Will you be having a “green” Christmas this year?

Around this time of the year, for most families, spending money is at an all time high to get ready for the holidays. Here are some helpful tips that individuals should use to save money and have a one-of-a -kind beautiful “green” christmas.

1. Hand-painted holiday cards
   Sending out christmas cards can be a crucial part of the holidays. This is a way of keeping in touch with your loved ones and updating them on your past year. But do they have to come at such and expense?! The answer is no! Making your own cards comes with many perks including conserving both resources and money. This is a great way to get your kids together to get them excited about the holidays. Examples like painting a decorative border around a favorite photograph to make a postcard or cutting out magazine photos and using them with old wrapping materials could create a very special card. Not to mention the recipients of the card will love the creativity that went into it.
   
   
2. Homemade wreaths
   Be a sustainable designer this year by creating your own wreaths. This is great way to get creative and will also help to save some trees and money! Use fallen limbs or evergreen trimmings from your yard. You can also collect pinecones from your lawn for a pinecone wreath, or use old or broken ornaments to create a shiny, modern version. Forget Styrofoam wreath forms. Make your own out of cardboard, rolled up newspapers, or an old metal coat hanger! Your beautiful designed wreaths will put a unique stamp on your home for the holidays!
   
   
3. Invest in LED tree lights
   
Replace old strands of Christmas lights with energy efficient LED ones. LED bulbs lose less energy to heat than traditional bulbs, which makes them much more efficient. This is great news for your energy bill. Plus, some LED bulbs last as long as 30,000 hours, compared with 750 hours for a standard bulb. That’s a lot of twinkle time, which kids will be impressed with as well!