Amid the coronavirus pandemic, our daily habits change. The pandemic and social distancing have scrambled the way we spend the Christmas and New Year holidays. We have to celebrate our holidays individually, instead of in large groups. We cannot enjoy large parties, and we may not be able to do luxury holiday shopping. But that should not be the blocks that limit our creativity, imagination, and love for the planet – there are lots we can do to celebrate the festive season in a green and sustainable manner!
Having more time home now, we can consider alternative ways to celebrate the season while caring for the earth. As we may not go out shopping around for holiday gifts and household decorations, why not create ourselves? Not all gifts and decorations have to be store-bought. We can re-use or upcycle unwanted items and turn them into some lovely gift and decorative items. The Campus Sustainability Office organised several ‘green festive workshops’ in the past for the campus community. Participants were so excited and happy to bring home their hand-crafted items made out of old stuff!
Cut out patterns from our kitchen handkerchief, stick them on old glass bottles, and finish with a bit of paint, we can upcycle any glass bottle into an adorable candle holder!
With some old socks at home and wondering how to use them instead of just tossing them in the trash? Turn them into cute sock toys! This can be accomplished in just a few hours.
We can all decorate our home as festively as possible and send our beloved presents made out of old and upcycled stuff. There are lots of stylish and easy-to-do ideas to fill our homes with holiday cheer and without producing waste. We can find simple ways to create trash-to-treasure crafts with just a tiny bit of work. We can transform old stuff into new pieces, and we will be staying a more beautiful – and more environmentally friendly – lifestyle in no time.
