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Make Your Own Sustainable Paper Christmas Decorations

Christmas is the perfect time to get creative with DIY paper crafts – adding colour, sparkle, and a personal touch to your celebrations. While the season often brings plenty of unwanted waste, there are simple ways to make it more sustainable. This year, why not choose planet-friendly paper crafts that are as beautiful as they are kind to the earth? Our handmade lokta paper and responsibly sourced gift wraps are thick, hold their shape and perfect for creating decorations and gifts that look wonderful and do good too.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through three simple Christmas paper crafts you can make at home:

⭐Hanging Paper Stars – The perfect festive space-filler. Choose lokta paper in your favourite colours to tie your room together with a handmade touch. 

💥Christmas Crackers – A plastic-free and reusable alternative to shop-bought versions. Personalise them to suit your unique style and add thoughtful treats that will wow your guests. 

⛓️Paperchains – A nostalgic classic that adds height, bursts of colour and is a fun, family-friendly craft. 

Stars aren't just for the top of the tree

Paper stars are a simple yet stunning way to bring festive magic into your home. Whether hung on the tree, in windows, or dotted around a room, they add a warm, handmade charm to your Christmas décor. Using our beautiful lokta paper, you can create your own stars in your chosen colours and patterns, it’s a fun, eco-friendly craft that looks far more impressive than it is tricky to make.

Follow our simple step by step below! 

What you’ll need: 

  • Gift wrap – a rectangle cut twice as long as it is wide
  • Paper clips 
  • Jute string – cut to your desired length 
  • Scissors

Step One

  • Cut a rectangle to your chosen size. 

  • Accordion fold the rectangle along the short edge at 1–1.5 cm intervals. Keep folds neat and evenly spaced.

Step Two

  • Gather the accordion together.
  • Fold in half (end to end) so the accordion becomes a fan. Crease the centre firmly.

Step Three

  • Tie a short piece of jute around the middle where you created the fold. 
  • Cut off the excess ends.

Step Four

  • Cut both ends at an angle, making sure each end is cut at the same angle. 

Step Five

  • Bring each side of the star together and place a paperclip on the backside of the accordion to hold it together.
  • Slide your jute behind one of the paperclips, this will be how you display your star. 

A cracking table decoration

Origami Christmas crackers are a fun, eco-friendly twist on the traditional favourite. Made entirely from paper with no glue, plastic, or fireworks, they’re reusable and recyclable too! Not only do they look beautiful on the table, but they’re also a joy to make and your guests will be amazed at your origami skills when they sit down to enjoy Christmas dinner.

We found this easy to follow tutorial which works perfectly with our gift wrap. 

The Perfect Cracker Fillers

Wondering what to fill your crackers with? You can fill them with sweets, handwritten notes, festive jokes, or tiny keepsakes your guests will treasure forever. Below, we’ve picked out a few Fair Trade treats that fit perfectly inside.

The Missing Link to Your Festive Décor

Paper chains are a timeless Christmas craft, simple, fun, and a brilliant way to add colour and character to your festive décor. Using off cuts of gift wrap, you can create beautiful chains that are completely eco-friendly and endlessly customisable. It’s the perfect project to do with children or friends, and a lovely way to make memories while decorating. 

What you’ll need:

  • Gift wrap or paper offcuts
  • Glue, washi tape or colour matching masking tape
  • Scissors

Step One

  • Gather your supplies.
  • Cut 1×8 inch strips from your paper.

Step Two

  • Wrap a strip around to create a circle.
  • Glue or tape the outside of the strip.

Step Three

  • Take another strip and place it through the first chain and tape or glue.
  • Repeat until you have your desired length.

What is Lokta Paper?

Lokta paper is the perfect choice for these crafts, as it’s far more durable and thicker than ordinary paper and gift wrap thanks to its unique, traditional manufacturing process. But what exactly is lokta?

Check out our What is Lokta Paper and How is it Made? blog for more information.