How not to turn Christmas into an environmental disaster? Ideas for DIY Christmas decorations, eco-friendly cleaning and sustainable gifts

The most beautiful holidays of the year are approaching. But everything has its downside, and unfortunately Christmas is no exception. Every year, they mean a greater and greater burden on the planet in the form of the amount of waste produced. A green future is the best and most important gift we can give ourselves.

You can change this by frugal shopping, recycling and even making your own Christmas decorations. In addition, thanks to Christmas crafting together, you can spend pleasant moments with your family.

Each of us can influence the future of our children and future generations through our daily behavior. Therefore, think about the planet and bet on the circular economy instead of a consumerist Christmas this year. Find out how to make gifts and Christmas decorations from recycled materials.

We bring you some tips on how to make such DIY Christmas decorations. Some can be easily handled by a child, others are for more skilful hands. In any case, we will show you how to meaningfully use various materials that you no longer need – from torn sheets to burned-out light bulbs.

Use old textiles to make tree decorations

Did you know that the textile industry is a major contributor to climate change and is the second largest polluter on the planet? The environmental impact of textiles is enormous at all stages – during production, inappropriate washing and disposal. Textile products must not be considered disposable. Try to look for ways to use them for as long as possible and save leftover fabrics for patchwork.

Even the smallest pieces of fabric can still find a “second life”. Save all unused textiles and clippings and use them for home crafting before Christmas. You will only need a needle and thread and you are good to go.

There are no limits to creativity when making fabric Christmas decorations. Try to make bells, stars, comets, snowflakes or trees. The most skilled may dare to do the whole nativity scene.

All you have to do is draw the motif with chalk on the fabric, cut it out and fill in pieces of other fabric for a 3D effect. When sewing Christmas decorations, feel free to choose threads of a contrasting color. Old buttons, beads or other decorations from old clothes will serve you to decorate.

Decorations made of felt look very impressive. These look beautiful, are pleasant to the touch and also very durable. Sewing your own decorations requires a bit of skill, but you can definitely do it. You will be rewarded with a good feeling from your own work, original decorations, beautiful memories of time together with your family and a greener future.

You can use textile remnants in many ways

Unused textiles have a really wide range of uses. In addition to Christmas tree decorations, you can try other original solutions.

You don’t have to break off nice and healthy twigs for Advent wreaths. Try to make it from old textiles, such as destroyed T-shirts. The color combination of green and red is typically Christmas, but you can also try to make a more colorful or otherwise original textile wreath. In addition, such an Advent wreath will last you for many years.

You can also make Christmas wreaths from an old jute bag, which looks very pleasant and natural. The one in the picture is autumnal, but just a few changes are enough and it will suddenly find use at Christmas.

And here is an Advent wreath made of jute ribbon. Take a look at the detailed instructions prepared together with the wreaths by Czech blogger Hanka, who lives in Switzerland.

During Christmas, households use so much wrapping paper that it would cover Wenceslas Square 250 times. And completely unnecessarily, this paper goes to the trash after the first use.

Try it differently this year and use old textiles to wrap your gift. Sheets will serve you perfectly, as well as other larger pieces of fabric. Various bedding has nice patterns and will certainly look beautiful under the tree.

Wrapping gifts in fabric is not only ecological, but also very tasteful. In Japan, the technique of wrapping gifts in cloth was even created in the 17th century, under the name Furoshiki. With regard to the sustainability of this solution, this traditional Japanese art is now becoming more and more popular all over the world.

Today, you can buy special Furoshiki scarves in various sizes and shapes, with the most common being square. However, you can use any older fabric, which you can also paint by hand. How to do the packaging itself according to Furoshiki? You can find out in the video below.

For more skilled DIYers, we have one more tip for using old textiles – try sewing your own advent calendar from it. Sew goodie pockets on a piece of fabric according to your own taste and imagination and you have a calendar that will be used by your grandchildren’s grandchildren…

Candle holders from glasses, bottles and jars

Not only textiles deserve to be reused, but also glass. You can very easily create beautiful and effective candlesticks from glasses, bottles or jars. There are several ways.

For example, try to use wires to wrap a glass around it and attach various small twigs or other natural materials that you find in the forest or park to it.

Another option is to put luminous decorations in a bottle made of stained glass (for example, for wine) – this will create a beautifully romantic dim light. You can also create an interesting effect with a milk glass bottle.

You can paint the jars with glass paints or stick glitter on them. This will create original motifs that will look nice in the festive home. If you don’t have a talent for painting, the solution is simple – use stencils.

And as a small bonus, we bring you a tip on how to use burned-out bulbs. You can paint or glue them with glitter to create zero waste Christmas balls for the tree. 

