In Part I of our guide to a green Christmas we discussed why to reduce waste and consider giving gifts of experiences rather than things. But the question many of us are left with after reading articles like this isn’t why, but how?

Ideas for a Green Christmas

How do we continue to create a joyous holiday season without destroying our budgets or the environment? Here are some tried-and-tested ways and green gifts to create a simpler, less wasteful, and happier Christmas.

Choose Natural (or Secondhand) Decorations

If you are itching to deck the halls but don’t have decorations yet, consider making your own from natural found materials such as pine cones and fir boughs. These natural decorations have three advantages compared to traditional decorations you buy at the store: the supplies are free, you can compost the materials after you ring in the new year, and you don’t have to find space to store them the other 11 months of the year. They are perfect for having a green Christmas.

If your neighborhood is more concrete jungle than woodsy wonderland, consider visiting online buy-and-sell sites or your local secondhand store for wreaths, tablecloths, garlands, dishes, and more. I was in a Value Village this past week, and it was absolutely crammed with decorations to suit any decor. Shopping secondhand means that the items you buy will cost a fraction of the price, you avoid buying something new, and you prevent these items from ending up in the landfill, too.

Give Experiences Rather than Things

In Part I, we examined emerging research that shows how and why experiences create more intense and long-lasting positive emotions than material possessions.

So what does giving the gift of an experience actually look like?

Here are some great experiences that you can give this holiday season, which will please everyone on your list, from your daughter to your grandfather:

• Learning: A class in cooking, drawing, painting, or a foreign language
• Entertainment: Tickets to see a concert, movie, sporting event, ballet, theater production, or comedy show
• Pampering: A manicure, pedicure, massage, facial, or spa day
• Adventure: Skydiving, white water rafting, bike tour, or snorkeling trip
• Sport: Gymnastics class, swimming lessons, or a session with a golf pro or personal trainer
• Your Time: A weekend trip, an evening of babysitting, help with a project, a night out, a date, or something special just for your loved one

These gifts aren’t simply more stuff. They don’t require wrapping or packaging, and they don’t need to be stored, maintained, cleaned, repaired, and eventually discarded. Experiences serve to enrich the lives of their recipients and create memories instead of clutter and waste. I guarantee they’ll be well-received!

Use Waste-Free Wrapping

For the gifts that _d_o need wrapping, look beyond rolls of brightly colored wrapping paper and get creative with your wrapping options.

Wrapping can be in-theme and part of the gift itself, like wrapping cooking items in a nice apron or tea towel. Or for those who like to accessorize, using a pretty scarf to disguise your gift is a great way to wrap it up while also including a second gift.

You can also repurpose old items. If you’re a quilter or sewer, use fabric scraps to wrap gifts. Use old maps (found at secondhand stores or bookstores) for the explorer in your life or sheet music for the musically inclined. Newspapers make great, inexpensive wrapping, and kids love gifts that come wrapped in the comics section.

If you have your own kids, consider using their drawings to wrap gifts for grandparents and other doting family members. My daughter has an easel with a long roll of paper attached. I save her completed paintings and scribbles throughout the year and then use them for wrapping paper during holidays (and birthdays) for colorful, personalized wrapping paper.

Also, if you receive gifts in wrapping paper, it’s totally okay to be that person who unwraps it in one piece and carefully folds it for re-use. I have been that person for years, and I always find a way to reuse my stash of pretty paper.

Give Back

Beyond the hustle and bustle of shopping malls and Christmas concerts exist thousands of fellow human beings who will find themselves alone, hungry, or without shelter this holiday season. Remember to give freely of whatever you can—your time, your money, excess food, or spare warm clothing—so that everyone has a chance to have a Merry and Green Christmas.

Happy Holidays from all of us here at TomatoInk!

Madeleine Somerville is a writer, author, and blogger. Her first book All You Need Is Less was published in April 2014. Her writing has appeared in both print and online outlets, including The Guardian, Earth911, Yahoo!Shine, TreeHugger, and Alternet. She lives in Calgary, Canada with her four-year-old daughter and writes at SweetMadeleine.ca.