This weekend we celebrate the birth of Christ and enjoy the beauty of our Christmas trees, but in a few short days we will be taking the decorations down and removing the tree from our homes.

Make that tree a gift to nature:

• Put it in a corner of your yard where it can become a bird sanctuary this winter.
• Mulch perennial beds with the tree boughs; chip the wood for garden paths.

Keep the scent of pine in your home.

• Use the pine needles in a potpourri with spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
• You can also chop off a good-sized piece of the tree stump, put it in a shallow heat-proof bowl, and add water up to halfway point. Scatter bits of cloves, cranberries, cinnamon sticks and pine needles in the water. Put in a warm place out of the way of children and pets. Enjoy the woodsy scent in your home. When the water dries up, repeat the process.

Creation Care Team page

Creation Care Team contact: Marie Myer