3 quick and easy Sustainable Christmas Decoration Ideas.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly fa-la-la-la-la la-la-la-la...!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Decorations are hung; Carols are sung.

Trips booked; Lots of food cooked.

Gifts are exchanged; clothes are changed… It is Christmas time!!!

The air is filled with the anticipated excitement of the season and if you are like me, you already have an idea of (or already purchased) the gifts to be given to avoid the last-minute rush. These festivities and holidays tend to have a considerable amount of impact on the planet; from the shiny wrapping paper discarded to the unwanted gifts abandoned to collect dust till they are dumped in the trash and most especially, with the environmentally challenging choices in decorative items.

Well, if you are here, then this year will be different.

It doesn’t matter whether you are new to sustainable living, or just curious, or if you are on a tight budget, there are many eco-friendly decor options to beautify your home while sparing your wallet, and of course, our planet.

Let's jump right in!

Idea Number One: Popcorn Garlands.

With the right tools and mind-set, this eco-friendly replacement for shiny tinsel is not as daunting as it may seem. It is such a great activity that even the little ones in kindergarten can get involved. And don't worry about some broken kernels or if you do not get it right the first time, you still have popcorn to munch on!

Tools.

Popcorn: It should be without salt, butter or flavours. It must not be stale so after popping, leave it out for a few hours or up to a whole day.

Needle: The regular sewing needles can work just fine but if it turns to out to be a little clumsy for "Santa's little helpers", you can get the slightly larger needles used in installing weaves and hair extensions. You can blunt the tip out just to be safe.

String: Use regular sewing thread, doubled up and knotted. You can use different colours of thread to add some pop to your chosen design.

Optional add-ons: Food colouring if you want coloured garlands, decorative beads and pieces of fruit (grapes, dry orange peels) for extra styling.

Procedure.

Measure about 6ft (182.88 cm) of thread/string, thread your needle and tie a large knot; this will make each garland about 3ft (91.44 cm) in length. It is best to use manageable lengths of thread to avoid tangles and situations where the kernels are pushed through too far, so they fall apart.

Select the largest kernels of popcorn so that you have a large surface area to push the needle through. Stringing small popcorn kernels have a higher risk of needle pricks and broken kernels especially if children are involved.

 Outline the pattern of arrangement for each Garland and start stringing your popcorn. You can choose to start each Garland with a solid item like a piece of grape or cleverly-cut orange peel as a buffer to prevent the popcorn kernels from falling off the string.

Safety is important here therefore, remember to show the kids how to push the needle through each kernel without pricking their fingers. Keep an eye out for the string; it can get tangled very early on in the process so make sure each kernel and the extra decorative item is arranged properly to minimise tangles.

Leaves punched with different shapes.

Idea Number Two: Punched leaves.

This decoration idea can actually be dubbed the "King of earth-friendly Decorations" because not only are the main materials freely and abundantly gifted to us by nature but, they are biodegradable and can be discarded without any adverse impact to the environment. Another great thing about punctured leaves is that it can be used in 2 ways:

1. Confetti.

2. String decoration hung around the neck or the house.

Different colour leaves, hole punchers and twine.

Tools.

Paper punchers of different shapes and sizes.

Dry and/or fresh leaves of different colours (depending on your preference).

A container to collect punched leaves.

String/thread/fishing wire.

Sticks.

Procedure.

There is really no right or wrong way to successfully achieve this activity because whatever isn't on a string can be used as confetti. A win-win!

However, when using fresh leaves, allow the leaves dry/air out for a few hours before cutting holes in them. Punching freshly cut leaves will likely make a mess, with leaves getting stuck in the hole puncher.

Gather as many leaves as required and punch away.

When stringing the leaves to be hung, tie a stick at one end so that they do not slip off till you reach the desired length. Tie it off neatly and voila!

Idea Number three: Sustainable Christmas Trees.

Putting up a Christmas tree in the current conventional setting is a choice between ripping a tree out of the ground and buying a plastic tree. This is most times a choice between deforestation and the use of plastic that you will need to use for at least 10 years to make up for its carbon footprint.

Potted plant with popcorn garland.

Do you have potted plants? Yes? Then put on your creative hat (or hats as the case may be) and drape popcorn garlands, punched leaves and some fairy lights and you have a very beautiful, very sustainable Christmas tree that will outlive the season! You even get to have multiple trees in different parts of the house instead of just one.

The reason for the season goes beyond the money spent on things or how big and bright our festivities are. The true spirit of Christmas is in the abundance of love we are willing to share.

Our environment and planet deserve some love and need it now more than ever.

Will you show some love to Mother Earth this season?!