"green" christmas

vintage owls purchased from thrift shops become a unified collection
with white paint! birch wood re-used from year to year for display.

recycled birch bark makes festive trees.

use a branch instead of cutting a tree [this one had fallen in the back yard]

paper whites planted in vintage milk glass purchased from thrift shops
make a great impact [you can re-plant the bulbs outside for next year]

old lamps turned into candle holders
[cut the cords and paint for your color theme]
we chose ginger jar shapes but you could use any shape/style you like

embroidery hoops get a new life by turning them into a graphic art
display [we used old scraps of wallpaper, remnant fabric, newspaper and
some funky old owls painted black]

vintage chair re-upholstered, vintage cuckoo clocks painted white to
compliment our colors

this amazing citroen car is surrounded by wood slices cut into 2" thick rounds
from a fallen tree [we used the smaller ones to prop up owls and give
height to candle holders inside]

this year we went green which to us means
using what we've got, recycling, re-purposing and re-doing.
the items purchased were chosen for their sustainability and
eco friendliness we felt good shopping at thrift shops that
support the community in many ways from women and
children of domestic abuse to the homeless, the money spent
goes to help those people in need. have fun and keep an open
mind you may be surprised at the outcome!

here are a few ideas for a greener christmas. . .

•this year after the holidays have your tree picked up to be made into mulch [check your local
boy scouts]

•decorate your tree with berries, cookies and popcorn strings that you can later feed to the birds
or compost

• be green now sells seed paper ornaments, which grow into cilantro, you can even use them as gift tags. the company plants a tree with each tag sale

•use recycled paper for gift wrapping holiday cards and even for printing pictures here is a great article we found with lots of ideas wrap-sody in green
here's another great resource for recycled paper products whimsy press

•use LED christmas lights they use 80-90 percent less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs

•look for handmade gifts that are not mass produced [better for the environment and the receiver]