DIY Ideas for Eco-Friendly Home Décor

Climate change is dominating world headlines—and if the crumbling icecaps in Greenland and the raging bushfires in Australia are any indications, the worst is yet to come. Each of us must do our bit to reduce our carbon footprint, starting now! So, why not make a conscious decision to go green in your home décor? Here are some simple DIY ideas to get you started.

An enlightened idea!

Instead of throwing away fused light bulbs, here’s a creative idea that transforms them into plant holders. You could even consider creating a miniature terrarium inside an old light bulb. Choose the plants carefully; those that thrive in high humidity and low sunlight are well suited to a closed terrarium environment.

DIY swing

Strung up an old wooden plank on ropes for a lovely swing. Use this swing to stack books or magazines or store a potted plant.

Say it with macramé!

Macrame craftwork, which was very popular in the boho styles of the ’70s, has made a comeback as a décor trend, and how! This DIY craft uses intricately knotted eco-friendly fibres to create stunning wall hangings, pot holders, swings, pendant lamps, and so on that can be a lovely addition to your eco-friendly home décor. Macrame can be used anywhere in the home, right from the living room to the bedrooms, and adds an earthy flavour to any space.

Put those plastic bottles to good use!

If you knew that plastic bottles take 450 years to decompose, you probably would think twice before buying another bottle of water! While it’s a good idea to carry your bottle (a glass one, not plastic) wherever you go, you can make good use of the plastic bottles that are already around. This DIY hydroponic plant system uses plastic bottles from the trash to grow aromatic kitchen herbs. Hang them on your kitchen window, and you can spice up your curries in a jiffy.

Upcycle old fabrics to make lovely cushion covers

If you love sewing, then you can surely put all those leftover fabric scraps to good use! Patch them into adorable cushion covers, sling bags, phone holders, pouches or pillows. This retro pillow is patch-worked around a cat theme.

Reduce, refuse, recycle!

Reduce, refuse, recycle is the mantra for sustainable living. Today’s tyres are built to last, with synthetic rubber, fibres and steel reinforcements giving them the strength we depend on. However, these very same components also make them hard to recycle, and radial tyres take forever to decompose. Thinking outside the box, a tyre can be turned into a trendy swing right in the middle of the living room.

She sells, sea shells

Put the seashells that you have gathered on beach holidays to good use. Use hot glue and a cardboard backing to create a DIY frame that’s as pretty as a picture! Before you start, make sure to clean the inside of the shells thoroughly so that the frame doesn’t begin to smell later.

Put empty tins to good use

Stop before you throw away those empty tin cans! While tin cans can be recycled, they are also the right size to grow herbs in. Use organic potting mix and place them on a sunny windowsill to grow herbs and succulents.

Hanging lights crafted out of mason jars

Empty mason jars can be repurposed in many different and very creative ways; as candle holders, lamps, vases or pencil holders. Mason jars can be transformed into lovely little lights that can be hung up across the room to create a festive look. As simple to make as they are pretty to look at!

This article is contributed by Baashobe Majumdar, VP – Design, HomeLane.

(The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of RoofandFloor)