Long time no see friends! I kind of left the blog die out the past year, in favor of Instagram, but I have decided to start posting here again. Insta is no longer fun and I blame the algorithm. I love the community we created there but I just see more ads and sponsored posts than content I actually chose to see. This said, what better way to make a come-back than a December post to show you the zero waste Christmas tree I made?!

Every year before Christmas, the same debate starts. Should we buy real Christmas trees or should we use synthetic ones? It depends! Real trees are sustainable if farmed responsibly but artificial trees can be just as sustainable when reused. It all comes down to personal preferences. Greenpeace does a better job at explaining this than me.

Why choose a zero-waste Christmas tree?

Personally, I prefer real trees but I think cutting down a tree just to decorate my interior for a few weeks is silly. Sure, there are potted trees, but you gotta store them and… they grow! Building my own Christmas tree is my favourite option. This is my second (check out the first one here) and it takes no space (though you can also build 3D ones). Besides, it doesn’t shed needles, can be reused or composted and it costs nothing. Also, I don’t own any Christmas ornaments, so I made my own.

How to build your Christmas tree

What you need:

• dried wood sticks of different sizes
• twine
• a nail
• ornaments
• sewing thread

Instructions:

Gently hammer a small nail into your wall (or use an existing one). Take a long piece of twine, fold it in the middle and form a loop knot to place on the nail. Then, ake your smallest stick and tie each side of the twine around the corresponding end of the stick. You might need a double knot if your sticks are heavy. Try to have roughly the same length of twine on each side. Repeat this operation with the other sticks. You have a tree! Decorate it with your old ornaments or make your own from foraged things or food items. Use sewing thread to hang them on the branches.