Eco friendly Christmas decorations crafted with your children are a beautiful way to celebrate the season while teaching mindfulness, creativity, and sustainability. These projects focus on natural materials, repurposed items, and simple steps that kids can enjoy without wasteful supplies. Each idea becomes more than décor—it becomes a memory and a mindful tradition you can revisit each year.
From pinecone ornaments to handmade garlands, these 17 decoration ideas are fun, affordable, and gentle on the planet. They help children feel proud of creating something meaningful while you nurture cozy family moments and eco-conscious values together.
Pinecone And Cinnamon Ornaments
Pinecone and cinnamon ornaments are classic eco friendly Christmas decorations that fill your home with natural fragrance. Collect pinecones on a family walk, then let kids attach simple twine loops and tie cinnamon sticks around them. The result feels rustic, warm, and handmade, celebrating nature’s textures.
No special tools are required—just twine, pinecones, and cinnamon sticks. These ornaments look beautiful on the tree or hanging around windows, and they bring a cozy scent that reminds everyone of winter forests and family time together.
Dried Orange Slice Garland
Making a dried orange slice garland turns snack time into décor time. Slice oranges thinly and dry them slowly in the oven or air-dry them over a few days. Once dry, kids can help thread them on twine between other natural elements like berries or evergreen sprigs.
This garland feels festive and organic, adding warmth to mantels, doorways, or your Christmas tree. The bright orange color pairs beautifully with green and red, creating a natural look that doesn’t rely on plastic or glitter.
Salt Dough Keepsake Ornaments
Salt dough ornaments are easy to make with pantry ingredients and perfect for imprinting little hands or favorite shapes. Mix flour, salt, and water to make a pliable dough, then let kids press in shapes or initials before baking until hard.
Paint them with natural or water-based paints and seal with a simple beeswax finish if you like. These ornaments become treasured keepsakes that celebrate your child’s creativity and can hang on the tree year after year.
Recycled Paper Snowflakes
Recycled paper snowflakes are an eco-friendly twist on a Winter favorite. Use old newspapers, scrap paper, or leftover wrapping paper to cut and fold snowflake designs. This fun activity helps kids explore symmetry while making décor from items that might otherwise be thrown away.
Hang them on windows, strung together with twine, or taped to walls for an indoor winter wonderland. Their delicate shapes contrast beautifully with greener, earthy decorations you’ve created together.
Handmade Yarn Pom Tassels
Handmade yarn pom tassels add soft texture to your tree or garlands and are ideal for kids to craft. Use leftover yarn scraps instead of buying new supplies. Wrap yarn around cardboard, tie at the top, and trim to create fluffy poms or fun tassels.
These cheerful accents can be made in holiday colors or natural yarn tones for a cozy look. They’re lightweight and versatile, perfect for decorating trees, gift tags, or homemade wreaths.
Salt Crystal Tree Decorations
Salt crystal tree decorations are magical and educational. Dissolve salt in warm water to create a saturated solution and let kids suspend pipe cleaners or small twigs in jars. Over a few days, beautiful salt crystals will form, giving you sparkly natural ornaments.
Once dry, attach a loop of twine and hang them among your greenery. It’s a slow process that builds anticipation and feels special when the crystals appear like winter frost.
Natural Evergreen Wreaths
Making natural evergreen wreaths together brings fresh scents and lush green texture to your home. Use clippings from evergreen bushes, pine, or cedar to form a circular base, then weave stems and secure them with twine.
Kids can add natural accents like pinecones, cranberries, or dried citrus to personalize each wreath. These wreaths feel grounded, fresh, and entirely eco-conscious without needing synthetic greenery.
Reclaimed Fabric Ribbon Bows
Turn old fabric scraps into beautiful ribbon bows for gifts or tree décor. Let children choose patterns and help tie or glue soft scraps into bows. This activity repurposes textiles you already have and avoids buying new ribbon made of plastic.
These fabric bows look charming on packages, wreaths, or garlands. Their softness brings a tactile, homey quality to holiday décor that feels mindful and personal.
Birdseed Ornaments For Winter Birds
Birdseed ornaments are a joyful eco-friendly project that also supports local wildlife. Mix birdseed with gelatin or peanut butter and press into cookie cutters with twine loops. Let them set, then hang outdoors on trees or porch rails for birds to enjoy.
This idea teaches kids about caring for nature and creates movement and life around your holiday décor. Watching birds feast from their handmade treats becomes part of the season’s magic.
Pine Branch Centerpieces
Pine branch centerpieces bring rustic charm to your table without buying new materials. Use fallen branches, pinecones, and a simple recycled jar or vase to create beautiful arrangements. The fresh scent fills rooms with holiday spirit.
Kids can help trim and place each piece, making it a shared creative moment. These centerpieces are simple, timeless, and fully natural, enhancing cozy holiday meals without waste.
Pressed Flower Ornaments
Pressed flower ornaments capture delicate blooms in a clear, thoughtful way. Press dried flowers or herbs between paper for several days, then frame them in recycled glass or simple cardboard shapes with kid-friendly glue.
These nature-inspired ornaments can hang individually or be strung together for a garland. They feel soft, sentimental, and completely eco-conscious, celebrating nature’s beauty.
Homemade Beeswax Candles
Making beeswax candles together brings warmth to your celebrations. Use leftover beeswax or sustainable beeswax sheets wrapped around wicks. Kids can help press and roll the sheets, creating lovely glowing candles for holiday evenings.
These candles are free from synthetic scents or plastics and burn cleanly. Placing them in safe holders around the house adds gentle, mindful light to your festivities.
Upcycled Jar Lanterns
Upcycled jar lanterns are easy and magical. Clean old glass jars, then let kids decorate them with paint, natural twine, or leaf rubbings. Add a small candle or LED light inside for a warm glow that feels personal and sustainable.
These lanterns can line steps or mantels, creating cozy light without buying new décor. It’s a playful craft that turns trash into treasure and family fun.
Clay And Berry Garland
Clay and berry garlands feel seasonal and aromatic. Mix simple air-dry clay and cut thin shapes, then press berries or seeds into the surface before drying. Once finished, string them on twine for garland that’s beautiful and fragrant.
This project brings texture and color using natural elements, making drapes or mantels feel festive and outdoorsy without plastic or glitter.
Recycled Cardboard Star Lights
Recycled cardboard star lights are whimsical and eco-savvy. Cut star shapes from cardboard scraps, punch small holes, and weave simple string lights through them. Kids can paint or decorate with natural dyes for extra charm.
These star lights hang beautifully across windows or cozy corners, adding light and joy while reusing materials that might otherwise be discarded.
Nature Walk Treasure Bowls
After a nature walk, collect treasures like acorns, small twigs, and seeds to fill decorative bowls. Let kids help arrange each piece in a meaningful way. These bowls become festive décor that honors the season and outdoor exploration.
Placing them around your home brings a calm natural touch and celebrates time spent together, making décor a reflection of shared experiences instead of purchased items.
Handwritten Gratitude Tags
Handwritten gratitude tags add heartfelt meaning to your holiday décor. Cut recycled paper into small tags and have each family member write something they’re grateful for. Attach them to garlands, trees, or tabletop displays with twine.
This simple practice creates reminder pieces that center love and appreciation during a busy season. Kids feel proud of their contributions, and your home fills with thoughtful intention.
Eco friendly Christmas decorations with children turn holiday prep into shared creative moments that honor nature and mindful living. These projects keep waste low, fun high, and memories rich. As your décor reflects your unique family touch, you nurture values of sustainability, creativity, and togetherness that will last far beyond the season.
