Use an Unconventional Wreath

I love the idea of a wreath, but I’ve never really been a fan of the way they look. Maybe that’s because most of the wreaths I usually see on people’s doors are made from plastic, fake pine needles lit up by too many lights or covered in fake snow and cheesy holiday characters. If you agree with me, here are some more unconventional, but still stylish and eco-friendly options for your door:

Yarn Wreaths from Green Eyed Monster. There are no hard and fast rules about decorating in shades in red and green. In fact, I’m not a big fan of that color combination at all. Why not a charcoal gray wreath, a beautiful purple or even argyle? The upside of these simple, non-holiday-specific wreaths, handmade by independent artist Itz Fitz, is that you can use them any time of year in any room where they make sense. Available in 12″, 14″ and 16″. $40-65.

BONUS! Get 20% off your order at Green Eyed Monster with coupon code “YDTGEM.” Exp. 12/1/10

Go Square: Fresh Myrtle Wreath Frame or Greek Chili Pepper Square Wreath from Organic Bouquet. Wreaths are traditionally round, but I love the look of these square wreaths from Organic Bouquet. The simple design of the Myrtle Frame Wreath features just one type of leaves, which makes it feel much more modern than traditional evergreen wreaths. The Chili Pepper Wreath will give you some traditional holiday color in a non-traditional design. Myrtle Wreath, $64.95; Chili Pepper Wreath, $48.95 (aff)

Felted Wool Wreath from Viva Terra. This wreath screams holidays, but not in a cheesy way. The winter white and red color scheme is traditional with modern twist, and I just can get enough of the two cute birds sitting in the middle of the circle. $59

Felt Peace Wreath from Branch Home. Apparently, you can’t go wrong with felt, and this wreath kicks the cool factor up a notch. What’s not to love about a wreath shaped like a peace sign? And did I forget to mention that it’s handmade by a group of Fair Trade artisans in India of wool and bamboo? Also available in green. $98

Make Your Own

I love these ideas from Good Housekeeping for homemade wreaths made of dad’s old ties or all those corks you have laying around. Find tutorials for both projects (and a few others) here.

THE DECORATE GREEN SERIES

I have a confession to make: I generally do very little decorating for the holidays outside of our Christmas tree. It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that having lived in a series of apartments and other people’s homes for most of my adult life has made me less than enthusiastic about spending a lot of time on my holiday decor.  This year though, I plan to do more holiday decorating, both inside and out. How much more, I don’t know, but I’ll share stylish, eco-friendly ideas with you as I refine my plan.

Next week, I’ll post a tutorial for the wreath I made! It’s really easy to do with stuff you may already have at home! Make sure you don’t miss it! Subscribe to Green Your Decor via RSS or email if you haven’t already!