How to Make Recycled Christmas Ornaments

Christmas has the notorious reputation of being a holiday that is consumer-driven. Decorating your tree doesn't have to fall in line with spending money for elaborate decoration. Instead, do something a little different this year and make your own ornaments!

Green Guide offers a variety of DIY Christmas decorations you can make at home. However, if you're going for ornaments that are made from recycled products, then many of the ones on their list might not pertain to you. Most of their decoration ideas include using fresh food like citrus, cranberries and popcorn. Some families don't have enough to eat during the holidays, so I'm not sure how the Green Guide can really call this eco-friendly. However, they do have one idea that is pretty much free to make, doesn't take food away from hungry mouths and combines the beauty of nature into your home without it looking fake or cheesy. What is it? Pinecone garland, as I like to call it. They recommend scavenging outside to collect a whole bowl full of pinecones. Inside, you can either leave the pinecones in a bowl for decoration, or you can use them to decorate the tree. The way you do this is by taking a thread, tying it around each pinecone until a string of pinecones is made. When you are done, hang it around the tree for a festive and natural touch.

Many homes have Christmas trees every winter season. But what about those who either can't afford a tree or are conservative about their environment and don't think it's right to cut down essential trees for aesthetic beauty? Well, there is an alternative, and that is making your own tree from recycled materials. As you create the tree, you'll also see there is no need for added decoration (ornaments) as it is already decorative on its own. I recommend looking at this site: DYI Christmas Trees for ideas on creating some really cool and inexpensive trees. Such trees include: Snowflake Tree, Tea Tree and Peppermint Tree. Who could resist such fun sounding names of trees?

More Budget Christmas Tree Decorations You Can Make Yourself has a bunch of great ideas on how to make your own ornaments. The one that I really recommend for recycle-lovers is the card tree one. The idea is using Christmas cards previously given to you to create ornaments from! You can cut out a piece of the card that inspires you the most, decoupage it, and hang it on the tree. So simple to do and who doesn't have a bunch of Christmas cards lying around?

Adults don't have to be the only ones getting in on the action. Involve your kids. They have a world of creativity swimming around in their heads. Supply the materials, be a guide on how to create the ornament, but most of all, be open to any way they'd like to interpret those instructions and create their own masterpieces. Years down the line when you admire the creations on the Christmas tree they made years back, you'll appreciate their innocent touch.