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Filed Under Going Green, Tips & Tricks | December 15, 2009
In light of all the news coming out of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, it’s reassuring to know that spending more time with your family making Christmassy things rather than buying them isn’t just good for bonding, it’s better for the environment as well. Anna Getty’s I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas is full of crafty ideas for gifts and decorations as well as delicious recipes to help make your holiday greener, no matter what the weather.
Getty, an environmental advocate, writer, organic living expert and mum, has gathered together heaps of lovely ideas starting with a top ten list for saving energy during the holidays (switching to LED lights, buying locally and avoiding junk mail are just a few of her suggestions) even addressing the fake versus real tree dilemma and ideas for recycling and composting Christmas.
Though the book is definitely seasonal, lots of Getty’s ideas can be used for greener gifting and entertaining year-round. We’ll be saving our tea boxes to transform into gift tags from now on for example. And a vintage button clutch never goes out of style, nor does a recipe for artichoke dip with baked pita chips.
And to get you started on some greener family bonding of your own here’s Getty’s “recipe” for salt dough ornaments.
Salt Dough Ornaments
This is an excellent craft to do with children. When I first made these with my daughter, she kept asking me if we would eat them once they were finished baking. I told her we could, but they would be really salty. They are definitely not for eating, but they look adorable hanging from tree branches or anywhere around the house.
Makes 30 to 40 ornaments, depending on the size of cookie cutters you use.
Gather
- 2 cups/250 g all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling the dough
- 1 cup/200 g salt
- 1 cup/250 ml water
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters (various shapes and sizes)
- Cookie sheet
- Toothpick
- Used yarn or ribbon, cut in 3- to 4-inch/8- to 10-cm lengths
- Non-toxic glue (optional)
- Non-toxic gold and silver glitter (optional)
Create
- Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the water and stir until the dough is well blended and no trace of flour remain.
- Knead the dough on a flat surface until smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let the dough get too rubbery.
- On a floured surface, use the rolling pin to roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4 inch (6.5 mm) thick. With the cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place them on the (ungreased) cookie sheet. Use the toothpick to make a hole at the top of each ornament, large enough for the yarn or ribbon to fit through, and bake for 2 hours.
- When the ornaments are done baking, let them cool, slip a piece of yarn or ribbon through each hole, and knot.
- If you like, draw glue designs on the ornaments and then cover them with glitter. Allow to dry, then shake off the excess glitter.
Twig Stars
I always like to turn to nature for inspiring yet simple decorations. These delightful ornaments are made from twigs gathered in the woods or even in your own backyard. Use hemp twine, thread, pieces of fabric, or bits of used ribbon to bind the twig pieces together. Use your imagination to make other shapes as well.
Gather
- White paper (rescued from the recycling bin)
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Dainty twigs about 3- to 4-inches (8- to 10-cm) long and uniform in diameter
- Nontoxic-glue gun
- Used hemp twine, fabric, or ribbon
- Non-toxic tacky glue (optional)
- Non-toxic glitter (optional)
Create
- Draw the shape of a five-pointed star on the white paper with the pencil and ruler.
- Place the twigs over the star you’ve drawn, using it as your guide. Glue the twigs together at the corners with the glue gun.
- Wait for the glue to dry (2 to 3 minutes), then secure the four lower points of the star with small lengths (2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) each) of twine, fabric, or ribbon, tying the twine into knots at the points.
- On the top point, wrap a longer length of ribbon (6 to 7 inches (15 to 17 cm) long) and then create a loop from which the star will hang.
- If you want to add a little bit of sparkle, place a bit of tacky glue on the twigs and sprinkle them with glitter. Let dry.
Excerpted from I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More by Anna Getty. Copyright © 2009 by Chronicle Books. Photography Copyright © 2009 by Ron Hamad. Excerpted by permission of Raincoast Books/Chronicle Books. All Rights Reserved.
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