Teaching children how to give to others is such an important lesson. We should be doing it every day; not just at the holidays. One thoughtful way to help with this lesson is to make Christmas or holiday ornaments as gifts for friends and family.

Making “green” ornaments – even better! Above is an adorable angel made from old clothespins, a cut-up plastic bag, and soda cans.

To be placed on our incredible sustainable holiday tree, the decorations have to qualify by following the below rules:

Recycled Holiday Tree Challenge Rules – the components must be -

1. Reused, or
2. Recycled, or
3. Garage Sale Purchased, or
4. From a Resale Shop, or
5. From the Natural Environment

Any craft parts beyond glue, staples, and needle/thread also need to be from a resale shop or disassembled and reused from a previous source.

How To Make An Angel Ornament From An Aluminum Can

Supplies:

Clean soda cans

Used or old clothes pins

Thin point marker

Non-toxic glue

Scissors

Plastic bag or ribbons

Glitter

How To:

1. Cut plastic bag into ¼” wide strips. Length is dependent on the size of clothes pin.
2. Cut the ends off aluminum soda cans, then using the sidewalls of the soda cans, cut out a similar shape as the above photo for angel wings.  Cover the wing portion with glue then sprinkle with glitter. Keep the long strip below the wings with no glitter.
3. Cut out halo shapes. Put glue on the top portion of the halo’s and then sprinkle with glitter. Leave the long support strip without glitter.
4. Wrap the plastic bag or ribbon around the angel to make her “clothes.” Inserting angel wings about half way  down the wrapping process.
5. Put a dot of glue on the angel halo “stick”. 
6. Insert angel halo in front of wings and behind angel head.
7. Draw on angel face.
8. Hang ornament on tree by hooking with clothes pin on tree limb.

Please send photos and links so we can see what you have done with holiday trees to help save the landfills. Thanks!

Shawna Coronado says Get Healthy! Get Green! Get Community! www.thecasualgardener.com, The Green Blog - www.gardeningnude.com, or The Garden Blog - http://thecasualgardener.blogspot.com