Green Christmas – At home with Jen Chillingsworth

With a month to go until the big day what better way to get this year’s celebrations started than with a festive home tour, especially when the owner’s new book is dedicated to creating a slower, simpler and more sustainable holiday.

‘Green Christmas: Sustainable Celebrations that Won’t Cost the Earth’, is writer and photographer Jen Chillingsworth’s fifth inspirational book. Published by Quadrille, and with chapters on intentional gift giving, how to choose vintage or second-hand presents, as well as how to decorate your home using natural and recycled materials, it’s a must-read from me.

Packed full of practical projects to help us all reduce our waste but bring more joy, Jen’s book is also illustrated with photographs taken in her beautiful sandstone cottage, and it’s here that I recently caught up with her to find out more about life in Dumfries, as well as what her top tips for a greener Christmas are.

Over to Jen to tell us more:

“We moved back to my native Scotland eighteen months ago after nearly 30 years of living in Yorkshire. Our new house had flock wallpaper on many of the walls, and was painted every colour of the rainbow, which required at least six coats of paint to block out.

And while we continue to tackle what feels like a never-ending list of botched DIY jobs, the biggest project we’ve tackled so far has in fact been in the garden. We hadn’t been in very long when we experienced torrential rain, and because it was covered in porcelain tiles and horrible plastic grass, which also meant it had no drainage, water poured in through the kitchen door.

Thankfully all our hard work removing them, and after digging out over 10cm of hardcore, our newly created flower beds are bringing nature back and offering me an abundance of green ways to decorate my home, especially during the festive season.

When it comes to Christmas, I tend to start in early December by foraging for fallen pinecones, holly, yew and ivy, and spending a fun filled afternoon making a wreath surrounded by candlelight and listening to songs on our old record player.

My inspiration comes from my grandpa who was a natural artist, he was good at drawing, painting and woodworking, and he also made his own ceramics. Every Christmas he gave me a gift out of something he’d made; one year it was a hand-built go-kart with a number plate that read ‘Jenny1’, another it was an upcycled school desk. I can’t remember other bought gifts from childhood, but I have always treasured the handmade gifts from my him. Sadly, he passed away over forty years ago, and I’m sad that he never got to make things for my son.

That said we created a new tradition last year that I can’t wait to repeat. We read a lot of books in our house, and every time we finish one, we pop a £1 coin in a jar. As we approach the holidays, we tally up all the coins and head into town to buy new books from our local bookseller. We go in the early evening, so we can walk through our neighbourhood and admire the decorations in the windows and gardens, and enjoy the town lit up for Christmas. After the bookshop, we go to a little pub that serves craft beer and enjoy playing board games there whilst sitting by the warmth of the fire.

I think I prefer the build-up to Christmas rather than the actual day. I like making the decorations, filling the house with greenery and planning the food. My husband also makes six Christmas cakes every year to gift to family and friends, so the house smells like mixed spice from late October to November. The smell of a real tree, the subtle aroma of beeswax candles, or hot chocolate simmering on the stove all adding to the magic of the moment.

For anyone looking to be greener this holiday there are three pieces of advice I always share. Firstly, gift with intention, refuse to buy products that will ultimately end up in landfill, reduce by buying only what you need rather than making impulse purchases, ask yourself if you can reuse or recycle an item rather than buying new and can it rot, i.e. is it biodegradable or compostable? Edible gifts are also thoughtful, creative and personal, and can be anything from a homemade loaf of bread and a jar of jam to a box of handmade crackers alongside a piece of local cheese.

Secondly aim to make your decorations low waste using recycled and natural materials. A garland made from popcorn and cranberries strung over the mantelpiece looks beautiful, whilst dried orange peel cut into star shapes is great for adding to wreaths.

And finally, if you have kids, ask them to help you declutter the toys they no longer play with. Donate good quality books and toys to charity, making sure to drop these off before the festive season begins as lots of people will be out looking for second-hand gifts and it’s a great way to support your local community.”