10 Easy & Green Holiday Decorations

Every year, I try to be well-prepared for the holidays. I know people who are very prepared - they have a schedule and everything goes smoothly. That never seems to be me, though. Between a packed social calendar, trying to make it to friends' Christmas parties, a work celebration, and family events, on top of a hectic schedule of shopping, baking, making travel plans, and more, I never seem to have time to put much into holiday decorations! To be really green, I should probably make my own and reuse them for years, but I've never really had the time for that, either! Here are some holiday decorations that you can make/put up that are easy AND pretty green, too!

1. Make a Gourd Display: I haven't tried this one yet, it was just an idea I had when I sat down to make this list, so maybe it needs some refinements, but why not get a mix of a bunch of different gourds and squashes and make a little display of them? Sort of like decorative gourds for harvest, but then you can just eat these whenever you want!

2. Paper Snowflakes: These are pretty easy to make, and a quick internet search comes up with many designs, but if you make them from reused paper, they're pretty green (I have some old University essays that are now hanging from my ceiling)! You can use them year-to-year and when they get a bit battered, you can recycle them.

3. Easy Centerpieces: You can easily make a festive centerpiece for your coffee table or dining room table by filling a big fruit bowl with pine cones, candy, or unused Christmas decorations!

4. Wine Bottle Decorations: Wine bottles are actually pretty useful decorating tools. Wrap a clean, empty wine bottle in a bit of wrapping paper (you always have odds and ends, right?) and display alongside a few decorations or on its own. Looks pretty handsome!

5. Display Christmas Cards: This is a favourite trick of mine. A simple string or the edge of a mantle/dresser/etc. can be draped with old cards for a bit of colour and decoration, and it reuses something old!

6. Hang Blankets: I like this trick a lot, too. If you have a winter-themed blanket at all, whether it is in wintry colours or with a scene on it, you can hang that decoratively over a banister, the back of a couch, or on a bed, for a little extra festive cheer.

7. Decorate a Chalk Board: Small chalkboards for your home are pretty easy to come by these days, so with a little artistic skill, you can draw whatever you like, write a message, make a calendar, or anything else you can think of. Really versatile and easy for any occasion.

8. Gingerbread House and People: This one takes a little more time, but with gingerbread house kits, it can still be fairly quick. The benefit here is that you can eat it later (or sooner). You can also make people-shaped gingerbread cookies to hang on string as a decoration and then eat them later.

9. Ribbons and Branches: It's amazing how you can make dozens of simple decorations with some fallen branches and some ribbons. A fallen pine/spruce/fir branch can be decorated with a bow, or put on top of a mantle, and it becomes a decoration. Even small branches from other trees can be put in a large flower vase or jar and look pretty. Tie a bow, hang decorations or candy from them, and you have a simple decoration.

10. Decorate with Scent: With scent being such a strong part of memory, this is an easy and effective way to celebrate a holiday. Essential oils and a diffuser are an easy way to achieve this, of course, but I like having baking ready to go in the freezer and throw it in a warm oven before guests come over to make the whole house smell great.

These are just a few quick and easy ideas to get you going for decorating the home for the holidays. There is, of course, lots more that you can do, too! We'd love to hear some of your ideas, too! You can chat with us on social media at Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!