If there’s one thing Enviro-Girl has learned over the years it’s that Christmas decorating is a matter of taste! Some folks lean toward country-traditional, some folks swear by a color-coordinated look (with matching poinsettias), some people enjoy a Victorian theme with little houses and village scenes, some folks spend hours hanging gloriously gaudy light displays.
Is there such a thing as environmentally friendly decorating?
Certainly. Whether your style is spartan or lavish, start by not buying your Christmas decorations at Target or Walmart.
The tree. A real tree is the best choice. Tree farms employ 100,000 people in America, an acre of Christmas trees supply enough oxygen for 18 people, and Christmas trees are a renewable resource. A fresh-cut balsam smells wonderful and when the holidays are over they make excellent habitats for birds and rabbits in your back yard. Fake trees? They’re made out of landfill-clogging polyvinyl chloride, yet people buy them to the tune of $69 million paid directly to China who manufactures artificial trees. The best choice is a real tree, not a plastic tree, a local tree, not an imported tree. Period. (And there’s no law saying you have to decorate a fresh-cut balsam fir, you can decorate a potted tree of any kind.)
The table, door wreaths & mantle. Instead of dumping money at your local craft store for plastic ornaments and “natural looking” decor, go outside and cut your own. Many tree lots will sell or even give away fresh boughs, the branches of red osier dogwoods make a great accent color, and pine cones abound in many back yards. String them together with twine or pile them in a glass bowl. Cinnamon sticks, cranberries, oranges, holly, nuts, lemons, and apples make great centerpieces, they’re fragrant and biodegradeable.
Candles. Save your lungs and your planet by only buying soy, beeswax, or natural vegetable-based candles.
Ornaments. Reduce, reuse and recyle by using vintage, heirloom, antique ornaments or hand crafted decorations. Buy your ornaments from local crafters, off an Etsy site, or from a fair trade source. Involve your family and make your own ornaments. Display your children or grandchildren’s artistic efforts on your tree or elsewhere in your home.
Lights. “Forever Lights” are made from LED bulbs and last 200,000 hours, using almost 80% less electricity than incandescent lights. Energy efficiency aside, they also illuminate even if one bulb burns out. Any LED lighting is the ideal choice as they save energy and last longer than other lights, but if you aren’t in the market to replace your holiday lights yet, consider using a timer to turn your lights off int he daytime and lower your energy costs.
Table linens, tableware, and other miscellany. Instead of buying new, try buying homemade or secondhand. You’ll save money, save resources, and ultmately have a more unique (and often better quality) product.
Smells. Step away from the evergreen-scented room spray. Essential oils, potpourri, mulled cider on the stovetop, and sachets made from spices, flowers & herbs can make your house smell inviting and cozy.
Below are some excellent links for “Green” and “Eco-friendly” Christmas decorations.
3 responses so far ↓
Jennifer // December 1, 2008 at 11:19 am |
Very nice post!
We cut our tree every year from a farm nearby. Then, during the first week in January, everyone in our town puts their trees on the curb. The city picks them up and chops them into mulch, which is then available free to residents.
I read a disturbing statistic last week that people buy fake trees thinking that they’ll have them forever, but that the average tree is in use for only four years.
Kirstin // December 1, 2008 at 11:27 am |
I once saw in a magazine where they took a branch of a tree (looked like it had been on the ground) and propped it up on a buffet table with white lights on it – very rustic and beautiful. Not to mention, really “green”.
Amy Y // December 1, 2008 at 1:54 pm |
I feel bad about our fake tree ~ we bought it before we were earth conscious.
Thanks for the great tips!