Low Cost, Low Waste Holiday Traditions
During the holiday season, we love to lean into family traditions that are low cost and low waste. We end up feeling calmer, more connected to family, and more joyful when we prioritize these simple traditions this time of year.
We focus on using homemade, natural, compostable decorations wherever we can, which cuts down on the items we need to store each year. Our children love the time outside and the ability to contribute to the ritual of decorating for the holiday season.
Step #1: Into the Woods
We typically start out the holiday season with a foraging adventure. We go out into the woods to gather pinecones, acorns, evergreens, holly, mistletoe, and the occasional deer antler (if you're lucky). We give the kids each their own basket and enjoy seeing what treasures they gather. A pole saw comes in handy for harvesting the mistletoe, so plan ahead! A foraging expedition is a great way to jump start your holiday decorating while spending time in nature with family and friends. With four rowdy boys between the two of us, we always appreciate getting to do something we want/need to do while helping them joyfully get their wiggles out.
Step #2: Crafts by the Fire
Did you know that between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the amount of trash produced in the United States increases by about 25%, or about 1 million extra tons per week? Yikes. Something we love about these traditions is that they're easy on our budget and the earth. Many of the elements can be simply returned to nature when the holidays are over!
Now that you've got your foraged treasures, it's time to craft! Pinecones make wonderful tree ornaments as well as vase-fillers and homemade bird feeders. Our kiddos love smearing peanut butter on their pinecones, rolling them in bird seed, and picking the perfect branch to hang them on.
Holiday terrariums are a fun and beautiful way to showcase many of your foraged finds all together. There's no wrong way to do it! Grab a glass bowl or trifle dish and arrange greenery with moss, acorns, pinecones, dried oranges, cranberries, and hopefully a deer antler into your own work of art.
While crafting, we love to enjoy a festive stovetop potpourri. Putting it together is quick and easy because we save citrus peel throughout the year in the freezer and combine it with cranberries, rosemary, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, or cloves in simmering water on the stove for a toxin-free way to enjoy the holiday scents.
Step #3: Hit the Grocery Store
For more crafting fun and beautiful decor, head to the produce section of your supermarket! Here are our picks for natural decor that we come back to year after year.
Orange pomanders: Push whole cloves through the skin of fresh oranges at random or in intricate designs. Pro tip- use a meat thermometer to pre-punch the holes for kiddos.
Dried orange slices: Pop thinly sliced oranges in the oven at 200 degrees for 4-6 hours and let dry before using. They're beautiful as ornaments, strung in garland, a special touch on a wrapped gift, or even as a cocktail garnish.
Cranberry garland: Use a needle and thread to string cranberries for indoor or outdoor festive fun.
Unshelled nuts: A timeless tradition. Pair with a set of nutcrackers and maybe your kids will accidently eat some fiber.
Hand-rolled beeswax candles: You can buy sheets of beeswax and wicks easily online. Our kids love rolling the candles, tying them up with a velvet ribbon, and gifting them to neighbors and friends.
Did you know that Rooms to Breathe offers holiday decorating and take-down? Enjoy the season without the stress of packing and unpacking your beautiful decor. Give us a call- we'd love to chat!
