Most of us love festive decorations, fancy wrapping paper, and gorgeous greeting cards. ‘Tis the season, right? But the excessiveness of the holiday season produces a TON of waste. All that plastic and paper will just get thrown into the landfill unless we adopt more sustainable practices. This year, we’re embracing a less-is-more mentality. Do we really need to buy new decorations? Is there anything that can be repurposed?

If you’re ready to take on the challenge of a more eco-friendly Christmas or Hannukah, buy from local artisans and craft shows if you must invest in new holiday decor. But if you’re ready to get crafty and are committed to a green Christmas, try these eco-friendly holiday decorations!

Recipe adapted from Domestically Blissful

Materials:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup lukewarm water

Stamps & Ink

Oven

Drinking straw

Glitter, optional

Acrylic paint, optional

Directions:

1. Mix the salt, flour, and water in a mixer until it is a smooth dough.
2. Roll the dough out between two pieces of the parchment paper till it’s about ¼” thick.
3. Stamp your designs and cut them out using the cutters.
4. Cut out the hole for the twine at the top with the drinking straw.
5. Bake it in the oven at 200° F for about 3 hours to let the dough dry.
6. Once the dough is thoroughly dried, decorate with paint, ink, and glitter (optional).
7. Thread the twine through for your finished ornaments.

From Gathered Living

These old-fashioned orange and clove pomanders will fill up any room with a warm, fresh Christmas scent! They’re super easy to make for a beautiful holiday centerpiece.

Materials:

Oranges

1 jar of whole cloves

Assorted greenery

Plate, tray, or platter of your choosing

Directions:

1. Stick the cloves into your orange creating any pattern you like.
2. To create a centerpiece, lay some assorted greenery on a tray or plate in a circular wreath pattern. Then place your oranges in the center, stacking them as needed.

The combination of the fresh, bright citrus and spicy clove creates a welcoming old-fashioned Christmas scent! Instead of creating a centerpiece, you can even create individual pomanders and package them for a sweet homemade gift.

From Crafty Sy

Do you have old greeting cards lying around? Instead of tossing them, recycle them into a pretty holiday wreath! This eco-friendly holiday decoration can be tweaked in color and size depending on your individual preference.  

Materials:

Old greeting cards

Red ribbon

Foam wreath

Toothpicks

Hot glue gun

Scissors

Directions:

1. Trace out a holly leaf shape onto your cards. Then cut out your holly leaf shape.
2. Hot glue a toothpick to one end of the paper leaf.
3. Poke these into the foam wreath on an angle so that just the front of the card is showing.
4. Add ribbon to the top (a loop for hanging) and the bottom of your wreath (tied into a bow).

Holiday greeting cards are a great way to send a message of love to family and friends during the holiday season. But once the festivities end, they can easily add to January waste. With the planet in mind, recycle your greeting cards into a beautiful holiday wreath!

If you’re committed to helping the environment, there’s no need to buy more stuff this season — especially if you’ll be throwing it out once the holiday is over. Just get a little creative! These eco-friendly holiday decorations are a fun way to spend some time crafting, which is so much more rewarding than just buying all your holiday decor at the store. Is crafting part of your holiday traditions?