Video: Low Waste Holiday Decor Workshop
With just over a week until the holidays, we decided to do a little low waste decor and upcycling workshop here in Venice at one of my favorite small businesses, Big Red Sun. (Note: Scroll to the bottom of this post for the event video.)
I broke the workshop down into several components / activities:
Repurposing old clothing into reusable gift wrap
Wrapping the clutter-free, low waste gift of biodynamic wine with leaves in lieu of disposable packaging
Creating a zero waste centerpiece entirely from foraged materials
Wreath making (as a low-lift warm up activity to tackle while getting to know new friends)
Discussing the low waste materials and methods used to plan and execute the event itself
ACTIVITY 1: REPURPOSING OLD CLOTHING INTO REUSABLE GIFT WRAP
We hired a Thumbtack Pro to attend the event and repurpose old garments brought in by attendees while the workshop took place. The Pro, Keyra, has been a seamstress, designer and tailor for over 20 years, mainly working in costume fabrication and sewing home decor items.
I brought a stained old holiday romper that once belonged to West’s cousin, and was passed on to West. Kira transformed the piece into a sweet little buttoned pouch for stocking stuffers, and even turned remnants from the jumper into ribbons and ties for miscellaneous use throughout the season. Other attendees brought garments such as lace skirts, bandanas and tops.
ACTIVITY 2: USING LEAVES TO WRAP WINE BOTTLES FOR LOW WASTE, CLUTTER-FREE GIFTING
Our friend at Winc have a line of eco-friendly wines, and they generously gifted us several bottles of one of their biodynamic varieties to use in a zero-waste wrapping activity. The grapes used for this wine are farmed organically and biodynamically, resulting in a wine that’s good for those in search of sustainably farmed, small lot bottles in lieu of mass production and additives.
We wrapped the bottles in soft, flexible leaves, and added decorative organic touches. Each participant had their own style. I chose to show the label, while others wrapped theirs up entirely so the reveal would be part of the gifting process. Some folks chose to wrap only the neck of the bottle, or to create a little trivet of greenery at the base.
ACTIVITY 3: CREATING ZERO WASTE CENTER PIECES WITH FORAGED COMPONENTS
The owner of Big Red Sun, Selena, creates the most gorgeous centerpieces entirely from found organic materials she forages here in Venice.
She turns husks, bark and fronds into oversizes vessels that can be filled with fruit, veggies, acorns, pine cones, moss, flowers, branches, leaves, and a myriad of texture-rich, sweetly scented compostable materials.
For the workshop, we used some of the smaller pieces to craft festive, zero waste decor for our homes and for gifting.
ACTIVITY 4: MAKING LOW WASTE WREATHS
Wreath-making is a great intro activities for a workshop like this. They get attendees warmed up and into the crafting mood, while encouraging conversation that sparks new relationships in the spirit of the holiday.
ACTIVITY 5: ADDRESSING LOW WASTE SOURCING, EVENT SUPPLIES, SIGNAGE, INVITATIONS & TRANSPORT
We tried to keep our carbon footprint in mind from start to finish with this event. From biking whenever possible, to foraging local material rather than buying, to using remnant twine and wire, to bringing existing supplies like clippers and scissors, to using washable drinkware, cloth napkins, and porcelain / glass / ceramic pitchers and platters, we were able to throw a delightful gathering with minimal waste.
I had such a fantastic time conducting the workshop, and getting to see old friends while meeting new ones. Thank you to our event sponsors and attendees for such a joyful holiday experience.
Note: This blog post and the corresponding video were not sponsored, but the event itself was sponsored by our friends at Thumbtack. The biodynamic wine was generously gifted by Winc. (The final photo in this post was taken by Sara Toufali of Black & Blooms.)