The advantage of creating from glass is the fact that you can use all the containers normally after Christmas, or recycle them. These decorations thus represent absolutely zero environmental burden.

Making Christmas decorations “what the forest gave”

You will find nothing but treasures in the forest. Fallen twigs of conifers, rose hips, etc. But also pine cones, with which you can create beautiful home decorations for the tree. But never break off live cones.

Even a child can make Christmas decorations from pine cones. All you need is a ribbon, glittering colours and other decorative elements as you wish.

You can combine pine cones, for example, with pieces of textile to create animals or various characters and other Christmas motifs.

And what about the Christmas tree itself?

With a little patience, you can even create a whole Christmas tree from fallen pine cones. If you have small children and you want a live tree, choose a suitable Christmas tree, take good care of it and, if possible, dispose of it ecologically. Do not throw it in the trash, but chop it into smaller pieces and put it in the composter.

If you can’t compost a tree, rent it from a Christmas tree rental. Another option is to get your own Christmas tree, conifers in a pot look very nice. You can choose between spruce, fir and other conifers.

Tree decorations “what the pantry gave”

Edible Christmas decorations are not only ecological, but also tasty. After Christmas, you can eat them all, so you won’t have any unnecessary waste on your conscience.

With a little patience, you can make a Christmas tree chain with your children from decorated peanuts. If you can’t decorate such small Christmas decorations, just paint them with colors and sprinkle them with glitter if necessary.

Of course, homemade sweets will also serve as beautiful edible decorations, which you can also eat directly from the tree throughout the holidays.

If you are cooking homemade punch or mulled wine, do not throw away boiled cinnamon or citrus pieces. Let them dry on the heater and then make simple decorations out of them. They not only look beautiful, but they will scent your whole house.

However, there are several such options for creating beautiful Christmas decorations at home. Check out other easy DIY Christmas decorations and try to buy as little as possible this year. 🙂

Tips for Christmas products and eco-friendly gifts from the heart

You can make not only decorations from textiles and other materials. Make Christmas gifts for your loved ones, family, friends. You can find great inspiration in the article Not the Same Gift as a Gift on the blog of the ŠUM art studio. For example, candles can be very nice. No purchased ones that end up in the trash can.

In the article you will find a lot of other “zero waste” gifts, but mainly from the heart.

You can then make a plethora of small things for joy and practical gadgets from old textiles. Older family members will certainly be pleased with handmade warming pads for pain. Just pour a suitable filling into a cloth bag that you sew from any remnants of fabric – for example, cherry pits, rice or flax seeds. The pads are heated in the microwave and applied to sore spots.

On the contrary, for the youngest members of the family, you can sew, for example, a bag for slippers for school or for art supplies. There are no limits to your imagination.

If you are not a handyman or simply do not have time for handicrafts, try to think about what gifts will make your loved ones happy without burdening the planet. You can buy, for example, local delicacies, vouchers for experiences or tickets for cultural events and educational courses. You can also motivate the recipient to change their habits with a gift – try giving cloth shopping bags, portable coffee mugs or boxes for food from a restaurant, ecological cosmetics or a home vermicomposter. Instead of going to shops, look at bazaars and second-hand stores.

Eco-friendly Christmas cleaning, cooking and a good deed to go with it

Try to take a big cleaning ecologically approach this year. Did you know that vinegar and baking soda will do you just as good a service as aggressive chemical cleaners? Such an eco-friendly cleaner can easily deal with grease and limescale in the bathroom and kitchen, and it is also much cheaper than drugstore products. A suitable alternative is bottled ecological products from packaging-free stores.

Before Christmas, you can also “ventilate” your closets and sort out unworn clothes, older toys or electronics. Before the holidays, these unnecessary things will make you very happy in charity bazaars, children’s homes or charities. You give old things a new life, reduce waste, and do a good deed.

A separate chapter is Christmas cooking and baking. Perhaps there is no household that would not throw away a large amount of leftover food after Christmas. Try a small experiment this year – cook a third less than last year. You will see that everyone will be full and satisfied. Donate uneaten food to people in need or process it – you can make broth from vegetable scraps, a pie from old fruit, pesto from herbs, or you can freeze or ferment the leftovers. Try to buy from local farmers and include vegetarian dishes as well. Not only nature will thank you, but also your body.

And what about waste after Christmas? It needs to be properly sorted, the tree and leftovers from dinner must be composted again. Don’t forget to sort out not only plastic, paper or cans, but also oils and edible fats. There are usually a lot of them after Christmas cooking, but they do not belong in the sink or toilet in any case. In a tightly closed jar or PET bottle, take the used oil to a special container.

Think of our planet. Take a moment to think with your family about what you can do for a greener future. Every small step towards zero waste counts!