Decorations are a really big part of Christmas at my house so it is something I am not willing to give up. Many decorations that are found in the stores are not designed to last very long. Most shops want you to come back next year for more, so they tend to produce very cheap things that will not last, without really thinking twice about the environmental impact. Here are some things you can do to avoid plastic and unnecessary waste when decorating your house.
Reuse what you have.
If you like decorating your house for the holidays, you probably already have a stash of decorations that can be reused many times over. Before replacing them, think about how much longer they could be useful for, or if they could be repurposed.
Rotate your decorations
If you easily get bored of the same things and you have a large stash at home this trick might be helpful. Sort your decorations into groups or categories (colour schemes work well) and then decide which set of decorations you will put up each year. This way the house won't always look the same and you can add in some excitement about what to put up.
Make your own
If you are hoping to update your collections, why not get crafty and make your own. There are loads of options available. You can make biodegradable decorations out of dried orange slices and cinnamon. For something more long lasting can knit, crochet or reuse old fabric to sew baubles or other cute figurines (there are many free patterns available on the internet). This year I have created advent calendars for people that also double as decorations.
Buy sustainably
If you would like to get your hands on some new decorations and are not a very crafty person there are still some sustainable options:
- Buy second hand or vintage, this way the item is much more likely to be good quality as it has already had one life and survived it well and also it minimises the carbon footprint of the object.
- Buy good quality hand crafted decorations from small independent businesses that share your values. This way you are supporting an independent business rather than a large corporation and you will have a lovingly made item that will last a long time. In this case I definitely favour quality over quantity.
Let me know if you have any more ideas you'd like to share in the comments.
