A nature based Christmas

Nature crafting and presents for a calm and nature-connected Christmas With the run-up to Christmas being so busy and commercialised, taking some time out from the hustle and bustle can be good for us all. Making cards, decorations and gifts…

Nature crafting and presents for a calm and nature-connected Christmas

With the run-up to Christmas being so busy and commercialised, taking some time out from the hustle and bustle can be good for us all. Making cards, decorations and gifts with our children, is a great way to bring everyone together and it adds a personal element to family Christmas celebrations. There’s something very special about receiving a handmade card or gift, knowing the love and care that has gone into making it.

I’m guessing that most of us have got decorations that our children have made at nursery, at school, at craft sessions, or at home, that get placed lovingly on the tree every year.

Ideas for creating Christmas decorations from natural materials

Forage for winter foliage from your garden or park, to create wreaths and bunting to decorate the inside and outside of your home. If you are struggling to find what you are looking for, you can get locally sourced supplies from garden centres. You can choose to either buy a wreath base, create one using vines, or craft one from recycled materials. If you are wanting step-by-step instructions on how to create a wreath, the National Trust has a simple guide to follow:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/crafts/make-a-natural-christmas-wreath

Mistletoe and holly can also be found growing naturally and be brought indoors to decorate our homes at Christmas.

Pine cones are a perfect size for tree decorations. You can decorate them with natural paints, which you can create yourself using crushed berries or natural powders, mixed with water or honey. The Fun Kids website, gives a step-by-step guide to creating different coloured natural paints.

If you’d like to bring a little sparkle to your decorated pine cones, but you’d prefer to avoid plastic glitter, the website below offers a range of biodegradable and eco-friendly alternatives: https://www.ourendangeredworld.com/eco-friendly-glitter-alternatives/

How to use recycled materials to create cards and decorations

Home-made cards and gift tags can be created using pictures cut out from last year’s Christmas cards. Old cards can also be used to make 2D or 3D cardboard tree decorations, paper chain garlands or a cardboard Christmas house or village.

Paper snowflakes are a simple, fun and effective way to make decorations. Cut out a circle of white paper, fold it in half, then in half again and then once more. Cut off the bottom tip, then make small, triangular cuts down the folds, before opening up the circle to reveal your snowflake decoration. These can be hung on the tree, put up at the windows, or stuck to coloured cardboard to make beautiful Christmas cards.

Try making dough with baking soda, corn starch and water. The dough can be made into a variety of shapes and then painted, to create tree decorations or ornaments. Again, you may wish to make your own natural paints to use.

Ways to recycle or upcycle items, to create gifts for friends and family

These are low cost, gift ideas for children to make, that can be used repeatedly by the recipient. As they are made from recycled or natural materials, they are more environmentally friendly too:

make lavender bags using dried lavender and small squares of left over fabric or old clothing

paint an old tea cup to make a bird-feeder

decorate plain plant pots

create lanterns from tin cans or glass jars, with a tea light inside

make jewellery from old beads

create tote bags using old fabric

Christmas gifts for nature-loving children

Giving a gift that encourages children to explore the wonders of the natural world around them, can help to get them outdoors, spark their curiosity and inspire a life-long desire to protect their natural environment and the creatures who live in it.

Ideas for nature-based children’s gifts include:

a bug hotel kit
a microscope or nature explorer kit
a birdwatching starter kit
a kit for growing plants or flowers

A subscription to our Buttercups Nature Curious Boxes makes a great Christmas gift. It also means that your child will continue to receive a gift through the post every season, packed full of ideas and activities for family fun with nature. It’s something for them to keep looking forward to, long after Christmas has passed! We offer a digital option too.

Websites for branded, nature-based gift ideas include:

Bug Bingo from Magma Laurence King

Green Earth Learning’s scavenger hunt set

Little Robin Education leaf flashcards

Seedbombs

Buttercup box subscription

Nature-Themed Books: