Table decorations

Set the table for Christmas dinner in a sustainable manner with these ideas for eco Christmas decorations that maintain a festive feel 🎄

• Christmas candles – create a cosy ambience with a few candles on your table. Put them in a reusable candle holder so they burn down and leave no waste. Plus, they help save on energy use and lighting costs.
• Festive plants – introduce a natural touch with sprigs of holly or other seasonal plants from your garden.
• Paper chains – a fun, easy, and eco-friendly way to decorate the table is with colourful paper chains. Get children involved putting them together and you can recycle the paper when you’re finished. Just keep them well away from any candles!
• Natural place settings – combine rosemary, sage leaves, dried berries and fruits, and cinnamon sticks for an aromatic and sustainable place setting. Cut out bits of old cardboard for a place name too.
• Origami stars – fold any old paper or gift wrap into simple star shapes and dot around the table. These can be recycled alongside your paper or dry mixed recycling
• Edible biscuit place tags - Spiced with ground cardamom and cinnamon, they're equal parts delicious and decorative. Cut the dough out into your favourite shapes then write the names with royal icing on top!

Make your own Christmas crackers

You will need:

• A4 piece of patterned paper, wallpaper or plain paper to decorate
• Cardboard tubes (e.g. toilet roll or kitchen roll holders)
• Washi tape or paints to decorate if using plain crackers Optional: Cracker snaps
• Ribbon or string to tie
• Craft knife
• Scissors
• Glue
• Fillings – tissue paper hats, toys, games, jokes

Method:  

1. Begin by decorating the outside of your cracker as you wish, then set aside until it's dry. If you're using patterned paper you can leave this step out.

2. Make sure your A4 piece of paper is positioned face down on a table so that the longest sides are at the top and bottom. Position your cardboard tube in the centre of the paper, lengthwise, cutting to shape if necessary.

3. At each end of the tube, score your paper softly with a pair of scissors, making sure not to cut through the paper. Alternatively, cut small diamond shapes out (templates can be found online). This will make it easier to create your cracker ends.

4. Wrap your paper around the cardboard tube, overlapping the edges slightly and gluing in place to create one wide tube. The cardboard tube will give your cracker extra structure so it won't fall apart.

5. Carefully twist one side of your cracker around the ends of the cardboard tube, secure it with festive ribbon and feed your cracker snap through.

6. Gently add your cracker fillings, being careful not to overfill, and secure the other side of your cracker with a ribbon. Then place on your table to welcome guests, it's the perfect finishing touch to your Christmas table decorations.

Tip: Use your handmade crackers as place names; it's perfect if you're hosting guests over the festive season. You could draw or paint the names on.