It’s no secret that the holiday season can generate a lot of waste… A big part of that comes from cheap, plastic decorations that won’t biodegrade and are likely to release toxic microplastics into our soil and water, impacting the health of our ecosystems, humans included.
I hate to be a buzzkill, but you probably already knew all that anyway…
Now for the good news: there are plenty of places where you can find Christmas decorations made from natural, plastic-free (or at least low-plastic) materials that are much safer for your family and better for the environment.
The brands and shops I’ve gathered below focus not just on using non-toxic, natural materials, but many also incorporate socially and eco-friendly practices, like Fair Trade certifications and zero waste initiatives.
On top of that, these decor items are usually higher quality than what you might find from most of the shops on Amazon or elsewhere, so you can use them year after year. That’s my personal approach to Christmas decor—buy once and reuse. It cuts down on waste and saves me the hassle of shopping every season.
I’ve tried to include options for a variety of tastes: bold and colorful, minimalist styles, kid-friendly designs, and more.
P.S. This guide is specifically about where you can buy pre-made natural Christmas decorations. If you’d rather take the DIY route using materials you already have around you, check out this guide.
🎄 Find all of our holiday/Christmas guides right here!
Here's what's included in this guide:
- 1. Etsy
- 2. Ten Thousand Villages
- 3. Magic Linen
- 4. Friendsheep Wool
- 5. Anchal
- 6. Kazi
- 7. Smallable
- 8. Wee Gallery
- Plantish
- Where to Get Natural & Organic Christmas Wreaths
- Non-Toxic Christmas Candles
- Low-Tox Christmas Lights
- Would You Rather DIY Your Natural Christmas Decor?
- Even More Guides to a Low-Tox Holiday Season:
This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine! Featured image credit: Magic Linen
Here are what I think are some of the best places to find your holiday decorations this year:
1. Etsy
Categories: Garland, ornaments, star toppers, holiday pillows, and other natural Christmas decorations
Obviously, there are sooo many lovely, handmade holiday decorations on Etsy that are made out of all types of natural, non-toxic, and organic materials.
My picks from Etsy:
Garland that’s handmade out of 100% wool (ethically sourced from Nepal) from Handcrafted Buffalo (based in Minnesota, USA). She’s got so many good holiday designs—the Grinch, peppermints, gnomes, mushrooms, penguins, and more!
Super cute acorn ornaments made out of real acorn caps, sheep’s wool, and linen twine from Vaida Petreikis (based in Lithuania). She also makes colored acorns, gnomes (omg!), and more:
Hand-sewn tweed (wool) Christmas pillows from House of Tweed (based in the UK):
Snowflake ornaments made with solid wood and linseed oil from Busy Puzzles (based in Ukraine). P.S. These double as coasters, how cute is that?!
Zero waste stockings made out of natural linen from Amour Linen (based in Lithuania):
Straw star tree topper from Sabina Hofman (based in Los Angeles, California):
2. Ten Thousand Villages
Categories: Ornaments, garland, stockings, tree skirts, holiday cards, menorahs
Ten Thousand Villages was one of the first shops to bring Fair Trade goods to the masses. It’s actually a non-profit organization that was founded back in 1946. Because they have an overarching goal of breaking the cycle of generational poverty and igniting social change, everything they sell is ethically made by hand.
Although not everything they sell is made out of natural materials, Ten Thousand Villages prioritizes locally sourced and sustainable materials whenever possible, like upcycled paper, solid wood, natural cotton, and wool. On each product page, you can find out where the product was made and more about the artisan who made it.
My picks from Ten Thousand Villages:
3. Magic Linen
Categories: Stockings, ornaments, fabric gift bags
Magic Linen is a great place to get stockings made out of natural materials. Available in solid colors as well as patterns like gingham and checkered, these stockings are made out of 100% European flax and are OEKO-TEX certified. Even better: they’re actually made as a part of Magic Linen’s zero-waste initiative, which means it’s made from linen textile leftovers in order to minimize fabric waste.
Magic Linen and based in Lithuania, and everything is made in-house. This is also a great place to shop for your table linens and aprons for your holiday feasts!
My picks from Magic Linen:
4. Friendsheep Wool
Categories: Ornaments, garlands, coasters, air fresheners, greeting cards
Friendsheep Wool carries a lot of super cute holiday and Christmas decor that’s made out of—you guessed it—wool!
These non-toxic Christmas decorations double as air fresheners… Simply add some drops of your favorite essential oils and your ornaments and garland will slowly release a pleasant scent throughout the day. Whenever you notice that the scent has faded, you can just add a few more drops.
This brand was started by Valeria Isaacs, who is a zero waste entrepreneur, disability advocate, mother, wife, nature lover, and former biologist… That’s how you know they’re truly focused on sustainability throughout their supply chain!
Their products are made by a team of hundreds in Nepal, who are paid fair wages for their work. (The US side of the Friendsheep Wool team works with them directly; they say the Nepal team has become part of their family!)
