Tastes, crafts and festive memories

If you’re looking for a way to decorate in style, personalise the festivity or plan an activity – we hope these ideas will lead to creating amazing festive memories.

The festive season, like most highly commercialised holidays, is tough on the environment in many ways. From food waste and tinsel-town, to gifts and entertainment for little and loved ones – it can be hard being holly and jolly knowing it’ll be so temporary.

Clay creations

Air Dry Clay from your local hobby shop or hardware is your invitation to fall down a rabbit hole on your own or with your family. Quicker and more sustainable than traditional clay, you’re in for hours of fun.

Want to keep it local and ditch the snowflake references from the northern hemisphere? Try these:

Festive fynbos

Ornaments inspired by fynbos are a lovely way to add some local flavour. Tracing lines onto rolled sheets of clay or using flower press techniques are a great way to make ornaments, gift tags or placeholders.

Tip: Cut a few pieces of twine and use the offcuts to make small drink markers.

Tiny treasures

Finger pressing small vessels makes for a great ring holder, trinket bowl or a very oulik little candleholder. Place tea lights or small candles in your creations (make sure they’re big enough) to create a warm and inviting indoor or outdoor mood.

Tip: Tiny treasures make a great stocking filler. Be careful to not make it too delicate to place inside a stocking.

Go coastal

If coastal is your theme this year, try creating small, smooth mounds of clay to press sea shells into. If you want to create a coastal mosaic, press them in upright and play with pressing in a few stones or seaglass to mix it up.

Tip: Try shapes that have clear impressions for maximum impact and make sure to only use what you need and not pick anything up from protected areas.

Reuse, reduce, UPCYCLE

If the idea of tikki and paper lanterns, tinsel wreaths and red-themed decor feels dated, try playing with some of your recycling instead.

Tin torches and lanterns

Upcycle tin cans into lanterns by punching holes in any pattern that suits your theme and place candles inside – think indigenous flowers, family initials and other references that are familiar and suit your theme.

Tip: Use LED tea lights as a low-waste alternative that will serve you occasion after occasion.

Botanical bliss

Melting the ends of your used candles in a pot is a great way to use every last bit of the wax. Hand-pour candles in containers adorned with botanical illustrations or garden-themed labels and add sprigs of herbs or leaves in glass jars if you want a beautiful botanical look that will gently waft the scent as it burns down.

Tip: Try natural scents like lavender, buchu, or wild jasmine. You can bunch them up or pre-flattened them if you want them to the side, or submerge it so it appears little by little as the candle burns down.

Cardinal points

If you’re looking for a way to use empty cardboard boxes or adorn an envelope with an experience voucher inside, try plotting a basic pencil map of the person’s favourite area or something relating to their gift. Use google maps to roughly trace the target area and mark special coordinates, stops or treasures along a marked route.

Hearts or star markers might represent your recipient’s favourite garden spots or if you’re gifting them coffee gifts, a lookout point to brew a cup on the go is a great touch for outdoorsy people.

Tip: Topography-inspired lines make for an attractive piece of art as a print, packaging decoration or icing pattern on a delicious batch of christmas cookies.

Looking for more gift ideas that don’t involve materials at all?

Tour vouchers

Create a lovely packaging for a voucher for a guided tour of a local indigenous garden, bike ride or a fun photoshoot at a beautiful location. Include some teasers about native plants, fun or historical facts and a dress code if photos are involved.

Pretty picnics

With so much natural beauty throughout South Africa, a picnic IOU is always a great way to soak up the sights and indulge in local delicacies alongside fresh, organic ingredients grown locally. If you’re not using a picnic service, a handwoven picnic basket with a map of the spot and a variety of lovingly chosen local delicacies is a delicious, personal gift that will be remembered for a long time.

Gastronomical gifts

Offer a cooking class voucher for a culinary experience where your loved one can learn to prepare traditional South African dishes. Think malay curries, how to get the best out of durban spices or creating a beautiful meal using local ingredients and safely foraged foods.

ALSO SEE: CREATIVE CHRISTMAS CRAFT IDEAS FOR FESTIVE DECOR AND GARDEN CHEER