Jean Paul and Christina, founders of ReRoot, a zero-waste shop, inspire us to get crafty with natural materials to create beautiful and sustainable Christmas decorations.
Then again, your time is short and patience probably running thin. You barely have time to keep up with life this year let alone spend hours decorating the house. It’s been a hell of a year, no judgment here. Thankfully, there are some very easy decorating hacks out there that are not only a fun family activity but are also easy to pull together and importantly, sustainable. After all, green is THE Christmas colour.
There is no need to wander far for inspiration. You can begin in your own backyard or neighbourhood. On your next walk, bring out your inner Bear Grylls and forage for your decorations. Look out for fallen pinecones, pine leaves, branches, perhaps the odd orange and any beautiful autumnal leaves.
Once you’ve gathered a sizeable bag of foraged goods you can start thinking about the different decorations you can pull together. These earthy hues, coupled with beautiful handmade brass and wooden decorations, will create an eco-Christmas haven within your home.
Orange, Cinnamon and Pinecone Mobiles
What you will need:
– A handful of oranges
– Cinnamon sticks
– Pinecones
– Natural twine
How to make the mobiles:
Before you can begin using your oranges you need to dry them out. Start by cutting them into thin slices and lightly patting them down to remove any excess moisture. Place each slice on a tray and place them in the oven on a very low heat for approximately 3 hours. Turn each slice over every 30 minutes or so to avoid the slices curling up. Remove from the oven and leave on a cloth to dry out completely before using them. The same can be done with other fruits such as lemons and apples.
Cut the natural twine to any length you like and tie a small knot on one end. Make a small hole in one orange slice and pass it through the twine. Slide the slice to the knot. Repeat this process with the remainder of your items. For our mobiles we used orange slices, pinecones, and cinnamon sticks. It makes your room smell divine whilst also adding style and warmth!
Centre Table Wreath
What you will need:
– Embroidery hoop
– A variety of greenery and shoots. Examples are eucalyptus leaves, pine shoots,
dried baby’s breath, dried oranges, and cinnamon sticks.
– Large glass jar
– Large candle
– Pinecones
– Thin wire
Now for the fun part…
First, make your wreath by gently wrapping the pine shoots or eucalyptus leaves around the embroidery loop using the thin wire to keep everything place. You want to do this until the loop is completely covered.
Once you have built your base you can now start weaving in the additional items. Whether those are pieces of dried baby’s breath, pinecones or dried oranges, the options are endless! The aim here is to continue to build on the base and to create some height.
Position your jar in the centre of the wreath together with a white candle et voila’ you have your table decoration!
Natural Tree Decorations
A Christmas tree is central to every household’s decorations. People spend time curating their trees around a theme. This year why not try a natural angle and fill your tree with warm, earthy tones together with the soft golden glow of brass. While simple, these decorations will not only make an impression but they’re also sustainable. You can also use extra dried oranges, pinecones and cinnamon sticks to further fill out your tree and mirror your other house decorations.
Decorating your home doesn’t need to be costly, boring or detrimental to the environment. By simply using what you have around you and adding natural accents, your home could look like the Christmas wonderland you’ve always imagined.
Christina and Jean Paul founded zero waste store, ReRoot. The store offers a great range of sustainable products for your home, for you and your belly, including sustainable Christmas decorations, gifts and wrapping paper. The store is located in Iklin and is also online. www.rerootmalta.com.
