Zero-waste, zero spend decorations to liven up your home & wow guests this winter

It’s that time of the year where we may feel a lack of inspiration around the holidays. Taking some free time to decorate your space might be at the bottom of the priority list. Not only can it be a time-consuming task, but an expensive one at that.Fear not! You can still make a minimal effort for maximum results.Embrace the environmentally conscious approach while keeping your home looking modern and festive by preserving food waste and decorating with items you've already got.Stick around for nothing to lose and everything to gain with these unique decor ideas listed below.

Citrus Garlands 

Supplies

• Citrus (any will do: orange, grapefruit, lemons, etc.)
• Baking sheet or mat 
• Knife 
• A pointy object to poke holes with
• Any form of string

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°F 
2. Thinly slice fruit and place on baking sheet 
3. Bake for 2-3 hours, checking in regularly to make sure they’re dried and not burnt
4. Set out at room temperature to cool
5. Poke holes on a top corner of each slice 
6. String with thread and voilà!

Natural Wreaths

Supplies

• Metal coat hanger 
• Twine or craft thread
• Leaves, vines, pine or spruce branches, pinecones, acorns, bunny tail grass, ferns, or anything you can find outdoors

Instructions

1. Twist and bend the coat hanger to the rounded shape of a wreath 
2. Wrap and weave the greens, twine and other craft supplies around the wire until covered and customized to your liking 
3. Tie an end off the hook with leftover string to hang it up and enjoy!

Snowy Pinecone Wall Decor

Supplies

• Pinecones 
• Twine or thread 
• Scissors 
• Flour
• Salt
• Water

Instructions 

1. Loop, tie and secure your string onto the base of the pinecone 
2. Combine one part flour and one part water and blend thoroughly in a mixing bowl 
3. Roll or paint your pinecone with the mixture until coated as desired
4. Sprinkle with salt for a more textured snow effect
5. Once you’re done with the decorations, leave them to dry overnight 
6. Hang them up to liven up your home space and return to earth as compost once you’ve had your holiday fill! 

Apple & Cinnamon-scented Ornaments

Ingredients & supplies

• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1 cup cinnamon 
• Baking sheet or mat
• Baking tray 
• Assorted cookie cutters (optional) 
• Ribbons, strings, twine, glitter, or any other decorative products 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°F 
2. Stir both ingredients in a mixing bowl until the batter forms a stiff dough
3. Use a rolling pin to flatten dough
4. Cut it into desired shapes using cookie cutters or by carving the dough out with a knife, making sure you puncture small holes for ribbon or twine
5. Place onto baking sheet and tray, then into the oven to bake for 2 and a half hours, or until hardened 
6. Decorate to your heart’s content and there you have it: scented ornaments! 

Bonus: Acorn Accents

Supplies

• A selection of fallen acorns 
• A centerpiece of choice
• Glue (optional)

Instructions

Get creative and figure out how you want the acorns to accent your centerpiece. You can use them as candle decor, stuffing for glassware or even individually crafted as your holiday-themed pièce de résistance.

Top tip!

Dried fruits and other fresh produce take time to air out - try scoping out what you’d like to follow from this guide and prepare your decorations at least a few weeks in advance for the best results. 

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