3 easy ways to make your Christmas decor eco-friendly

Keep your Christmas green by decorating your home with environmentally friendly products like LED lights and real trees.

• Because these lights are energy-efficient, come in various colours and last almost forever, LEDs have revolutionized Christmas decorating.
• LEDs for Christmas include three types.
• Safer than real-flame candles, LED candles give the same flickering effect and are long-lasting.
• Holiday lights for the tree don't break or burn out and are extremely energy efficient. Strands are available in single or multiple colours and often feature an omni-directional glow.
• Curtain strands are available in up to 50-feet strands, which are ideal for draping in windows.

Pine cones immediately spring to mind when you're considering organic, back-to-nature Christmas ornaments.

• Place the cones into a pretty bowl or that pre-used basket you found at the thrift store, add dried bark, nuts and cinnamon sticks and you'll have a feature that will smell delicious and look gorgeous.
• Collect items while you're out walking or beg for a few objects from your neighbour's garden.
• Remember not to damage bushes and trees, and preferably pick branches, twigs and berries off the ground.

Wreaths

To make a wreath, either repurpose an old one you have stored in the basement or start from scratch.

• Wreath materials can be anything from dried flowers to seed pods to holly sprigs, or leaves.
• Dehydrated fruit and small branches covered with moss can also work.

Garlands

Garlands made from old neck ties, scraps of fabric, wool, shells, popcorn and whatever else you can find around your home look great and make unique decorations.

Canada is the land of the Christmas tree. In fact, according to the Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia, the world's largest exporter of Christmas trees, there are more trees in the province than there are people.

Real Christmas trees, provided they are sourced from sustainable growing environments, are better than plastic trees, which are produced using petroleum-based materials. Growing trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, providing a healthier atmosphere and habitats for wild birds and animals.

Remember to recycle your tree once Christmas is over; trees are usually chipped for mulch to provide food for other plants. If you don't want a real tree, craft one out of recycled cardboard or wood off-cuts and decorate it with shapes cut from last year's Christmas cards.

Decorating for Christmas in an eco-friendly manner takes a little effort, but it's well worth it.

• Use objects from nature, source second-hand items from thrift shops and decorate your home with a real Christmas tree to capture the true spirit of the season.