|
...I’ve come up with some inexpensive and earth-friendly design ideas that will help you bring the spirit of the holidays inside while insuring we are taking care of the planet outside! It’s a stylish, planet conscious and cost effective alternative to the usual spend-fest that happens every December!
It’s a Wrap! – Non-Wrapping Paper Ideas
The idea here is simple, less paper, less garbage, less damage to our planet! Look at all the paper that shows up in our mailboxes, doorsteps and in-boxes every day, these are some ways to re-use that paper rather than going out and buying more paper that’s just going to be thrown away anyway!
- Leftover Work Paper - Whatever your business may be look around your home or your office and see what paper you have that’s lying around and could be used to wrap presents. I’m an interior designer and every year I accumulate so many large scale house plans that I use the old ones for wrapping paper, people always get a kick out of it and they know who the gift is from! This would work with sheet music, real estate catalogs or sections from the newspaper, maps, posters or…just about anything!
- Ribbon Replacement - Use twine or jute string instead of ribbon and replace the bow with sprigs of red berries or green holly leaves and berries
- Kids Catalogues Paper - This time of year we all get so many kids catalogues with brightly colored photographs of toys and kids Christmas items that a few pages taped together make adorable and eye catching wrapping paper.
- Re-Gift-Tags -Save Christmas cards this year and turn the unwritten area into next years gift tags.
- Daily News Paper – Black and white newspaper makes great wrapping paper and try matching up the story on the paper with the gift or the recipient, tied with a red ribbon and a sprig of holly and you have an eco-friendly, elegant and witty gift!
Eco-Enlightened Table Setting Ideas
Just because some of the materials used in these table settings sound rustic it doesn’t mean not to use your good china and glassware with them, use the good stuff and it will look beautiful! These days it’s all about combining elements, what’s more beautiful than fresh evergreens, a burlap tablecloth and fine crystal? Mix your own design elements together to create your signature look!
- A Berry, Merry Moss Centerpiece - Create an arrangement down the center of your table composed of green moss, river stones, red pomegranates, or red berry clusters and votive candles (thrift store finds or fun glasses can be used as votives and reused later). It will create an elegant and natural display. Mix in some silver or red Christmas ornament balls to reflect the votive candlelight. Use bamboo or naturally woven placemats under the moss to incorporate another texture to the display.
- Festive Votives - Holly sprigs, twigs, or berry clusters can be tied around votives, jars, or candles with jute or twine. Place candles in the middle of the votives for a great ambience.
- Nature Scape -Twigs, pinecones, acorns, red berries, and other interesting backyard finds are simple, inexpensive and easy table décor. Spread these items down the center of a table. Keep them naturally clustered…as if nature decorated your centerpiece! Long, thin and spindly twigs mixed with evergreen sprigs in jars will add height, mix in lots of pillar candles in varying sizes and it creates a tablescape. A burlap runner underneath will help this arrangement look composed and chic or you could even just use a big piece of burlap as a table cloth, it has great natural texture. If you want to add some sparkle take some ornaments off your tree and intersperse them in between the natural materials.
- Holiday Hurricanes: For an elegant hurricane place a pillar candle in the center of a pitcher, glass cylinder, or vase and arrange a layer of moss on the bottom and then in between the glass and the candle add red cranberries; you can also use holly or berry clusters in place of the cranberries. Use beeswax or soy candles- they last longer than regular candles and are a greener choice than a standard burning candle.
Stylish Serving Ideas
Think outside of the box when choosing items to serve food on or in, look at items you already have or you might throw away and see if you can re-think their original use and put them to work in a new way! They are not only much more stylish than a big plastic throw away platter but you’ve probably got a lot of these items in a cupboard somewhere so why not bring them out?
- Bring out the Good Stuff: Use your good china, glassware and porcelain to serve your guests instead of paper plates and plastic cups. Don’t wait for a special occasion, it will not only be gorgeous and make your guests feel special but think of all that garbage you won’t be creating!
- Wine Crate Cheese Platter: Use an old wooden wine crate as a cheese platter and wine holder. Angle the top of the crate over the crate box, so there’s about a 7” space open down to the bottom of the box. Lay down some kale leaves on the top of the box and place the cheese on top of the leaves. In the open area inside the box below place an open bottle of wine so guests can refill their glasses as they enjoy the cheese! Garnish the cheese with holly sprigs. (I have a picture of this if it’s hard to understand, it’s super cool!)
- Slate Cheese/Chalk Board: The winter is the perfect time for a cheese plate and you can easily make your own by using a piece of dark charcoal slate from a home improvement store. Set green kale leaves on the slate and set the different cheeses you’re serving on top of the leaves. Use chalk directly on the slate to label the different cheeses, and wipe clean when finished. Set a rubber mat or potholder under the slate to keep from scratching your table surface.
- Raise Your Glass: Use champagne, martini, or other fun glasses to serve crudités and dip or olives and nuts
- Wood Workers: Wood slice slabs can be used as cheese boards. Use sharpie markers to write the names of the cheeses directly on the wood
- Creative Crudités: Place your cut raw veggies like celery and carrots standing up in old jam jars, place the jars in a tin flower pot filled with ice and put some dip in a jar to go in the ice as well, it’s a festive way to arrange your appetizers.
- Basket Case: Use baskets from around the house and garden to serve dry food like crackers, chips and bread slices instead of plastic bowls, they add texture and elegance.
Centerpiece Ideas
- Aluminum cans may be used as vases, wrap brown craft paper (or old grocery bags) around the cans and secure the paper by tying twine or red ribbon around it and secure a sprig of holly, berries or fresh herbs in the knot. Use bunches of evergreen and twigs in the vases and organize the cans organically down the middle of the table.
- Peat pots with grass or plant seedlings will add some green to the centerpiece, ultimately creating a very fun organic look and they can be a fun takeaway gift for guests. A red ribbon tied around the pot will add that holiday flair and you can even attach guests names to the ribbon and use them as place card holders. Peat pots are biodegradable plant holders.
- Fill a tin bucket or a flower pot with branches from a local tree and secure with stones/rocks in the container as a live Christmas tree alternative. It gives the illusion of a mini tree in your home, you can even hang some small ornaments you have on the twig branches.
- Smooth river stones with guest names written on them with a sharpie are a fun place card alternative, have guests write on other stones what they are thankful for this past year and place them down the center of your table on a bed of moss or magnolia leaves, intersperse some votive candles for sparkle and it’s a special tablescape.
- Pine tree swags look nice hung with twine and berries or plaid ribbon on the back of dining chairs
- Use old holiday ribbons to wrap around candles, flowerpots, jars, etc. to brighten up a plain candle
- Old fabric can be cut with pinking shears to make napkins. Pinch the napkin in the middle, lift it up and tie it together with hemp or old holiday ribbon to make a napkin ring.
- Felt or other sturdy old fabric cut with pinking shears can be used as coasters (use the bottom of a bowl to help cut an accurate circle)
- Wine charms can be made using medium size hoop earrings with small kids beads. These hoops should be placed at the base of the wine glass stem, so everyone knows whose glass it is by the different charm dangling!
More Ideas: Elegant Christmas Decór
Quick and Easy Holiday Decór
Holiday Party Ideas
Innovative and Inspiring Christmas Decór
Get Creative with Candle Light
|
 |
