Sustainable DIY Christmas Decorations

Written and photographed by Isabella Ross-Skinner and Nina Zmelonek-Mulligan 

 Here are some easy and sustainable ideas to make your dorm room or apartment look festive this Christmas. By using up old carboard boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon and some oranges you can create your own Christmas decorations and have a lot of fun while doing it! 

 Tree decorations: Dried Citrus   

To Make the Dried Citrus Decorations: 

What you will need: 

  • Oranges and lemons  

  • Cloves (optional for scent and aesthetic) 

  • Ribbon, string or twine  

Instructions:  

  1. Heat oven at 140C/ 120 C fan/ gas 1 and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment  

  1. Cut citrus into slices (whatever width desired, but larger will take longer to dry) 

  1. Place slices on tray and place in oven 

  1. Leave for 45mins – 1 hour, turning halfway through cooking until completely dried out  

  1. Once cool pierce holes with a sharp pencil or needle to thread your string through 

  1. Collect ribbons, decorations and any arts and crafts materials you have and get creative! 

  1. Alternatively, of if you have any more oranges to spare, peel the rind and cut out cute shapes (see hearts in display photos) 

*I used ribbons kept from Christmas presents last year, string, needle and thread for attaching ribbons, gems from my arts and crafts stock 

 Garland: Dried Citrus and Cut-Out Wrapping Paper  

Made with: 

  • Dried orange 

  • Twine  

  • Cut out stars from wrapping paper in the house  

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 Garland: Cranberry, dried orange and cardboard Christmas tree 

 

Tree Decoration: Cinnamon Sticks  

 

Made with: 

  • Cinnamon sticks found in dry cupboard 

  • Ribbon kept from last Christmas  

  • String to tie sticks together (under ribbon) and create loop for hanging  

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Paper cut-out snowflakes  

 Decorate your windows by blue-tacking paper cut-out snowflakes. It will not only lift up your spirits but also everyones from the outside passing by your window. Super fun and easy activity! 

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Shell Baubles 

 Collecting shells on the beach and searching for the prettiest ones is always fun. But why not make use of these beauties by turning them into a Christmas tree decoration. You get to hang a piece of St Andrews all the way back home wherever that may be. Or if you’re staying over this winter break maybe send one over to friends and family carefully wrapped up of course.  

 Sometimes you may find shells with a hole already in them and that will spare you some time but punching a hole through to thread them with some twine just takes a bit of strength and a metal skewer or anything sturdy and spiky you have lying around.   

Cardboard Cut Out Decorations

Cut out in double whatever shape you like out of a flat piece of cardboard. Make slits on opposite sides of the two and simply slide them onto each other. Paint them, spray them, hang them if you wish! It’s a great way to make use of all the boxes left over from online shopping sprees!

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