Sustainable Christmas Decoration Inspiration

Disclosure: If you buy books linked to this site, I may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

This is the second post in my Sustainable Christmas Series and this one is all about ethical and eco-friendly Christmas decorations. To be honest the most sustainable decoration is one you already own but I know there are a lot of family traditions wrapped up in Christmas so in this post I share how we can decorate our homes in a way that is both kind to people and the planet.

Christmas Trees

I absolutely love Christmas trees - we have always had a real one - I just love the smell! However, I have been a bit concerned about how eco friendly it is to have a real Christmas tree - but according to the book Is it Really Green? by the wonderful Georgina Wilson-Powell I am reassured that having a real tree is better for the environment than a fake tree.

However you can make your real tree more planet friendly by buying from a local Christmas tree farm and looking to see if it is either British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA) or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified to ensure it has been grown sustainably. And really consider the way you dispose of it after Christmas. I am super lucky that at our local Park every year chips our Christmas trees to be used for mulch and for paths around the park. This is great as it prevents loads of trees in the local area from going to landfill where they will release methane - a greenhouse gas. In fact taking (sort of dragging in reality) the tree down the road has become a bit of a tradition in our family - the kids love chucking the tree on pile that collects in the park carpark. If you are not as lucky as us there are lots of charities that collect Christmas trees for composting and a number of councils do too so I would have a look in your local area.

Another really great option is to rent a Christmas tree - and in some circumstances you can even ensure you have the same tree year after year!! I love this idea!! For the most eco option it is best to find somewhere near you - and that way you are also supporting a local business. To learn more about this and to find somewhere near you have a look at this article.

Decorations

First things first - don't throw away your decorations just because they are plastic - the best thing to do is to continue to use them year after year to keep them from becoming waste and ending up in landfill. But below are some ideas of different ways of decorating your home that help to support small businesses and fair trade producers this Christmas and are kind to people and kind to the planet.

Paper decorations

Art Star Papercraft sells amazing paper decorations and paper craft kits which I absolutely love. They make wonderful decorations but also a thoughtful eco-friendly gift too. Their decorations and kits are made from FSC certified paper, with their Hack Pack Kits being made from leftover paper from the printing industry. The stars are completely recyclable so nothing ends up in landfill and they also donate 10% of their profits to UK foodbanks. How amazing is that!

Paper chains are somewhat of a tradition in our home and I think they are a great eco friendly decoration. You can reuse and recycle old Christmas paper, cards magazines or you can buy ready made kits - this Fairtrade kit using paper made from recycled cotton from Fair and Fabulous really caught my eye.

Ceramic decorations

You can get these fabulous ceramic Christmas trees from Quite Contrary Pottery. They would make a wonderful table decoration or ornament. They are hand built in Caistor and I think they are absolutely beautiful. And they come packaged in reused and recycled packaging.

And if you are looking for a tree decoration I would check out the super cute hand painted ceramic festive Hearts from Sister Sister as I think they would be perfect! You can choose from winter dogs to a Christmas cabin and a Robin!

Fair trade and Ethical Decorations

I love these Floral hanging birds from Traidcraft. They are handcrafted by skilled artisans in India from papier-mache using recycled newspaper and office waste. They are produced by Fair to Trade.I bought some of these over 8 years ago, they are still looking beautiful and are always one of the first decorations I put on my tree!

Another place to get ethical and eco friendly decorations is from Nkuku - I have bought a number of wonderful Christmas decorations from them over the years, they have a fantastic selection from recycled glass baubles to wire birds and reindeer and they are always handmade, ethical and eco friendly.

Crackers

These are such a fun part of the Christmas meal but often they are made from materials that are not recyclable and often contain a toy made of plastic that is ultimately going to end up in landfill. Here are a few alternatives that are fully recyclable and without plastic...

Pack of 6 Handmade crackers - The Clean Kilo - £6.00

These recycled and recyclable crackers are a fantastic idea - each cracker comes flat packed and is made of recycled craft paper and comes with a kraft paper hat, a snap, some twines and you can fill each cracker with a personalised gift of your choice. I think my mini soaps (coming soon) would work really well in these!!

Affirmation Crackers - Lovingly Local - £25.00

These crackers are much more like a gift than just a table decoration! Each cracker is filled with a selection of mindful gifts including crystals, affirmation bracelets, mini bath hearts & macrame tree decorations alongside a unique affirmation card.

That's all for today – I will be back soon with the next post in my Sustainable Christmas Series.

Kelly xx

🤍🤍🤍

I am Kelly Townsend and this is the Small Kindness Blog. I am a scientist, soapmaker, bee lover, a rewilding obsessive, and I want to spread Small Kindnesses through the medium of soap. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for your daily dose of kindness, sustainability and of course the joy that is soap.