Written by: Giulia Simolo
Your decorations for Christmas don’t have to be materialistic or manufactured from harmful plastics anymore. Did you know one of the ways to achieve décor that cares is to find great decorations right in your home or garden? Natural décor is not only becoming trendy but it has its finger on the pulse when it comes to caring for your home and making a difference to humankind.
This Christmas make your décor more organic. Here are some easy tips you can pull off before your party guests arrive.
Garden gems
One of the most important parts about being more eco-friendly is to use what you already have. When it comes to decorations for the home in preparation for a Christmas party, you might think you don’t have any spectacular decorations for your home, but you’re not searching hard enough! A great place to find some décor gems is the garden.
Take a walk through your garden and see what you find that can prove both useful and creative. For instance, pretty leaves can be placed on the table or set under bowls to provide a creative alternative to placemats. Fresh herbs can be decorative – mint leaves on dessert served in glasses or rosemary on plates of food can add a nice touch. Another idea is to spray-paint fallen branches and place them in tall vases or make a wreath out of flexible sticks and leaves. All you need is to tie them together with some wire and then hang it on the door. This is also a great task for kids to unleash their creativity.
With these tips, bringing your garden into the home gives your festivities a rustic flair.
Find the fruit basket
Fruits of beautiful bright colours, such as apples, berries and lemons can be great décor ideas. Simply choose fruits from your basket and think of placing them in integral places at the party.
For instance, fruits like apples can be placed in vases that contain some strands of tinsel, or even just water. The bubbles that form on the fruit will make them look like studs or diamonds. Another idea is to slice open lemons and oranges and place them in a vase before adding a few stems of beautiful flowers. This provides a nice creative touch to your flower arrangements.
The best part about using fruits creatively is that they never go to waste – they can be used later in the kitchen.
Other edible décor
Fruit aside, the kitchen offers other creative décor that you might be missing. Think of anything that can be used creatively, from eggs that can be painted with festive colours and placed on the festive table, to cinnamon sticks that can be bound together with
colourful ribbons and tied to serviettes.
Even food that you’re about to eat can double up as décor – ensure it’s colourful and festive, then place it in the centre of the table on a beautiful platter. It will get your guests’ mouths watering!
Colour it Christmas
When thinking of how to decorate your home for Christmas, bear in mind that using colours that relate to the festive season is a simple way to reflect the holiday spirit and also revitalise your home. Colours that always work at this time of year include green and red, so think about what you could add to a room that fits in with this colour scheme.
A throw or blanket can be tossed over a couch to add a bolt of colour to the room. Another easy decoration is to cut shapes out of boxes you no longer need (think cereal boxes) and painting them green or red. Then tie them together with a ribbon or string and placing them across the doorway to invite guests inside.
Light a candle… instead of a bulb!
Candles are a big part of the festivities and they can really turn a feast into a classy affair. There are many candles to choose from to give your party an edge, from scented to decorative ones that can double up as pretty ornaments. So light a candle instead of flicking on a light switch. You’ll save electricity and offer your guests a more special feast. Just ensure the candles are eco-friendly!
Soy wax candles are a great way to brighten up a room because they’re 100% natural, non-toxic and biodegradable. Soy is also a substance that burns up to 50% longer than paraffin candles, so they save you money. Great soy candles can be found at Soylites.
For other organic candles as well as party paraphernalia, visit www.ecoparty.co.za.
The liveeco team
