The holiday season has come to an end and it’s time to take down your Christmas tree. If you used a real tree this year, repurpose it instead of throwing it away. Adding the chopped up tree to a compost pile as soon as the decorations are taken down is the simplest way to dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner. If composting is not the ideal option for you, get creative this time and try out some of these unique and creative ideas to extend the life of your Christmas tree.
1. Make pine potpourri!
One of the most lovable aspects of real Christmas trees is the aroma they bring into your home. To retain this scent, add small branch clippings into an open pot filled with water, and add a few enhancers of your choice to make a simmering potpourri. We recommend using orange or lemon rinds, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg or even rose hips. Toss your top choices in the pot and simmer for about an hour to allow the wonderful fragrance to fill your home. You can also choose to simply pull out pine needles and add them to a store-bought bowl of potpourri for a natural air freshener.
2. Place cut branches in your fish tank
In the wild, branches that fall into lakes provide a safe space for fish to hide and some even lay eggs on these branches. Provide your pet fish with a similar natural environment and add a few Christmas tree branches to your aquarium.
Ensure that the branches are cut to the right size and cleaned before placing them in fish tanks.
3. Create landscaping accents
Beautify your walkways and flower beds using the trunk of your Christmas tree. Chop the trunk into discs or small logs which can be used to line your garden beds and pathways. You can also try making cute animal-shaped displays or wooden snowmen out of the trunk logs and make pot risers using the leftover pieces. In addition, the branches of the tree can be used as natural support stakes for vining or weak plants that need additional growth support. With such creative displays, your yard will look Instagram worthy and will continue to smell like Christmas.
4. Make pine-scented sachets
Trim the pine needles from your Christmas tree and add them inside small fabric bags. For the bags, repurpose leftover fabric from other DIY projects or just pieces of cloth from old clothes. Once the needles are placed inside the bags, close them tightly with a knot. Cover the knot with colourful ribbons to make the fabric bags look attractive and place them in your drawers or wardrobes for a prolonged fresh winter scent!
5. Protect your perennials
Christmas tree branches made an excellent mulch for garden beds by shielding them from the frost. Simply break and chip the small branches with a tool of your choice, and spread the bits over the beds.
As the needles fall off, they protect the beds from temperature throughout the winter months and help the soil retain adequate moisture levels.
6. Bird feed sticks
Cut the branches of your tree and remove the needles to make treat sticks for birds. Cover these branches in butter, margarine or peanut butter and roll them in bird seeds. Carefully hang them in the corner of your porch with a brown string so the seeds don’t fall off. Now just sit back and wait to hear cheerful chirps from grateful birds!
7. Wood Coasters
For those who want to go a step further with DIY decorations, use the Christmas trunk slices and make your own coaster! To make coasters, start by slicing the branches into half-inch thick pieces. Sand down these wood slices to make them smooth and wipe them clean. Avoid sanding the rims with the actual bark to keep the coasters looking as natural as possible. Coat both sides of the coaster with clear varnish to prolong the life of the coaster. You can even make fun fridge magnets with the smaller trunk slices by gluing magnets on the back and painting designs of your choice on the front.
If you have more ideas you would like to share, please feel free to write to us at info@nurturegrowthbio.com.
Happy New Year to all our readers!
Blogger Biography
Elizabeth hails from India, grew up in Dubai and travelled to more than 20 countries before settling down in Canada in 2018. The majority of her working life was spent in Advertising, assisting clients with executing successful brand launches and ad campaigns across industries such as CPG, fashion and real estate. At present, she is working on building up her skills in Digital Marketing and learning about new markets and processes. She loves animals and enjoys spending time with her cat Twinkie.
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