5 Ways to Create a Stylish and Sustainable Christmas

Australians seem to be embracing the Christmas spirit more than ever these days. Where once there were the odd houses with a few Chrissie decorations in the front windows, a string of lights in straggly trees or the obsessive neighbour who blinded the street with their over-the-top Christmas lights, there now seems to be whole streets who fill their communities with the joy of the holidays and encourage all their neighbours to follow suit. Some houses even appear to be in an unspoken competition to be the biggest, brightest or most outlandish.

So how do we join in the Christmas spirit and still keep it classy, cool and cost effective? Some simple tips could be buying some cheap LED lights and tinsel and going to town covering all your windows, doors and glass balustrades, but there can be some hazards and damages if we are too enthusiastic. And let’s remember, if the kids are helping, think safety first too.

While blow-up Santas seem all the rage, have you heard the whirring of the built in fans once the street is quiet at night? And if we are thinking environmentally conscious – these guys are not top of the list. Although some are low voltage, the non-replaceable LEDs and cheap throw away materials may mean they require replacing every year, adding to landfill and creating havoc for the environment. Not to mention the need to be in reach of indoor power outlets, or extension cords, and overloaded power sockets – gives us anxiety just thinking about it and we haven’t even added the fact that these are not toys and pose risks to children and animals unless carefully watched.

deflated Santa

The Grinch decorations also seem to have made a comeback this year, however, we’d be inclined to think these may date quickly and will soon go out of style, again adding to landfill and just being a consumeristic purchase of see, want and buy with no long term benefit. So how can we create a Christmas style that will stand the test of time and help get us in the mood for celebrating?

Well Glass Now has done some research and it seems that there are some simple ways to keep it classy this Christmas. Here’s our Top 5 Christmas hints to save you some headaches and heartaches this holiday season –

Keep it simple and clean

Now of course we are going to mention glass window decorations first, glass is our passion subject after all… And windows can make a great impact to our street frontage and show off our true Christmas style. So how do we make an impact using our big beautiful windows and glass doors to impress our neighbours and guests? Well, we display or hang some decorations here of course!

Placing our Christmas tree near a front window can make a beautiful display for all to see and enjoy or why not choose some left over babbles from the tree or some key pieces from our decorations that represent our style and theme.

Just keep in mind, certain materials can scratch the glass, so consider using curtain rods to hang decorations from or purchase some adhesive hooks made for glass that can be removed with ease. Fishing line is a great way to create the look that the items are floating, or choose some decorative ribbon or string to highlight the Christmas feel. Staggering the heights of each piece can really capture attention of passers by or if uniformity is more your style, hang them all at the same length to create a theme.

A little touch of colour can make a big impact, so don’t overthink it. Choosing strings of reusable lights with some simple flowers or foliage from the garden can create an impressive entrance.

Choose decorations that will stand the test of time

Rather than choosing decorations that are cheap or all the rage this year, choose traditional pieces that will last for years to come. Think wooden ornaments, items that reflect your traditional homeland or heritage or even an Australiana theme to celebrate in style. Consider purchasing just a handful of good quality, sustainable items each year to add to the tree that represent certain family members and create your own tradition with sentimental chic. We love this idea of adding small photo frame decorations to the tree, honouring family members of the past and present with this simple beauty.

Mirrors are also a great way to add impact to our decorations. Displayed behind candles or decorations, mirrors can add the effect of depth and abundance while adding to the flickering of light. Placing decorations on mirrors on our dining table adds a sense of sparkle to our displays. Mirrors also add a sense of space and reflect a bigger room, multiplying the decorations and light reflections.

Go minimalist

You don’t have to break the budget to create a Christmas to remember.

Choose a couple of colours and follow this theme throughout your home and outdoors. This can create a huge impact and really compliment your style. You don’t have to stick with the traditional red and green, why not go for something striking like a monochrome theme using black, silver and white. Or choose a theme like kings and queens or a nutcracker theme and match all your decorations to this style. Or mix it up with red and silver to add some sparkle to your Christmas. Then again, simple and elegant décor, decorations and fresh foliage can create a sense of calm and tranquillity we can all appreciate at this time of year.

Choose homemade

Some simple pinecones or hand painted baubles in a glass vase or jar, or spray painted in silver to match your theme and placed in key areas around the home can create a huge impact to your decoration style. Not to mention creating less mess when it’s time to pack and store them away for the year. No one needs tiny tinsel pieces trampled through the carpet to clean up in the new year.

If you are looking for creative ideas to entertain the kids during the school holidays, why not consider making some decorations like these gorgeous knitted creations. These would be absolutely beautiful additions for the tree or window display too that won’t break the budget and will be sure to create lasting memories for all.

Make it live

Wreaths are that traditional touch of elegance that produce a stunning first impression hanging from our front doors or glass windows. Either make or buy a simple vine wreath base and add some fresh Australian natives to create a super stylish design.

If you use a dried arrangement, this can be used year after year. However, if you prefer to keep it fresh and simple, this arrangement can be popped in the compost come new year, creating a sustainable Christmas decoration of style and affordability.

To keep the alive style going, what about lining the stairs with some potted colour? You might not have a grand stair case, but you can always find an area to line with some pots of colour that can be planted later or even given to guests on Christmas day as they leave, passing on the joy and keeping the spirt alive for them to take with them and remember the special day.

While we have suggested these for our homes, these ideas can easily be adapted to our business frontage and office too. It is always nice to add a little Christmas cheer to our office space and encourage our customers to feel the Christmas spirit too.

Whatever you choose to do this Christmas, remember you don’t have to break your budget or buy the latest trends to stay in style and in the spirit these holidays. The most important part is sharing these moments with the people we love and creating memories that we can cherish as the years pass.

From all of us at Glass Now, we wish you a very Happy Christmas and here’s to a New Year filled with important things like families, health and freedom.