No-buy festive decorations
Look no further than your recycling for craft inspiration to create decorations that don’t cost the earth.
Fill your home with jingle and joy, and keep little hands busy with our fabulously festive ideas.
Read on to discover easy ways to deck your halls sustainably this Christmas.
Toilet roll star
This sophisticated star is surprisingly easy to make.
- Paint your toilet roll inside and out - using different colours looks great.
- Once dry, cut a triangle into the tube lengthways, stopping just before you hit the halfway mark.
- Repeat this every 2 cm around the circumference.
- Turn the tube the other way and repeat, but this time misalign the triangles.
- Fold the points out to create your star.
- Add string or ribbon for hanging.
Ta-da - you have your star!
Egg carton Christmas tree
We think you'll love this egg-cellent idea.
- Carefully cut out the cups of an egg carton - you will need at least three to create a Christmas tree.
- Paint or colour the outside green.
- Stack the cups and glue them together.
- Now it’s time to decorate your tree however you like!
Why not add a string to the top for hanging? Or perhaps make several to create a mini festive forest for toys to explore.
Milk bottle snowman
Light up the season with this sweet lantern-style craft.
- Clean your milk carton and remove any labels.
- Bring your snowman to life by adding features with marker pens or craft materials.
- Noses look great from orange paper or card and felt circles work well for eyes and mouths. See how creative you can be with the expressions!
- Why not try adding a hat, pom-pom earmuffs or mini scarf for a fantastic finishing flourish?
If you would like to include lights, cut a small hole in the base and thread a string of battery-operated fairy lights through. Sticky tape the end to the lid to ensure your whole snowman glows.
Wrapping paper star
This is a great use for those spare strips of wrapping paper that don't quite fit a present.
- Use a strip of paper that is twice as long as it is wide (approx. 20 cm x 40 cm works well for a medium-sized star) and fold widthways in alternating directions every 2 cm to create a concertina.
- Once folded, pinch the paper in the middle and tie together with a small length of string.
- Now cut off the corners of the folded strip at both ends to create the pointy edges of the star. Starting at one end, cut off the first corner by placing your scissors approx. 4 cm down one side of the strip and cutting diagonally towards the corner on the other side of the strip. Then flip the strip and repeat at the other end, symmetrically to your first cut. You are aiming for a trapezium shape.
- Next, fold the concertina in half and pop some glue or double-sided tape on the sides that touch and secure them together. This will unfurl half of the star.
- Unfurl the rest of the star and glue or tape the other sides together. This creates your super star!
Top tip - if you fold or back your wrapping paper it will make it a little sturdier and ensure you have decoration on both sides.
Christmas card hanging decorations
Save your Christmas cards when the festivities are over and get prepped for next year.
Make the most of different sizes and shapes. Long, thin cards will make great strips for paper chains, and square cards are great for triangular bunting.
Don't forget you can also use your smallest cards for gift tags.
Top tip - stapling will be easier than gluing if the card is a little stiff.
Did you know? You can send your stamps to many different charities to help them raise money. Check with your local charities to find out more.
Toilet roll reindeer
Be Rudolph-ready with this lovely and simple craft.
All you need to do is add some eyes, a big smile and, of course, a red nose to a toilet roll tube.
You can be creative with the antlers. Keep an eye out for twigs on your winter walks or try tracing your little one's hand. Dried leaves work well too.
Why not make a whole herd of reindeer? They'll make great mini bowling pins for Christmas Day family fun!
We hope we have inspired you to create some recycled Christmas wonders this festive season.
We would love to see your makes! Send us photos to info@kite-clothing.co.uk or tag us in your creations on social media at @kiteclothing.
