Deck the Halls (with recycled stuff!)

• Use any ribbons you’ve saved from various craft projects or gifts - simply tie into pretty bows for your Christmas tree.

• Wrap empty boxes of different sizes and stack them in a pyramid shape as a floor decoration (maybe skip this one if you small children!). 

• Grab yourself a small tree branch and spray or paint it white or silver – pop in a vase and decorate with festive baubles or bows you already have.

• Hang on to empty tin cans after you’ve used the contents. Wash them and remove the labels (obviously!) and either paint them or cover them with Christmassy paper. Then fill them with flowers or greenery from the garden (just make sure that little fingers stay away from any sharp edges).

• Old book pages, newspapers, or sheet music also make great decorations; you could cut the paper into triangles and make bunting – or make paper snowflakes. 

• Plants in pots are a fantastic choice for adding a touch of greenery.

• Find an assortment of glasses of different sizes and fill them with candy canes. Tie a ribbon around it and you’ve got instant decorations or a table decoration (and you can eat the candy canes. Bonus!).  

• Glue green and red tissue paper to glass jars and add a battery operated tealight candle for a glowing Christmas vibe!

• A great activity for the kids is to paint pasta bows different colours (think green & red, or gold and silver). Once they have dried, tie them together and hang around your tree. 

• Have a wander around your local charity shop and see what Christmas decorating goodies they have on offer. It's all for a good cause and you won't be buying anything new.

• And keep your eye on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group for people having a festive declutter. 

• You could also have a go at making your own Christmas crackers – no plastic involved!

Hang on to any empty glass jars and their lids:

• Make your own snow globes 

• Paint the lids (this is a great activity for the kids) – glue on some ribbon and hang them on your tree. 

• Make a jar lid reindeer – paint it brown, glue on pipe cleaner antlers and googly eyes.

• Put some Epsom salts in the bottom of the jar (for snow!) – inexpensive and available at most supermarkets- and pop in a tea light candle – wax or battery operated. These look great either indoors or outdoors to line a path for visitors (including Santa) to your home. 

• Fill jars or vases with battery-operated fairy lights for a pretty decoration.