Make more conscious choices during a season often associated with excess. Whether you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, embrace more sustainable materials, or cut down on waste, here are some eco-friendly holiday decoration ideas you can incorporate into your displays this year.
1. High-Quality Artificial Christmas Tree
Choosing a high-quality artificial tree is a smart investment in eco-friendly decorating. It eliminates the need to cut down a new tree each year and can be reused for a decade or more. For an even smaller carbon footprint, consider options made with sustainable materials. Balsam Hill’s reNEW™ Christmas trees offer the same lifelike look and feel but are crafted with recycled or plant-based plastic.
2. Thrifted or Vintage Ornaments
Support a circular economy and reduce overconsumption with these thoughtful ideas:
- Browse estate sales or thrift shops for unique décor full of charm and character.
- Host ornament swap meets with friends and neighbours to refresh your collection with new-to-you decorations.
3. Upcycled Holiday Accents
Give new life to old or broken ornaments by turning them into festive centrepieces or holiday vignettes. Fill a decorative bowl, lantern, or shallow tray with a collection of these ornaments to add a cheerful Christmas touch.
4. LED Christmas Lights
Cut back on energy use and lower your electricity bill by switching to LED lights for your tree and other seasonal displays. These lights use up to 80% less power and last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, making them a smart and sustainable option.
You can also consider using solar-powered lights for your outdoor decorations and displays.
5. Natural Décor
Use items from nature, such as pinecones, acorns, and evergreen cuttings, to add a rustic feel to your holiday décor. Dried orange slices, cinnamon stick bundles, and mistletoe sprigs also make lovely seasonal accents. Once the holidays are over, most of these materials can be composted.
Be sure to keep organic décor safely out of reach of children and pets.
6. DIY Ornaments
Get the little ones involved in holiday decorating by encouraging them to create their own tree décor using recycled materials.
- Make salt dough ornaments from scratch
- Paint wood slices with festive designs
- Fill clear Christmas balls with scraps of wrapping paper, old ribbon, and other reused accents
- Use wire, pipe cleaners, or beads to craft homemade snowflake ornaments
7. Heirloom-Quality Decorations
Choosing quality over quantity applies to holiday décor as well. Invest in well-crafted pieces like tree skirts, toppers, and ornaments with timeless or neutral designs. These can be mixed, matched, and styled in different ways year after year. It’s a more sustainable choice in the long run, and these decorations may become cherished parts of your family’s holiday traditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Decorate Sustainably for Christmas?
Sustainability means making more mindful choices about how you use resources to reduce long-term environmental impact. Try recycling or upcycling decorations to minimize waste or invest in high-quality décor that lasts for many seasons. You can also support local artisans by choosing handcrafted items made with eco-friendly materials and processes.
What Can I Use Instead of Tinsel?
Tinsel is difficult to recycle, so consider switching to more eco-conscious décor for your tree. Paper chains, wooden or glass bead garlands, burlap ribbon, and natural evergreen garlands are all beautiful and sustainable alternatives.
What Is an Eco-Friendly Alternative to a Christmas Tree?
It depends on your definition of eco-friendly. Some people prefer live Christmas trees that can be composted after the season. Others choose to invest in a high-quality artificial tree that lasts at least five years, which experts say offsets its carbon footprint. For an even greener option, look for artificial trees made from recycled plastic or sustainable materials, like Balsam Hill’s reNEW™ Collection.