Sustainable decoration for Christmas

Christmas is all about sparkles and glitter , no matter where you look. Sales at home furnishing stores soar because there's so much amazing new Christmas decorations every year that you think you have to do things completely differently this year than the year before.

But are there also beautiful , sustainable decorations for Christmas?

The answer is: absolutely! And the best part is, these alternatives are not only kind to the environment, but also to your wallet.

In itself, it's simple - we make use of what nature has to offer, thereby avoiding plastic, sometimes even going out into the fresh air to procure it, not putting other environmentally harmful substances into circulation, and saving a lot of money and stress.

Even though tinsel and Christmas tree balls sparkle beautifully on the Christmas tree , did you know that some of them are still very toxic?

Christmas tree baubles are often coated with lead. You can identify lead tinsel by its heavier weight and the additional information "tin foil" on the packaging. It shouldn't end up in household waste, as recycling is responsible for its disposal!

We also find the Christmas tree beautiful:

* Christmas tree decorations made of felt, fabric, wood or cardboard

* Straw pendants in various shapes

* Pine cones, so natural and beautiful!

* Dried orange slices

* Prefer LED light chains and turn off the light chain,

when you no longer need them.

* Do not throw away mandarin peels, but

Turn cookie cutters into decorative items!

Here is another recipe for your individual DIY Christmas tree decorations

Making unique and classic Christmas tree decorations (or gift tags) yourself has never been easier. We'll show you how—it's incredibly easy, we promise!

Ingredients

approx. 85 ml water
A cooking pot

approx. 60 g cornstarch

approx. 250 g baking soda (for the kitchen)
Cookie cutters (e.g. star-shaped)
wooden skewers

A large bowl
Crystal vase, crystal glass, or similar (for the print)

Mix water, baking soda and starch together in a small pot.

Stir constantly and slowly bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the mixture thickens. Please keep an eye on the pot to avoid a sudden, solid lump in the pot! Once the contents of the pot have reached a very mushy consistency and are falling heavily from the spoon, it's time to cool. Turn off the oven, remove the pot from the stove, wait, and drink some tea.

Wait about 10 minutes and then transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Now it's time to knead by hand! If it's too sticky, add a little more starch. You should end up with a smooth, white dough!

Now the fun part begins: shaping the dough into your desired shape. Please note that the finished decorative objects will shrink by about 10%. When rolling out the dough, aim for a thickness of 5 to 9 mm. The dough shouldn't be too thin!

Instead of flour, dust the work surface with starch and roll out the dough.
To get cool patterns on your pendants, take your favorite crystal glass, for example, and easily transfer its pattern to your future pendants by rolling it over the dough!

Now use cookie cutters to create the desired shape in the dough and use a wooden skewer to poke a hole through it for the hanger.
Before using the pendants, they should be allowed to dry for 1-4 days. Please turn your pendants regularly during this time.

Candles are undoubtedly the best mood-setters. They conjure up a cozy atmosphere and, especially during the dark winter months, bring light into our homes. To ensure that sustainability isn't neglected when it comes to candles, we have some important information for you on how you can decorate in an environmentally friendly way.

* Paraffin is a popular raw material used in the production of commercially available candles. The critical factor is that it is derived from petroleum . Palm oil (also called stearin) is also often listed as a manufacturing material, even in organic candles! So take a close look at what your Christmas candles are made of.

* You should also be careful with fragrances . It's tempting to make your home smell like "Christmas cookies," "vanilla," or "cinnamon" at Christmas. Hardly anyone considers that these synthetic fragrances are bad for the environment and can also be harmful to your health. But there are ways to still bring the Christmas scent into your home—without any chemicals. How? We'll tell you in a moment.

When it comes to candles, you can, for example, opt for candles made from so-called "biomass." These candles are made exclusively from fats from renewable resources. The candles also burn odorlessly.

Beeswax is also a natural alternative, but it should only be purchased for special occasions. 1 kg of wax requires the labor of approximately 150,000 bees. It's therefore a precious and expensive raw material that should be valued. It's best to contact a beekeeper you trust.

Candles made from GMO-free soy wax, rapeseed, or sunflower oil are also an alternative. Simply contact your local organic store or browse the stores "Waschbär" or " Avocadostore ."

Of course, there is also a way to let a lasting fragrance permeate without scented candles and thus create a pleasant atmosphere.

* Fragrance stones. You simply drop an essential oil of your choice onto the underside of the stone and wait about 30-60 minutes. It will immediately smell like your favorite. Essential oils are available in a wide variety of varieties, so be sure to look for organic ones.

* Fragrance lamps are also a popular option here. They contain a tea light and a small bowl above it, into which you fill water. Add a few drops of essential oil to the bowl, light the tea light, and in no time, you'll have your favorite fragrance at home.

* You can achieve a very subtle fragrance by placing a bowl of dried flower petals, also called "potpourri" .

It looks beautiful, no question. Decorative snow, whether from a spray can or a plastic bag. We have a better idea – how about sugar or salt?

Take a decorative container, depending on the desired size, and fill it with sugar or salt. Now add your favorite candle and, if desired, any natural decorations of your choice (pine cones, cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, etc.). Please don't leave the candle unattended, of course ;)!

Final tip: LED candles can also be a great alternative. They're reusable, after all. In the right price range, they're often almost indistinguishable from the real thing and also create a wonderful atmosphere. There are versions that have a rechargeable battery, so you can even do without batteries.