Five ways to go eco-friendly and sustainable this Christmas

Come December and ’tis the season to be merry. A season to welcome the good tidings and festive cheer, it is time for Christmas! Synonymous with gifts, family get togethers, parties and fun, Christmas is also the time when you deck your house up for the festival. Shopping for the Christmas tree, tree ornaments and a whole lot of decorations are activities intrinsically associated with Christmas.

But how about going easy on those big plastic trees this year or on the non recyclable ornaments or even the expensive gift wrapping paper? With some effort, you can definitely bring in those magical festive vibes with little or no carbon footprint! Here are some earthy chic festive tips.

Go Green

While this may sound cliched, plants are really one of the best ways to bring in some refreshing vibes. It is not always necessary for you to buy a Christmas tree; in case you have a Juniper, fir or even poinsettia they work perfectly for Christmas. Further, if you are creative you can decorate dried branches to add in a rustic charm. Paint your exisiting planters red, green and even gold and voila you have a new look!

Eco friendly decorations

There are several avenues where you can buy decoarations made from materials like wood and non toxic paints. Further, there are decorations made from traditional crafts like Channapatna toys. It is a great idea to source such decorations as you can also help preserve the legacy of ancient crafts and support local businesses.

DIYs aplenty

Well, if you cannot find something, there is always DIY to resort to. There are several ways to fuel your creativity in terms of making your own wreaths using dried twigs, pines cones and bells or even your own ornaments using things as varied as dried twigs, left over fabric and dried citrus fruits. There is never a dearth of quirky ornaments!

Upcycle: the perfect mantra

Upcycling existing stuff at home is one of the most eco friendly ways to create a festive atmosphere. Giving mason jars a new look, or using left over fabric to make stockings or even giving little toys a make over for Christmas is a perfect way to ring in the celebratory mood.

Reuse: an ideal solution to wastage and clutter

There is nothing like reusing what you already have for the next special occasion at home. Fairy lights of Diwali can be repurposed for Christmas this year and stockings of last year can make an appearance too. You could add lace or satin to spruce it up. If you have red/green/white shawls, use them as throws on your sofa or if you have old checkered fabric tie them as bows on your wardrobes. Also, nothing beats the charm of packaging your gifts in old brown paper.