Sustainable Christmas Crafts

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but also one of the most wasteful. Between the wrapping paper, the one-off decorations and the excessive gift purchasing, a lot of our Christmas cheer ends up straight in landfill. Here are some of the ways you can enjoy the silly season sustainably.

DIY your decorations

Christmas decorations tend to multiply year after year – for something we only use for a few weeks, we sure do have a lot of them. This year, why not try to make some Christmas decorations out of materials you already have, or can easily (and sustainably) source? For example, rather than buying a synthetic wreath, why not make one out of eucalyptus, dried fruit or rosemary? Then, for table ornaments, check out this blog post from Mindful of the Home for some fantastic ideas.

Source sustainable wrapping paper

Traditional store-bought wrapping paper can be a major burden on the planet – more often than not, it’s lined with plastic and therefore unable to be recycled, meaning it all ends up in landfill. Think about how much wrapping paper your own family ends up with once Christmas Day is done and dusted, then multiply that by every other family celebrating Christmas all over the world. Yikes. Instead, spend some time sourcing sustainable alternatives with your children – it could be newspaper, brown paper bags, or a collage of scrap paper you have lying around the house. Get creative!

Then, source sustainable gift decorations

Wrapping paper alone is bad for the environment, but it’s made even worse when you add sticky tape. Instead, you could stick the paper down with biodegradable washy tape (bonus: it comes in so many festive patterns and colours) and adding some twine. Then, go into your garden or your local park and find fallen leaves and twigs to decorate! If you prefer to go for the traditional ribbon route, try to choose a colour or style that your recipient will happily use again by opting for neutral shades and a sturdy material.

Make or bake your Christmas gifts

Not sure what to buy that distant relative or special someone? Why not make something instead? Crafting or cooking Christmas presents is a great way to show someone you care, avoid unnecessary purchases and keep the children entertained all at once! There are so many ideas for homemade Christmas presents and festive baked goods available online, but we particularly love these DIY ideas from Joyful Messes and these hot chocolate jars from Buzzfeed.

Create your own Christmas stockings

From crochet to scrap fabric, there are so many ways to DIY a Christmas stocking – we particularly love these boho Christmas stockings by Hey Wanderer, or these felt ones by Think Make Share. But you don’t need to be handy with a sewing machine or some knitting needles to create your own Christmas stockings. Have an old pillowcase lying around? Grab some fabric glue, stencils and any other decorations you like and get to work! The children will love showing off their very own, hand-crafted Christmas stockings – no matter how they turn out.