Merry Christmas From Ecobellus: DIY Green Christmas Centerpiece

Need a quick centerpiece that only takes a few minutes to make? How about a centerpiece that is eco-friendly? Well, check out what my family made as a last minute Christmas decoration!

 

This centerpiece was made from the branches that were cut off when we purchased our Christmas tree, empty wine bottles, artificial cranberries that we have had for years, and recycled candles. The simple centerpiece took about 5 minutes to make and really made an elegant statement! And best of all, it looks absolutely beautiful when the candles are lit at night.

 

Merry Christmas from Ecobellus!

Ecobellus Green Christmas Guide Wrap Up

Image via wallyg

With Christmas only a couple of days away, I figured it was the perfect time to wrap up the Ecobellus Green Christmas Guide. I hope you found these articles and resources helpful in your holiday endeavors 🙂

The All-Inclusive Ecobellus Green Christmas Guide

Green is more than just a festive color…

Green Gift Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank – Show your friends, family, and Mother Nature how much you care with these great Christmas gifts at affordable prices.

Where to Find Green Toys for Kids and Babies – Toys are a big part of Christmas. Teach your kids the importance of green issues and protect them from hazardous materials with these green toys.

How to Make Sure Your Christmas Tree is Green – Can’t figure out the greener option? Use this guide to help you choose the greenest Christmas tree for you and your family.

Green Christmas Crafts – Decorate your home or make gifts with these fun eco-friendly crafts.

Where to Find Green Christmas Cards – Save a wallop of trees with these great green greeting!

DIY: Natural Holiday Wreaths – Spice up your traditional Christmas decor with these eco-friendly wreaths.

Green Christmas Guide #6: DIY Natural Holiday Wreaths

Holiday décor is not complete without a wreath. Instead of going out and buying a wreath, check out some of these natural wreaths that you can make on your own.

Feijoa Christmas Wreath

Feijoa’s are the perfect flowers to make a wreath because they add a little red, green, and silver to the décor. Best of all feijoa wreaths add a little to joy to otherwise dreary weather. For more on Feijoa Christmas wreaths visit Rummage.

Orange Pine Cone Wreath

Add a little zest to your holiday décor while still creating an elegant element. Collect pine ones from your yard, dry some orange slices in the oven, add them to a garland wreath and voila! In less time than it takes to buy a wreath, you have made your own unique and natural holiday decor. For more information visit Delia Creates.

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Green Christmas Guide #5: Green Christmas Cards

Today I spent a good portion of my day partaking in one of my favorite holiday traditions: writing Christmas cards!!!

I have loved sending out Christmas cards ever since I was a little girl and my grandmother would make me write them for her. Unfortunately, printing new cards leads to the waste of paper and the demise of many tress, which can put a serious damper on the beloved Christmas tradition.

Thanks to a rise in eco-consciousness Christmas cards are greener than ever! Below you will find a list of online shops where you can find sustainable and ethical Christmas cards.

Deep Fried @ Etsy – Image to the left.

Pristine Planet

Earth Greetings – Every pack you buy plants a tree!

Botanical PaperWorks – Beautiful cards made of 100% recycled pulp and recycles into wildflowers!

Girly Whirly Greeting Cards

Global Exchange Handmade Holiday Cards – Handmade from recycled materials by people in Rwanda who have lost their parents. Your purchase helps these people provide food, shelter, and education for their younger brothers and sisters.

Season’s Greenings – Sustainable cards made from recycled paper and vegetable inks.

Green Christmas Guide #4: Green Christmas Crafts

Image via Handmadenews.org

Once the holiday season is over you are left with mountains upon mountains of leftover goodies. Ever wondered what to do with all that wrapping paper? What about Christmas cards? Worry not, eco-conscious crafters! Turns out that there a lot of things you can make with your holiday leftovers.

Don’t Throw Away That Wrapping Paper – Did you know you can make beautiful ornaments for next years festivities with leftover wrapping paper? Just find some scraps of your favorite wrapping paper and read this how-to guide from Handmade News.

Disney’s Family Fun: Have a Happy Green Christmas – Learn how to make anything from bubble wrap Christmas countdown calendars to greeting card gift tags with this great green guide from Disney’s Family Fun.

Good Housekeeping: Green Christmas Decorations – Spruce up your house and spread some holiday cheer with these simple green decoration ideas. From poinsettias to recycled candle holders, give Mother Earth a gift this year by showing that you care.

