Eco-friendly Christmas cards

Make your own Christmas cards with a more sustainable twist

Shopping list

  • Recycled kraft card stock
  • Bio-degradable twine such as natural, hemp or jute
  • Natural, eco liquid or stick glue
  • Darning needle

  • Old newspapers
  • Favourite pens
  • Fallen twigs

Twiggy trees

 
  • Card stock
  • Newspaper
  • Liquid glue
  • Sticks

  1. Fold your card in half, this works best with A5 card
  2. With your collections of fallen twigs, snap into different lengths that get shorter and shorter
  3. Using the liquid glue start gluing the twigs onto the card, largest at the bottom
Why not add a newspaper star to the top of the tree, or experiment with different spacing between the twigs. 

Twine tree

 
  • Card stock
  • Darning needle
  • Twine
  • Pen

  1. Fold your card in half, this works best with A5 card
  2. With a darning needle, create a triangle seven holes high and 7cm wide at the bottom 
  3. Then using the needle, sew the twine through the card to create your tree shape, this works best creating the horizontal lines going up the card then coming back down diagonally
  4. Tie the two ends together
  5. Create a smaller tree, five holes high and 3cm wide at the bottom and repeat steps 3 and 4
  6. Finish off with a seasonal greeting

Origami trees
 

  • Card stock
  • Newspaper
  • Glue, liquid or stick
  • Pen

  1. Fold your card in half, this works best with A5 card
  2. Fold your paper squares into a tree and stick to your card
  3. Finish off with a seasonal greeting

Folding your origami tree

  1. Cut your newspapers into squares about 8-10cms wide
  2. Fold the newspapers, corners to opposite corners and reopen, these will create the valley folds
  3. Flip the square upside down and now fold your paper vertically and horizontally
  4. Push the valley folds inward, this should fold together to create a smaller square
  5. With the folded corner at the top and the open end at the bottom now fold the top sides into to meet in the centre
  6. Fold over and repeat
  7. ​Cut the bottom flat

Things to consider

  • If making your own is not working out for you, many stockists now hold plantable cards. Once the season is over your card can live on by planting them. This not only becomes compost but also produces veg or flowers in the months to follow
  • Purchase local, not only will this support local small businesses, it will also lower your carbon footprint

  • If you do want to purchase, buy in bulk that you can use over a few years, reducing the amount of packaging and distribution emissions
  • Avoid adding glitter, sequins and plastic elements to the cards, as good as they will look, it does mean that the card will no longer be recyclable unless they are removed

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