There’s nothing quite like your house when it’s beautifully decorated for Christmas, apart from when it is beautifully and sustainably decorated.

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From making your own garlands to getting creative with wrapping paper, here are five easy ways to make your Christmas decorations more eco-friendly.
 

Rent a Christmas Tree

Not bought your Christmas tree yet? Then stop right there. Each year almost 7 million Christmas trees end up in UK landfills where they release methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Rather than buying a tree each year or buying a reusable plastic tree, there’s a third option: renting a Christmas tree. Companies such as Christmas on the Hill deliver Christmas trees in pots across London, All you have to do is water it every day so that in January they can pick the tree back up, take it back to its home on the farm for some TLC before the next Christmas when it’s rented out again. Genius.

Make Your Own Citrus Garlands

For eco-friendly Christmas decorations that not only looks pretty and festive, but is also easy to make, it has to be a dried citrus garland. Hang them across windows, drape them over your mantle or use them to decorate your tree. Your home will have that wonderful Christmassy smell and, if you keep them sealed up in between uses they can last a couple of years. Find an easy DIY guide here. 

Create a Bespoke Dried Floral Wreath

Want to learn how to make a beautiful and bespoke dried floral wreath that you can use year after year to decorate your home and contains no plastic? Then book HOMEtainer Sandra’s Dried Floral Christmas Wreath masterclass. The two hour workshop is suitable for all levels and is a mindful way to spend an afternoon. Learn how to make delicate and intricate wreaths you can cherish for a long time to come. 

Get Creative With Gifts

There’s an easy way to see if wrapping paper is recyclable: the scrunch test. Scrunch up a bit of the wrapping paper in your hand. If it stays scrunched up you can recycle it. If it bounces back, it can't be. The same goes for glitter on paper which often can’t be recycled. But don’t just limit yourself to wrapping paper; fabric, newspaper, boxes, glass jars and reusable tins are all eco-friendly ways to wrap presents. Check out more ideas here.

Switch to Eco-Friendly Tinsel

Tinsel is quite the Marmite of Christmas decorations it seems. If you are a tinsel fan, next time you go to buy some then try a paper-alternative to the traditional plastic or PVC. Paperboy Crafts makes eco-friendly tinsel using 100% recycled paper that lasts for many years to come before you recycle it again!

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