Alternative decorations, especially during the festive season, are a wonderful way to add personality to your home.
And unless you were especially forward-thinking and bought all your decorations during the sales last January, making your home wonderful and welcoming by your own hand can also save you heaps of money (more to spend in the nest sale!).
There is also the bonus that the activity can work as a creative way to keep the kids busy, at least for a while.
Get the kids outside searching for straight sticks (prunings also work) which you can use in several ways:
- Gather all your left-over ribbons and tie 20 – 30 cm lengths one-by-one along the the stick (make sure it’s a tight knot, or maybe dab some glue over the tie). Then you can cut them to whatever shape suits you: round for a bauble effect, or into a Christmas tree like the picture above.
- A collection of sticks can be used to make a wall hanging tree, with the shortest stick at the top and the longest at the bottom. Wrap each piece of wood with string (jute works well), knotting each one as you go. You can choose to put two lengths up either side of the middle of the branches, or tie at the end of the branches. Either way you will need to secure the string at the top – under a star to hide the big final knot. For smaller versions you could even use metallic wrapping ribbon, but be aware that won’t hold much weight.
Another idea is to wrap old books or boxes and stack them with the largest at the bottom. Turn each layer as you stack, and you will end up with a pile resembling a Christmas tree, especially once you add a few decorations.
This would be extra special if you have a household of book or board game lovers (anything that comes in a flat box really); each layer could be a real present, and then you don’t have to worry about packing away a tree in the new year.
Homemade decorations add an authentic touch to a time that can be overshadowed by commercialism. And you and your family can have fun creating them.