We are getting closer and closer to Christmas, but the truth is that the celebration begins days or even weeks before with the preparation of home decorations, which we can do with family, and friends or spend some quality time alone. To be a little kinder to the environment this year we can make a Christmas tree with recycled materials at home.
Meaning of the Christmas tree
Its meaning was attributed to St. Boniface in the 8th century. The Christmas tree announces the Messiah, the true tree of life that erases sin and brings reconciliation. It is a Christian symbolism that unites the Old Testament with the New Testament.
The Christmas tree is decorated with different elements, among which we can find: the star, the angel, the lights, the baubles, the bows, the pine cones, different ornaments, and of course, the Christmas presents at the foot of the tree.
That the color of the tree is green is not a coincidence, since it is a symbol of life and hope, and that it is a pine tree is not a coincidence either, since its tip points to the celestial heights. Nowadays, trees made of different materials can be used, but this does not change their meaning since they still emulate authentic trees.
Homemade Christmas trees
Cardboard tree
Cardboard is a material formed by layers of recycled paper, so it is thick and easy to manipulate. Cardboard makes it an incredible option to make crafts since we can paint it, decorate it, and cut it in different ways.
Trees with paper
You can use the cardboard from the children’s homework during the semester, instead of throwing them away, we would be giving them a second life. You only need paper or cardboard, scissors, glue, or a stapler.
Polystyrene tree
This material is gaining popularity for making crafts thanks to the fact that it is very light and easy to handle. So it is a good option to make Christmas trees at home and decorate them with paints the way you like. You can get the material from all those online shopping packages so you’d also be recycling.
Christmas tree with photographs
Put together the photographs you like the most and a series of lights, place them on the wall simulating the shape of a tree and pass the series of lights between them. This way you can have a minimalist Christmas tree with a lot of meaning.
Tree with wood
You will need rectangular pieces of wood, you can arrange the wood on top of each other giving them the shape of a tree, and finally decorate it with lights, baubles, or ribbons.
Tree with books
Gather the books you have at home, arrange them in levels to give the shape of a Christmas tree, and try to match the size of the books in each level as much as possible. Finally, decorate with lights, baubles, or any other ornament you wish.
Remember that these ideas can be carried out in any way you like. The amazing thing about crafts is that we can let our imagination run wild, and what better way to help the environment this Christmas season than by using recycled materials?
Story originally published in Spanish in Ecoosfera
