Christmas is early this year! With so many of us trying to cope with being trapped at home because of the lockdowns, I feel we have started to decorate well in advance. I suppose a little zero-waste Christmas magic can’t hurt. Neither can a cup of mulled wine… or two.

fake vs real…?

There is this debate among sustainable lifestyle bloggers: is it better to buy a real Christmas tree or a fake one? Long story short: a real Christmas tree has a smaller environmental impact than an artificial tree, unless we keep said artificial tree for 5 years or more. In that case the environmental impact of the fake tree is smaller but in the end it can’t be recycled or biodegrade. I guess in the end, it all comes down to personal taste. And as usual I stand in the middle. I love the smell of a real Christmas tree. I also think it’s silly to cut down a damn tree for a celebration. But like I always say, every problem has a solution.

I don’t plan on having a tree this year but I still wanted to share the one I made last year. I know some people choose to decorate a tree outside or buy a potted tree. Neither of these options seem very convenient to me. So Instead, decided to build my own DIY wooden Christmas tree along with Christmas decorations.

The easiest zero-waste Christmas tree ever

I used three large sticks I found in my parent’s garden. I tied them together with paper string to create a triangular frame. Then I used that same string in the frame to create the web that was going to support the decorations. To make the decorations, I used pine cones and spruce branches, acorns, sticks, holly leaves and dried orange slices. For the final touch, I added solar powered LED lights that I can reuse elsewhere later. The whole process was extremely easy and took less than an hour.

Now this is a minimalistic wall Christmas tree and it’s disposable. You can easily create a similar design using planks or go for a 3 dimensional tree. The key to sustainability is to use what’s available around you.