Globally Green Living

Here are my favorite inventive Christmas tree craft ideas using recycled materials.

Coat Hanger Xmas Tree:

At All Free Crafts, Sunni Bergeron has written detailed instructions on how to create this beautiful Christmas tree out of coat hangers, twist ties and garland.

Paper Tube Xmas Tree:

A cute craft for kids is this paper tube Christmas tree project from MakingFriends.com. You could make it bigger but it’s a quick one children would have fun with as an ornament as well.

Paper Mache Tree:

On Aranamuerta’s blog, there’s a great paper mache tree. It was actually made for Halloween but it’s fantastic. Dead Spider made the tree using chicken wire, paper mache and paint. I don’t think I could make one as well but it would be fun trying. See Aranamuerta’s site to check out some of Dead Spider’s awesome art.

Rosemary Christmas Tree:

At Gardens Ablaze, they found this gorgeous Rosemary Christmas Tree for seven dollars! It needs a little decor but I love the shape of it. Gardens Ablaze is very informative and fun with all sorts of gardening information. I love the smell of rosemary and it’s a wonderful idea for holiday decor that doubles as a culinary herb.

Soda Can Christmas Tree:

Here’s a video of a Christmas tree made out of Mountain Dew pop cans and pvc pipes. It’s six feet tall with a lit up plastic bottle for the tree topper. To see more pictures and information on its construction see the Mountain Dew Christmas Tree’s website.

Kate’s Caring Gifts has a huge selection of earth friendly gifts including organic coffee, chocolate, earth friendly toys and more.

I know I’m crazy about coffee and so are many other people. Here’s an organic fair trade sampler from the Organic Coffee Company for the coffee connoisseur in your life. Included is Hurricane Espresso, Java Love, Zen Blend and Gorilla Decaf.

I love this adorable velour baby bear and it smells sweet because it’s filled with lavender blossoms. When you squeeze the bear it releases more of the lavender fragrance. It’s recommended for children aged 3 and up. There’s also a stuffed frog and bunny rabbit available.

Who wouldn’t like to receive some handmade artisan chocolates? Lillie Bell Farms starts with locally grown ingredients and then get their organic chocolate from Central and South America. Check out the flavors: Lavender Fleur de Sel Caramels, Hazelnut Chew, Jamaican Spice Caramel, Passionfruit Liquid Caramel and Macadamia nut chew with ginger. I get a rush just thinking about it.

These are unique globe earrings made out of recycled glass. It’s a great idea to give an eco-friendly gift depicting the planet earth made out of recycled materials.

Last but not least is The Peaceful Baby Gift Set which includes organic bottom balm, protective oil, and an organic cotton one piece snap tee.

All of these gifts are under 50 dollars and you can find plenty more at Kate’s Caring Gifts. It’s a fun place to look around and Kate did a wonderful job of putting all these earth friendly products and companies together.

For many, Halloween means lots of spending but if we all purchase more earth friendly products or make our own we can help reduce our impact on the earth.

Pumpkins
If you’re still going to get a jack-o-lantern stay away from pesticide laden ones and opt instead for an organically grown pumpkin. If you don’t know where to look check out Local Harvest. (Thanks to The Nature Conservancy for the tip)They have mapped out farmers markets and farms growing organic produce closest to you. For candles inside the jack-o-lanterns, opt for soy wax or beeswax rather than the more common but less friendly paraffin.

Costumes and Treats

Stay away from plastic masks and use makeup. All Free Crafts offer these fun and easy recipes for Halloween makeup including corn syrup blood, face paint and clown makeup.

There’s no hard fast rule that you must give out candy as treats. Some other ideas for children:

• Stickers
• Craft Kits
• Beads
• Soy Crayons (Amy Stodghill from Green Options has a whole post on environmentally friendly crayons)
• Fruit Leather
• Dried nut and fruit mixes

If you want to celebrate Halloween but don’t want to do the trick or treat thing, consider having an earth friendly Halloween party. Many of your neighbors would probably love the idea!