Green Christmas Guide #3: How to Make Sure Your Tree is Green

Image via peminumkopi

The Christmas tree is one of the most well -known icons of the season. For most homes, the centerpiece and main attraction for their celebrations is in fact the merrily  decorated pine tree. However, shopping and decorating for Christmas trees leaves socially conscious customers with some real questions. What kind of tree is greener? Do I buy a real tree or an artificial tree? Is there such a thing as an organic Christmas tree?
To answer the question of which tree is greener, it would seem that neither the real or artificial tree are very green. Real trees are now grown on farms, resolving the issue of deforestation, however there are still many environmental concerns surrounding everyone’s favorite pine tree. Real trees require fertilizer and fueled vehicles to maintain in addition to using up fuel when they are shipped to less wintery places like Florida. Artificial trees aren’t much better because they are mostly made in China out of a pollutant called polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and have been found to contain harmful chemicals like lead. Not to mention, when you dispose an artificial tree they will last for centuries in a landfill.

So what exactly are the greenest options for a Christmas tree? Read More…

 

Green Christmas Guide #2: Where to Find Green Toys for Kids and Babies

Image via tiffanywashko

Toys have long been a part of the holiday season tradition no matter what you celebrate, and there is nothing like seeing a child’s face light up when they get their presents. Unfortunately, many toys are made with hazardous materials like lead and BPA, which can have long term effects on a child’s health. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing that your child’s toys were safe? Wouldn’t you want them to have toys that are better for them and the environment? Fortunately, due to the increased awareness of socially conscious living, there is now a huge demand for green toys. By gifting your child green toys not only will they avoid any exposure to harmful chemicals, you can also teach them the importance of being green. Read More…

 

Green Christmas Guide #1: Green Gift Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

Image via Vali…

My favorite time of year is finally here! Consequently, lately I find myself writing a lot of green Christmas related articles. I present to you all the first installment of Ecobellus Green Christmas Guides: Green Gift Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank. Keep checking back in the coming weeks for more Ecobellus Green Christmas Guides!

Ecobellus Green Christmas Guide #1: Green Gift Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

The Holiday Season is upon us! That means cold weather, celebrations, great people, awesome food, and presents! One way to make this wonderful season even better is by spreading a little green living cheer with your gifts. Now, I know what you are thinking, “Those eco-friendly gifts are way too expensive and I’m already going to have to pay off a ton of debt when this is all over!” It’s true that some green gifts cost a pretty penny, but rest assured that you can find unique and earth friendly gifts for reasonable prices.

Gifts from VivaTerra.com
Viva Terra, which translates to “Living Earth”, is a company dedicated to living in harmony with nature. They are committed to providing unique designs with the eco conscious consumer in mind and many of their items come at a great price. For less than $30 dollars you can find beautifully crafted bowls, scarves, mugs, kitchen accessories, home décor, and even chocolate, all made with the earth in mind.

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America Recycles Day!

AmericaRecyclesDay.org

It’s America Recycles Day! I think this is a great idea for spreading awareness about our wasteful habits. Without further ado, I will let the official website do most of the explaining:

Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. More than a celebration, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States. One day to inform and educate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year.

The website even offers great tools like email templates, power point templates, and flyers so you can get people involved in your community! You can take the pledge and get involved here.

Don’t have curbside recycling in your neighborhood? Try E-cycling!

I have already mentioned Ecycler.com many times before. Both because I think their vision is great and because they wrote a lovely piece about Ecobellus. If your neighborhood doesn’t make things easy for recycling, you may want to consider this website for all of your recycling needs. Basically, they match up people who need to recycle stuff with people who need a little extra money and take things to recycling centers. It’s a brilliant idea that not only helps the planet, it also helps your fellow man. I already have a growing collection of wine bottles that I will be posting on Ecycler soon 🙂

5 Natural Homemade Craft Supplies

Image via Skechie

One of the greatest things you can do for yourself is engage in some sort of creative activity. It has long been known that letting your creative juices flow can help with your mood. The same applies for your kids, having them engage in art is a great way to have your kids develop. Partaking in art allows your child to use their mind in new and creative ways. Additionally, they get confidence from learning to make things with their own two hands.

Unfortunately, art supplies can get pretty expensive. One could easily spend a small fortune on brushes and paints alone. Instead of spending your rent money on art supplies from your local arts and crafts store, you can try making a few things at home.

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