The festive season for us is all about sunshine, family and giving — and you can still create those magical wow moments, whether it’s a thoughtful gift under the tree or a welcoming Christmas wreath at the door.
DECORATIONS
With a bit of creative nous, almost anything around the house can be turned into a decoration.
Used coffee pods, for example, make a creative adornment for presents or even the Christmas tree.
Simply clean them, cut a hole in the top and thread through some ribbon or twine, and you’ve got yourself some crafty little Christmas bells, ready for hanging on a tree or decorating a gift.
Cut-up soft drink bottles can be arranged into a boot shape and covered with Christmas-themed fabric to create stand-up stockings, ready for filling with presents.
Create one-of-a-kind wreaths using the leaves and flowers you pick up at your local park or in the garden.
The kids are sure to love getting involved in putting it together, and the majority of the materials used will breakdown naturally in the garden or compost after the season is over.
WRAPPING
There’s no need to cut corners on your gift wrapping for the sake of the planet, because there are plenty of eco-friendly ways to wrap up a gift in a way that shows your love for both the planet and the recipient.
Thinking about the context of the gift can help.
Gifts for the kitchen can be wrapped in a Christmas-themed tea-towel; the wrapping then becomes part of the present and can be used over and over again, rather than being thrown into landfill on Christmas night.
Otherwise, try wrapping presents in cloths, like scarves or bandannas.
Again, it’s a beautiful way to incorporate the gift into the wrapping.
Add some leaves or flowers from the garden under the ribbon for a simple, cheap decoration.
Old shoe boxes make terrific gift boxes and are a good way to reuse something you would normally just throw out.
Wrap it in newspaper to increase your recycling credentials, or ask the kids to draw their best festive pictures on the box for that personal touch.
If you’re handy with a sewing machine, you can pick up fabric scraps or old clothes from the op shop and turn them into Santa sacks, ready to fill with presents to gift to the ones you love.
GIFTS
You could also try your hand at making your own gifts for loved ones.
Everyone loves home-cooked treats like jams, brownies, gingerbread or Christmas-themed slices.
Decorate jars with a scrap of vintage fabric and twine for that old-fashioned feel.
