Every year, people spend tons of money on holiday decorations. It’s a major part of the holiday industry, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the smartest choice. While the strings of lights and endless garlands might look pretty in your home, companies usually make them in the cheapest, fastest way possible.

In order to cut costs, businesses rely on cheap materials. Those are much different from eco-friendly materials, which take time and resources to put together. Instead of spending your holiday time tracking down sustainable decor at your local stores, make some of them yourself instead.

Check out these ten sustainable holiday decorations that are good for the planet because they minimize waste and pollution. You can make a few while you shop for others, depending on your decorating style.

1. Farm-Made Wreaths

Many people look forward to the winter holidays because they get to wrap themselves up in their favorite jackets and walk through rows of Christmas trees. It’s exciting to walk around the different types of trees and imagine hanging ornaments on each one before taking the perfect tree home with you.

Before you leave, ask the crew if they sell wreaths. Tree farmers often take branches off the misshapen or underdeveloped trees and weave them into wreaths. They’ll make your home smell lovely instead of rotting away in your local landfill. They’re also a great alternative to plastic wreaths.

2. Scrap Paper Snowflakes

Before you toss out scrap paper or newspaper, fold it up and cut out snowflakes. Hang them around the home for a wintery addition to your holiday decor.

3. String Light Tree

You might be against the idea of buying a fake tree or cutting down a live one. If you still want a tree in your home, hang string lights on your wall in the shape of a tree. As a big bonus, you won’t need to use up your floor space, saving room for gifts or new furniture.

4. Vegan Homemade Candles

Holiday scented candles will fly off the shelves, but they’re often made from animal byproducts or burn off toxic soot. This year, make vegan homemade candles using soy wax flakes and your favorite essential oils.

5. DIY Edible Ornaments

Traditional boxes of ornaments are another plastic option at stores, but you don’t have to hang them if you want something sustainable. Instead, hang edible ornaments like candy canes or make your own ornaments and nibble away as you watch holiday movies.

6. Reused Sweater Stockings

Pull old sweaters out of storage and turn them into stockings as a way of upcycling your clothes. You can reuse them in the coming years or donate them to Christmas drives for people in need.

7. Pots of Amaryllis Seeds

Traditional holiday flowers are red, tall and leafy. Skip the fake flowers and grow pots full of amaryllis seeds instead. They’re easy to grow and you can get the seeds almost anywhere, then continue to grow flowers in those same pots after the holidays are over.

8. Festive Burlap Wreath

If you’re inspired to make a wreath, buy a bunch of burlap. It’s made with jute fiber, which requires infrequent watering and little fertilizer, so it’s a sustainable material. After you fold it up, wrap it around a frame and you’ll have a different kind of evergreen wreath.

9. Pinecone Tabletop Display

People like to buy pinecone decorations, but why do that when their naturally found? Search your backyard or your friend’s to gather up a handful and create a tabletop display by laying them out with seasonal branches and candles.

10. Eco-Friendly Reindeer Food

Whether or not you have kids, you can mix up reindeer food in a jar and decorate it with a bow. Feel free to sprinkle it over your backyard on Christmas eve, since it’s eco-friendly and great for the birds in your yard.

Get Creative This Year

Think back on your favorite holiday decor and see if you can come up with a sustainable version. There are plenty of eco-friendly decorations out there that won’t create environmental waste, even if you have to get a few supplies to make them yourself.

What are your favorite sustainable holiday decorations?

Share your thoughts and comments with us.

About the Author

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more! Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!

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