In addition to using natural, sustainably sourced materials, Friendsheep Wool also plants a tree with each purchase, is a member of 1% for the Planet, and gives back to other types of organizations, too (such as animal rescues).
You can use the code THEFILTERY for 10% off your order.
My picks from Friendsheep Wool:
5. Anchal
Categories: Organic cotton stockings, tree skirts, and garlands in various colors
Based in Louisville, Kentucky, this non-profit brand offers beautiful, very unique items that are made by artisans through a partnership with an NGO in Ajmer, India. Their products are Fair Trade Verified, and they feature a hand-stitched signature of the maker. They offer clothing, home goods, and some holiday decorations as well!
Their stockings, tree skirts, and garlands are made out of GOTS certified organic cotton. They’re super high-quality, so they will definitely last you year after year. And the garlands can totally be left up after the holiday season is over.
My picks from Anchal:
6. Kazi
Categories: Ornaments, tree toppers, garland, napkin rings, bowls & baskets
Here is another fair trade brand that works directly with artisans to provide work opportunities and fair wages. Their goods are handwoven out of natural materials—like sisal, raffia, and banana fibers—and they’re colored using natural and organic dyes.
*NOTE: Kazi’s is moving and therefore their website has paused sales until mid-November of this year. You can still buy from their Amazon shop until then!
My picks from Kazi:
7. Smallable
Categories: Ornaments, Advent calendars, stockings, decorative trinkets, and more.
Smallable is a family concept store based in Paris. Not everything they carry is made with organic and non-toxic materials, but a lot of it is. They do prioritize local, ethical, and environmentally-responsible production as much as possible.
Plus, many of their items are unique and you won’t find them anywhere else. They definitely give off wintery hygge vibes!
My picks from Smallable:
8. Wee Gallery
Categories: Stockings, paper crafts, ornaments, wooden toys
Here’s another good place to find organic Christmas decorations, as a lot of Wee Gallery’s fabric decor is made out of 100% organic cotton.
As the name suggests, this brand focuses on products for the “wee” ones in the family, with their signature, high-contrast black-and-white designs.
My picks from Wee Gallery:
Plantish
Okay, how cute are these ornaments from Plantish? They are decorations but they’re practical, too.
After the holiday season is over and you’ve put your tree away, you can just put these ornaments in water and they pop up into sponges that you can use to wash your dishes!
They’re made from (plastic-free) wood pulp, so you can compost them when you’re done with them.
They have several designs to choose from, including cute little holiday characters or Christmasy-florals. You can buy a pack or just one or two!
You can use the code THEFILTERY15 for 15% off your first order!
Where to Get Natural & Organic Christmas Wreaths
A lot of the artificial Christmas wreaths you buy online are made out of PVC, which is not ideal. If you want to go for a more natural (and I think, I more beautiful!) holiday wreath, below are some suggestions.
You can, of course, go with a wreath that includes living plants, but personally think going with a dried wreath is more practical. Not only will it last a lot longer, but it’s also going to be more resistant to things like mold and mildew, and will generally just require less maintenance. If you care for and store your dried holiday wreath properly, you can use it year after year!
Roxanne’s Dried Flowers
This flower shop has been serving the Pittsburgh area for over 25 years now.
They offer a whole “Deck the Halls” collection that includes a bunch of holiday decor.
They have pine cone wreaths, holiday florals, dried garland, and even a Solstice Hang Down decoration. They’re so pretty! Some of their wreaths are made with faux plants, but most of them are created with real, preserved, natural materials.
My picks from Roxanne’s Dried Flowers:
Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn sources both living and dried wreaths that are handmade in the USA. (They also have faux wreaths on the site as well, so just be sure to check the details to be sure.)
For most of their wreaths, you can choose the size, from 20″ to 30″ in diameter.
My picks from Pottery Barn:
Non-Toxic Christmas Candles
If you’re looking for non-toxic holiday candles that are free from things like phthalates and petroleum products, I have a whole separate guide for you on the best, safest holiday candles. (There are some discount codes in there for you, too!)
You can check that out here:
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Low-Tox Christmas Lights
If you’re looking for non-toxic, lead-free twinkle lights, well… you won’t really find them. Even though string lights that are 100% lead-free basically don’t exist, some brands are better than others. I have a separate guide that will give you more info about what to look for and some of the ‘better’ brands:
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Sorry, but 100% lead-free Christmas lights don’t really exist. But before you panic, there ARE safer options. Here’s my recommendation for what to buy instead.
Would You Rather DIY Your Natural Christmas Decor?
If you’d rather make your own holiday decorations using materials you already have around the house, check out this guide:
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Looking for easy, DIY, & zero waste holiday decorations this year? Here are some plastic-free ideas for Christmas, Hanukkah, and more.
I hope this guide has given you some ideas for where to get plastic-free holiday decorations. To get more tips, guides, and more low-tox lifestyle info delivered to your inbox once a week, sign up for our weekly newsletter.
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