2020 Holiday - Simple and Sustainable

2020 has turned everything so completely upside down and people are craving some sort of normalcy and happiness in their lives. This year I noticed many folks were getting a jump start on that Christmas cheer. November 1st, the skeletons and jack-o-lanterns made way for the twinkling lights and Christmas wreaths. Several local Christmas tree farms have opened early and those with artificial trees couldn't wait to put them on display.

For many Americans, the unwritten rule is to wait until after Thanksgiving to start decorating for the December holidays. But in 2020, people seem to be breaking all of the rules and we love it! Turns out, getting into the holiday spirit is a great way to feel more positive in a world that has felt so unsettling over the last several months. With shutdowns and social distancing we have also been forced to slow down. The theme this season is a return to the simplicity of the holidays. So we have rounded up some 2020 Christmas trends to get into!

Eco-Friendly wrapping

Furoshiki Wraps Are the Eco-Friendly Packaging You'll See Everywhere This Holiday Season. I really enjoy wrapping Christmas gifts (until we get to Christmas Eve and end up in a last minute wrapping frenzy). I love to buy matching paper and color-coordinating ribbons and bows. But I recently found out that gift wrap is not great for the environment because it actually can’t be recycled (because of the dyes and shiny elements used on the paper). Instead, 4 million pounds of wrapping paper goes into the landfill each year which.

Furoshiki wraps have been used in Japan for centuries, and they’re a gorgeous solution to the environmental problem. The wraps are colorful, patterned pieces of fabric that are meant to be tied around a gift and reused over and over again. And there are tons of pretty, budget-friendly options online! I found this great tutorial on how to wrap with fabric at Better Homes and Garden. Play around with dressing up your fabric-wrapped gifts— add a gorgeous seasonal sprig of greenery and a pretty ribbon! You can also find lots of furoshiki options when you’re thrifting. look for vintage scarves and hankies, and then wash and repurpose them as furoshiki wrapping paper.

There are lots of other impressive ways to upcycle your gift wrap. Consider using brown kraft paper. Add a clipping of evergreen, a candy cane or an ornament!

Wrappily is a cool woman-owned business based in Hawaii that wants to make your gift-wrapping as eco-friendly as it is eye-catching. Wrappily's paper is 100% recyclable because it is made from newsprint, and newsprint happens to be one of the most environmentally-friendly papers out there.

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Honoring the Beauty of Nature

Using natural elements to create a beautiful, cozy space during the holiday season is huge for 2020. This is a modest trend where materials remain in their natural shape. Nature inspired colors with vibrant greens. Old craftsmanship is being revived. Lots of dried flowers, seed bulbs, bark and grass combined with metals. This is a very budget friendly way to decorate and with so many DIY options, it can be fun for the whole family!

House of Jade Interiors…hello lovely Christmas indeed.

Fun DIY ideas to do with the kiddos!

Check out these earthy wreaths by CB2!

Here are a few more ideas for your nature inspired Christmas....

• cinnamon sticks

• pinecones

• greens

• dried and fresh fruit

• seed pots

• dried flowers

• birch branches and slices

• bark candleholders

• evergreen branches

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Christmas Ornaments You'll Love

I love absolutely love Christmas ornaments! Every year we have so much fun unpacking them and taking a trip down memory lane. Each ornament tells a story and takes on a life of it's own. Every year we add new ornaments to the tree. To add to the story, I like to get ornaments that represent a new passion or interest, relevant world events, personal or professional milestones, and ongoing or new tradition ornaments.

• Tradition

OK, lets talk about the pickle ornament.....They are surprisingly popular and I always assumed the pickle was a quirky hipster ornament like avocado toast, or bacon. Well my mind was actually blown when I learned the pickle ornament carries a long-running tradition in many parts of the country. It's possible that I am the last one to know about the pickle tradition, but in case you have also been in the dark on this one...... According to legend, the pickle ornament is hidden somewhere on the tree on Christmas Eve, and the first person to find it gets good luck for a year, and they also get to open the first present on Christmas Day. Some versions of the story say whoever finds the pickle gets a special extra present as a pickle-finding bonus.

Love this glittery pickle from Crate and Barrell!

The Elf on the Shelf might not technically be a Christmas Ornament, but most parents and kids out there are familiar with this little guy. Each Christmas, Santa uses his scout elves to help him manage his naughty and nice lists. When the elves visit at Christmastime, their job is to watch during the day and report to Santa every night. When the elves return from their nightly North Pole journey, they hide in a new spot and wait for you to find them!

• Lifestyle / Passion / Interests

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love yoga. A friend of mine gifted me this yoga mat ornament from Target. It was such a thoughtful gesture. I absolutely love it! She totally gets me.

Also, how cute is this one from Etsy!!

Here are some other great examples also on Etsy.

• Relevant World Events

Picture yourself 10 years from now pulling out your masked gingerbread man ornament and saying, oh yes, 2020. That was QUITE the year.

Etsy has TONS of options for your world event ornaments!

• Personal / Professional Achievements

It can be so fun to have custom ornaments made to represent the previous year. Did you buy a house? get engaged? Married? Pregnant? Have a baby? Get a new job? Sell your House? Again Etsy has tons of great options and the classic Pottery Barn picture frame ornaments are always a win!

The 2020 Holiday Season can be really simple, slow, rewarding and more sustainable. It can be pretty and special, minus the big feasts and lavish gifts and “going all out” extravagance. It can actually feel like TIME OFF. This season is all about a return to the simplicity of the holidays, how they used to be. We’re going to have smaller moments together with our trusted inner circles. Although your Holiday will most definitely look a lot different this year, we hope your Holiday season is simply magical.

XOXO - Form and Function Style Team