To tree or not to tree? That is the question many of us trying to live a little more sustainably wrestle with this time of year.
Real cut Christmas trees seem like the most sustainable solution until you think about it rotting away in landfill for the next six months. The most common option is to pick a plastic tree from the shops. Then you’re faced with the whole plastic issue, and you would need to keep it for at least ten years to offset the materials, shipping, and carbon. You could go without but who wants to be the Grinch that stole Christmas?
There’s no 100% sustainable solution to the Christmas tree problem, so this year, I hit up Pinterest for inspo and had a crack and making my own eco-friendly Christmas tree.
I’m not usually a DIYer and was a little surprised by how much I loved making this. Best part. It was so easy and cost me nothing.
You will need
- Foraged sticks or branches – as many or as little you like to make your tree
- Twine
- Baubles and lights to decorate
Building the tree
- Start by measuring out your twine to suit the size tree you want to make. Lay the sticks across the twine and move around until you’re happy with the position.
- Starting at the top on one side, wrap the twine around the stick twice then tie in a knot. Repeat for the other side.
- Moving down repeat for each of the branches. Keeping check as you go to make sure your branches are straight.
- When you reach the bottom, ties two knots tight to ensure the bottom branch does not come undone.
- Trim any excess twine.
Hanging the tree
Find a place in your house where you want to hang the tree on an existing hook, or you might need to add one. Adjust the tree to make sure it’s straight then check your branches to ensure they all lineup.
Now the fun part. Decorating!
This is totally up to you and limited only by your imagination. Use lights, baubles or anything you already have at home. You can forage in the garden and add native flowers or branches. I used some bluetack to hold my lights and baubles in place.
You can also place a small table or bench underneath for more decoration or your pressies.
Pin me!
More Sustainable Christmas inspo
The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for the Socially Conscious Consumer – read it here.
How to Have a Zero Waste Christmas – read it here.
How to Have a Holly, Jolly Sustainable Christmas (That Aligns with your Values) – read it here.
Zero Waste Baking: Candy Cane Kiss Holiday Cookies – read it here.
