Eco-Friendly Holiday Crafts

Fun for Everyone this Winter Season

‘Tis the season to spend quality time making eco-friendly holiday crafts! To kids from one to ninety-two, everyone enjoys making holiday decorations that bring the festive and winter season indoors. While the holiday season is known for stringing lights and wrapping presents, we wanted to provide sustainable options that are good for both the environment and holiday cheer.

Pine Cone Garland

Holiday garland comes in all types of shapes and sizes — store-bought, tinsel, beads and more. No matter your decor style, everyone can get behind bringing a little rustic nature inside the house during the holiday season. One way to do that is to make pine cone garland. 

Step 1: Head outside and collect pine cones from local parks or the neighborhood. Make sure to gather enough to use roughly 15 cones per square foot of twine.

Step 2: Wash each pine cone in running water to remove any dirt or sap. 

Step 3: Line a large pan with foil and bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour. This step will kill any potential bacteria or insects residing in the pine cone. If you want, you can also place the pinecones out in the sun to dry out. 

Step 4: Cut small sections of twine (roughly 10 inches) to attach the end of each pine cone stem. 

Step 5: Cut a larger piece of twine or decorative rope to string the pine cones.

Step 6: Attached each pine cone to the larger section of twine/rope to create your rustic garland.

Berry and Pine Luminaries

Floating holiday candles that smell delicious and look amazing! Yes, please! All you need for this holiday decor is fresh cranberries, pine branches, a small floating votive and a recycled jar. 

Step 1: Gather greenery from your yard or surrounding area: pine tree branches, pine cones, cedar twigs or whatever you think is pretty. 

Step 2: In a recycled, clean jar, place fresh cranberries and gathered greenery. 

Step 3: Fill the jar with water (make sure all items are completely submerged). 

Step 4: Add a floating votive candle.

Viola! A beautiful, sustainable centerpiece that your holiday company will love!

Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments are a simple, eco-friendly craft for all ages. With just a quick trip to the grocery store and a look in your spice cabinet, you can create beautiful DIY ornaments for the tree. 

Step 1: Make the salt dough. 

In a bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and 1 cup table salt. Slowly add 2 cups of water to the mixture while stirring. Once water is added, knead for 3-5 minutes until a dough consistency is formed. 

Step 2: Lightly flour the counter and place the dough in the center. Flour a rolling pin and flatten the dough to a thickness of ½ inch. 

Step 3: Use cookie cutters to create different shapes and designs for your decorations. 

Step 4: Decide on any decorative elements you want to add to the dough, such as spices, evergreen leaves, flowers, or other organic options.

Step 5: Cut a small hole at the top of the ornament (this will be used to hang your decoration).

Step 6: Carefully arrange the ornaments on a cookie sheet and allow them to dry in the sun for several days. 

Step 7: Once the ornaments are completely dry, use a piece of twine to hang.

Holiday Wreath

A holiday wreath is a great way to incorporate nature into your home this holiday season. However, we wanted to take this holiday tradition a step further and make it as low-waste as possible. To do this, gather the following materials: an old wire hanger, twine, evergreen branches and natural (non-poisonous berries).

Step 1: Bend the wire hanger to create a circle. Don’t worry about it being perfect because it is the base of the wreath and won’t be seen once finished. If you are having a hard time wrapping the wire to complete the loop, use tape to secure it. 

Step 2: Start by wrapping the larger tree branches and twigs around the wire circle to create the base of the wreath. When needed, use twine to secure the foliage. 

Step 3: Continue to build up the wreath by adding evergreen branches and natural berries. Weave the items around the wire and poke them through areas that need to be filled in. 

Step 4: When done, add holiday accents like salt dough ornaments, dried fruit slices or leftover holiday ribbon to the wreath.

Winter Fun

These sustainable winter crafts are all about making memories with your family while helping the environment! Creative ways to inspire the holiday enthusiast, create something truly beautiful and do so while keeping your carbon footprint in mind. 

Want to learn about other interesting sustainable ideas? Take a look at some of our other blogs.

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