Make Your Own Decorations

You don't need to buy new. You can make most of what you need with things you already have or can forage.

Wreaths

Go for a walk. Collect branches, pinecones, berries, dried leaves — whatever's seasonal where you are.

How to make one:

1. Form a circle with sturdy branches or buy a wire wreath frame from a craft store
2. Wrap greenery around the frame with floral wire or twine
3. Add pinecones, berries, or dried flowers
4. Tie a ribbon if you want, or leave it natural

Cost: Free (or under $10 if you buy a frame). Compostable when you're done.

DIY Advent Calendar

We started this during the pandemic, and the tradition stuck. It's become one of the kids' favorite parts of the season.

How to make one:

1. Use 25 small kraft paper bags, envelopes, or even toilet paper tubes wrapped in paper
2. Number them 1-25 with a marker or stamps
3. Fill with small treats, notes, or activity ideas ("bake cookies today," "watch a holiday movie," "go for a winter walk")
4. Hang them on a branch, string, or wall with clothespins or twine

The kids help decorate the bags. They love opening them more than anything we could buy. And we reuse the bags every year.

It's simple, personal, and costs almost nothing.

If you don't celebrate Hanukkah, light candles anyway. Beeswax or soy candles burn cleaner and longer than paraffin. A few candles change the entire mood of a room.

Stockings

If you're crafty, sew them from felt, old wool sweaters, or fabric scraps. Patterns are free online.

If you're not crafty, thrift them. Estate sales and vintage shops always have mismatched stockings with character.

They don't need to match. In fact, it's better when they don't.

Menorahs

If you celebrate Hanukkah, use a family menorah if you have one. If not, look for vintage menorahs at estate sales or antique shops. They're often beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces with history.

If you don't celebrate Hanukkah, light candles anyway. Beeswax or soy candles burn cleaner and longer than paraffin. A few candles change the entire mood of a room.

Cut Your Own Tree (If You Get One)

Real trees are renewable. They're grown on farms specifically for this purpose, support local growers, and smell infinitely better than anything fake.

Where to find them:
Search for "cut your own Christmas tree" + your area. Many farms let you walk the lot, pick your tree, and cut it yourself. It's an experience, not just an errand.

What happens after:
Most towns offer tree recycling or composting programs after the holidays. Your tree goes back into the earth instead of sitting in a landfill. Check your local waste management site for drop-off locations.

How to decorate it:
Mix vintage ornaments (thrift stores and estate sales are full of them) with things your kids make. Paper chains, salt dough ornaments, popcorn garlands. Nothing needs to match. It's better when it doesn't.

Wrap Without Waste

Skip the shiny plastic-coated wrapping paper. Most of it isn't recyclable and just ends up in the trash.

What to use instead:

→ Brown kraft paper — Let the kids draw on it, stamp it with potatoes dipped in paint, or leave it plain and tie with twine
→ Old maps or sheet music — Beautiful, free if you have them, and unique
→ Last year's wrapping paper turned inside out — The blank side is a perfectly good canvas
→ Fabric scraps or tea towels — Reusable and can be part of the gift (Japanese furoshiki style)
→ Brown paper grocery bags — Cut them open and use the blank side

What to tie with:

→ Kitchen twine
→ Strips of fabric from old clothes
→ Ribbon you already have (save and reuse it every year)
→ Fresh herbs or dried flowers instead of bows

It looks better. It's cheaper. And it doesn't add to the landfill.

Cook Something That Brings People Together

The best holiday meals aren't complicated. They're the ones where everyone sits down at the same time and stays at the table longer than usual.

Ideas:

→ Roast a chicken (or a turkey if you're feeding a crowd)
→ Make a big pot of something that can sit on the stove (soup, stew, chili)
→ Set out bread, cheese, pickles, and let people graze
→ Bake a ham with a simple glaze (mustard + brown sugar + cloves)

The food doesn't have to be fancy. It just has to taste good and give you time to sit together.

Dress Festively (Without Buying New)

You don't need a new outfit for every holiday party.

Shop vintage instead:
Thrift stores, estate sales, and consignment shops are full of festive pieces with history. Look for:

→ Velvet blazers
→ Sequined cardigans
→ Pleated silk tops (like the kooky red one in our photo)
→ Beaded sweaters
→ Vintage dresses with interesting cuts

These pieces photograph better, feel more special, and didn't require new production. Plus, no one else will be wearing the same thing.

One good vintage find beats ten fast-fashion purchases every time.

Set the Table with Vintage

Your holiday table doesn't need to be matchy-matchy.

What to look for at estate sales and thrift stores:

→ Champagne coupes — Vintage ones are everywhere, usually under $5 each, and way more interesting than modern stemware
→ Mismatched china — Mix patterns, eras, styles. It looks more collected and interesting
→ Old silverware — Real silver or silverplate, tarnished or polished, it all works
→ Cloth napkins — Linen, cotton, vintage tea towels. Anything but paper.

These pieces have history. They make the table feel special without costing a fortune or requiring new production.

Focus on What Lasts

Here's what actually makes the holidays feel good:

→ Music — Make a playlist. Play records. Sing badly.
→ Scent — Simmer orange peels, cinnamon, and cloves on the stove. Burn beeswax candles. Bake something that smells like childhood.
→ Light — Candles everywhere. String lights. Firelight if you have it.
→ Laughter — Tell stories. Play games. Let the kids stay up late.
→ Time together — Cook together. Bake together. Sit around the table longer than usual.

These things last far longer than any gift or decoration.