As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to celebrate with loved ones while also being mindful of our planet. Eco-friendly holiday decor allows you to embrace the festive spirit, reduce waste, and support sustainability.

While we all want to make the holidays extra special, it doesn’t mean spending a lot on new plastic decorations. These tips and ideas will help you create a joyful and eco-conscious holiday atmosphere that brings not only emotional satisfaction but also the pride of contributing to a healthier planet for future generations.

Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorating Ideas

There are many ways to decorate your home sustainably this holiday season. Let’s explore some ideas!

Choose Sustainable Materials

The materials you use for your decorations are important. While artificial decorations are durable, their production consumes significant resources, and they don’t decompose, adding to the planet's waste problem. Additionally, do you want to use the same decorations year after year? You’ll likely grow tired of them eventually. And what to do with items that cannot be recycled or decomposed in nature? That doesn't sound environmentally friendly at all.

Natural materials, on the other hand, can also last for years, but if you tire of them, they can be recycled or composted, creating new value.

Choose decorations made from natural, renewable, or recycled materials. Items crafted from wood, bamboo, or organic cotton offer rustic charm while reducing plastic use. Consider making or buying wreaths using pinecones, eucalyptus, or dried flowers—beautiful and far more romantic than plastic options. Also, decorations made from natural materials have another pleasant charm - a beautiful scent!

Find your perfect decorator: WEDDING DECORATOR

Read more about eco friendly wedding: SUSTAINABILITY

DIY Decorations

Crafting your own holiday decor is not only sustainable but also a wonderful way to personalize your space. Let your imagination run wild, gather materials, and start creating! Of course, there can be an infinite number of ideas, but we offer a few for your inspiration.

• Garlands: String together dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, or popcorn for a biodegradable garland.
• Upcycled Decor: Transform old fabrics, jars, or scraps into unique ornaments or candle holders.
• Natural Centerpieces: Arrange evergreen branches, pinecones, and candles for a stunning table display.

Rethink Holiday Lighting

Holiday lights add warmth and charm but also consume a lot of resources. You can illuminate your home in eco-friendly ways:

• LED Lights: Use LED string lights, which consume up to 80% less energy than traditional bulbs.
• Solar Lights: Think about solar-powered outdoor lights for pathways and porches.
• Timers: Set timers to automatically turn lights off during daylight hours, saving energy and extending bulb life. You can also save energy by choosing when to turn lights on and off.

More ideas for lighting: LIGHTS, PROS AND EFFECTS

Repurpose and Reuse

Get creative with materials you already have at home to avoid buying new decorations every year. Combine existing items with new eco-friendly decor for a fresh design. Here are some ideas:

• Gift Wrap: Use reusable fabric bags or old maps. Repurpose bows and packaging decorations from previous holidays.
• Refresh Old Decorations: Give last year’s items a new look with eco-friendly paint or embellishments. Not everything in a gift box needs to be thrown away. Many of the items are so beautifully crafted and high-quality that they can be reused.
• Swap Decor: An unusual but environmentally friendly way to decorate a house, respecting nature and not polluting it with new artificial things, is to trade decorations with friends or family for a fresh style without buying new items.

Read more about eco friendly wedding: SUSTAINABILITY

Incorporate Nature

Bring the beauty of the outdoors into your home with natural elements that can be composted after the holidays. Or use it later for other purposes - new decorations.

• Use potted plants like poinsettias or rosemary as decor, which can be enjoyed year-round.

• Collect twigs, acorns, or stones for crafting unique displays, such as wreaths or ornaments. You can also make holiday wreaths from these materials.
• Display fresh greenery like holly or ivy for a festive and fragrant touch.

Shop Local and Support Artisans

When purchasing holiday decor, support local artists and small businesses. Avoid the environmental costs of shipping decorations across the globe.

• Buy handmade ornaments or wreaths from local craft fairs.
• Choose products made from sustainable or recycled materials.
• Look for eco-certifications to ensure natural materials are responsibly processed. Often, cheap decorations made from natural materials are treated with harmful chemicals and dyes.

Mind Your Wrapping

Gift wrapping often generates significant waste. Try these sustainable alternatives:

• Furoshiki: We can learn a lot of life wisdom from the Japanese. Wrap gifts in reusable cloth using the traditional Japanese technique. With practice, you can create stunning results.
• Recycled Paper: Use newspaper, old book pages, or brown kraft paper for wrapping.

• Reuse: Create a box to store good quality, beautiful items from gift wrapping that you have received yourself. You can use them in gift wrapping for Christmas.
• Decorative Accents: Replace plastic bows with sprigs of greenery or reusable ribbons—or reuse bows from previous gifts.

Find more about: CHRISTMAS

Compost and Recycle

After the holidays, dispose of decorations responsibly:

• Compost organic materials like greenery and dried fruit.
• Recycle paper, cardboard, and glass decorations appropriately.
• Store durable items for future use. Refresh or renovate them with eco-friendly updates for next season.

By embracing eco-friendly holiday decor, you can create a festive atmosphere that’s kind to the planet. Whether through DIY crafts, natural materials, or thoughtful shopping, every small step contributes to a greener holiday season. Let’s make this year’s celebrations a gift to the Earth as well!

More inspiration about decorations: DECO

Find your perfect decorator: WEDDING DECORATOR

Author: Ieva Simanoviča