Repurposed fabric decorations
This is most definitely the year of the bow! From the viral front door bow trend on TikTok, to fashion accessories and homeware motifs, bows have been everywhere, and Christmas is obviously the time to go to town with them. This year I’ve “gone big” by repurposing fabric remnants I’ve had lying around the house, creating small bows to decorate the mantelpiece, tree and front door wreath. I’ve also created one ginormous bow as the centrepiece to our sitting room. Made using a roll of surplus silk fabric I’ve been meaning to make cushions from for ages (and still can after the festive season as there's no sewing or gluing), it’s a real showstopper. The best thing is that it is so easy to make at home - it took me less than 5 minutes - you can find out how to do it via @haines_collection.
Go natural
Instead of buying plastics or synthetic decorations, try going natural this year, which I always think is one of the most elegant ways of decorating. Forage what you can from your garden, local woods and forests for bannister and mantelpiece decorations. Mix together holly with ivy and fir branches. You’ll want to decorate from mid December onwards to avoid things drying out too much but bringing in these natural elements will really bring a festive feel to a room. You can intertwine with warm glow LED fairy lights to bring some sparkle. They will bring a beautiful aroma to a space as they dry out and once the season is over you can return these to the garden for composting. For the dining table I’ll tend to choose evergreen leaves and branches like laurel and holly, and leave them to stand out the night before just so bugs and insects will find a new home. Then on the day I’ll create a run of foliage down the centre of the table and intersperse with candles at various heights to add interest, and add a few glass ornaments and pinecones into the mix to finish.
Upcycle where possible
Ucycle materials where you can. Any wallpaper remnants for example can make great paper chain alternatives and you can also use any textiles remnants (old tea towels, upholstery fabric, old clothes) to create garlands instead of tinsel. I will find offcuts of fabrics in co-ordinating colours (two colours maximum) and then create strips from these which I’ll tie onto a string and then wrap around the tree. It’s a fun activity and one you can get the family involved with, and again these can be used year after year. Also if, like me, you’re trying to avoid buying wrapping paper, use old newspaper for wrapping, the pink paper looks best! Use any spare ribbon or string to tie it together to avoid using tape and makes the paper easily recyclable.
Sustainable tree decorations
When you’re looking to decorate your tree, again avoid plastic where possible - if I buy new baubles I’ll always try and select ones that are made from wood, glass or metal - and I’ll make sure to wrap them carefully so they can be used again year after year. A really wonderful natural way to decorate your tree is by using dried out orange slices with cinnamon sticks. Simply slice up a bunch of oranges and dry out in the oven for 4-6 hours. This will make the orange slices harden and then you simply skewer and thread and string through to create a garland. You can add on cinnamon sticks too as these give a lovely scent and the garlands will look wonderful strung around a tree.
Upcycle your existing decorations
Now is also the time to take a look at that stash of decorations you have in the attic and think about whether you need to buy new, or whether you could repurpose what you already have. We have a large collection of wooden and ceramic baubles that we use every year and we make some time to re-paint some of them as a family activity. It’s engaging for kids and we get new bauble patterns every season - plus they are cute mementoes as we see how our tastes change each year.
The wreath
I’m all for foraging responsibly for a front door wreath with natural foliage, but sometimes they can start to look a little weathered if you have them up for a long time! So, instead of opting for an artificial option, I’ve bought a wreath base that is made from intertwined wooden twigs which we then update each year with different decorations. It’s a great activity for the family, you can update with new colours each year and different repurposed fabric bows and I have to say I’m particularly proud of my one this year.
Shop differently
I’ve been making an effort to try and cut down “stuff” that I’m giving to family and friends this year and instead focusing on experiences or online-based subscriptions and gifts. This cuts out all of the packaging, lowers your carbon as it avoids the entire delivery process and unnecessary things being put in the bin - as well as being perfect if you’re a bit last minute, like me! There are so many things set up for this now - online video course subscriptions - I’d highly recommend the all-access subscription with Create Academy for example - or an e-voucher for a hotel like Thyme in the Cotswolds that has a host of different cookery, foraging and floristry classes taking place throughout the year.
You can also find more ideas for decorating sustainably from Jules Haines over at www.hainescollection.co.uk
