Simple Holiday Decorating
Holiday Decorating by Kathryn Sturges
The Holiday Season is well upon us by now, and some of you might feel swamped under the pressure to procure a meaningful holiday for your loved ones. The truth is, Christmas decorating and wrapping paper are not always that great for the environment. Even just small touches can add so much warmth to your space, without going overboard.
I have never gotten into the decorating aspect of Christmas because my husband and I don’t have people over for the holidays and we don’t have children. This year I’m feeling more nostalgic, and I wanted to begin to create our own traditions. Over the last few years we have begun rethinking Christmas and how we can make it special for us. Things like drinking Old Saint Nick’s on Christmas Eve and watching our favorite Christmas movies…slowly we are developing some of our own traditions.
Here are a few ideas for decorating and making the Holiday special, without harming the environment…and without adding too much to your already busy plate.
Wrap gifts in fabric! This idea stems from Furoshiki, a Japanese art of wrapping items in fabric. Simply cut large pieces of fabric and tie knots to keep the fabric in place. You might want to use pinking shears or a zig zag stitch around the edges of the fabric if you are worried about the fabric fraying. The gifts above are for my husband’s birthday, and wrapped in fabric they look absolutely divine!
Make popcorn strands to display. This was one of my favorite projects as a kid, when my Mom would pop a bunch of popcorn and we strung it on thread to put on the tree. You can drape the popcorn strands on a mantle or down a staircase railing for a festive look.
If you aren’t into having a traditional Christmas tree, make one for yourself! The above tree is just a wooden dowel stuck in potting soil, and I sewed a little felt triangle top. If you look online there are endless ideas for making your own trees, or try my project for fabric trees out of old dresses and linens. Here’s the tutorial to give you some inspiration!
Put strands of Christmas lights in a bottle, jar, vase or lantern. You can even do a bunch of these for different spots around the house.
Gather holiday items together to create little vignettes. I seriously have a meager holiday decoration collection, but gathered together on my counter top table everything looks so festive! You don’t need all the things to make your home feel cozy and welcoming.
Make some homemade potpourri with pinecones and dried plants and put it in a bowl. Scent it with some essential oil and your home will smell divine!
Ok, I could go on and on here! The point is that there are so many simple ways to add some Christmas cheer to your space that are eco friendly and on the cheap! It doesn’t take a lot to create a warm holiday home, and just a little effort goes so far!
