.

So while you’re decking the halls this year, set yourself the challenge to only decorate with what you have or make natural decorations to dress up your home. While the twinkle of tinsel and plastic can be alluring, a home filled with personal memories, handmade pieces and foraged items will definitely create the cosy Christmas feel we are all after. Bake those oranges, tie up the cinnamon sticks, bring out the family star for the top of the tree, it’s time to decorate waste-less style! 🌟

Resource & reference: https://www.wwf.org.uk/top-tips-sustainable-christmas