Zero Waste Ideas for Home Decor

For many people, what separates a house from a home is often in the details – how they feel when they walk in, what familiar spaces and smells greet them, and even who they get to spend their time with at home. Would it surprise you then, if I told you that most of the home decorations that catch your eye in the isles of stores like Target and Home Goods are actually sources of health hazards and toxins? For me, this deflates that homey-feel conventional home decorations may add.

What to Consider with Conventional Home Decor

Take, for instance, conventionally constructed carpets and rugs. The fibers, backing, padding, glues, and stain treatments can be composed of chemicals that are associated with respiratory symptoms, eye irritation, hormone disruption, rashes, and even chemicals that react together to produce human carcinogens such as formaldehyde (source). In addition to the health concerns, the manufacturing and eventual disposal pose a slew of other environmental and health risks, both immediate and down the road.

Perhaps a few items here or there do not have a big overall impact on the health impact of our homes, but when you factor in the paint, the flooring, the furniture, the wall art, the fake foliage, the synthetic fibers in pillows and throws, the lighting, and the plastic knick knacks made in China…well, let’s just say things add up quickly! There is also the concern of toxic load. If this concept is new to you, this article is an excellent read on the benefits of filtering through what you bring home and removing those items that are toxic, plus it describes some of the benefits of reducing toxic load on your body.

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How to Have a Zero Waste, Non-toxic, AND Beautifully Decorated Home

Does this mean that our only option is for our home to have a blank, uninviting, or hospital-like feel? Thankfully, no! There are countless companies that have thoughtfully designed home decor items that can add interest and comfort to your space without compromising your health. You also have the option of buying conventional home decor secondhand, which can sometimes mean less toxins are present by the time it enters your home (e.g. time already allotted for off-gassing). But, those ideas are both posts for another day!

This post is to share zero waste, non-toxic home decor ideas, many of which you can probably add to your home today! Many of the ideas are free or low cost and/or can be sourced locally. Let’s dive in!

Zero Waste Ideas for Home Decor:

• Mason jars
  • corral loose items
  • flower vase
  • beautify your soap dispenser
• Wood or wicker baskets
  • corral loose items
  • for a stack of books
  • to gather a grouping of pillows or blankets
  • kids toy storage
• Live or dried greenery in a pot, jar, vase, or cloche, made into garlands, taped in a design on the wall, pressed in frames, or simply laying out
  • flowers
  • leaves
  • buds/petals
• Live plants
  • pots on the ground or in wicker baskets
  • tiered shelves or raised stands
  • hanging (e.g. in crocheted baskets)
  • air plants in open bowls
  • terrariums

• Other elements from nature in a jar, vase, cloche, or simply laying out
  • rocks, geodes
  • pinecones, seed pods, or needles
  • bug-free wood slices, logs, branches, or twigs
    • You can even string or bind them together to provide a different visual effect!
  • pumpkins, gourds, dried corn cobs
  • acorns or other nuts
  • cinnamon sticks, coffee or vanilla beans
  • dried corn, lentils, or beans
  • antlers
  • beach findings, like coral, sand dollars, or shells

• Scrap fabric, burlap, or cotton drop cloths, sewn into
  • curtains
  • placemats
  • pillow covers
  • blankets
  • banners/garlands
• Above fabrics, embroidered cloth, or crocheted yarn made into seasonal items
  • Spring/Summer examples – bunnies, lamb, chicks, nest, eggs, carrots, ducklings, sunflowers, or fruit
    • E.g. For spring a few years ago, I found a small rabbit pattern and sewed three rabbits out of cheery scrap fabric and then filled each with not-so-pretty scrap fabric.
  • Fall examples – pumpkins, gourds, fox, owl, pinecone, leaves, apples, acorns, spiders, or bats
  • Winter examples – reindeer, tree, cabin, bird, snowman, snowflake, candy canes, or polar bear
• Carved wood or otherwise designed wood to resemble the seasonal items listed above
• Frame paper printables or hang paper banners with twine (both are easy to switch out seasonally)
• 3D paper decor (can be made from scratch or do an internet search for free printables)
• 100% beeswax candles or luminaries
  • Regular candle shapes
  • Seasonal or unique candle shapes
• Confetti made from leaves, orange rinds, or paper

Building a Habit – Make Thoughtful Choices

While there are sure to be more ideas (feel free to leave yours in the comments!), this list should give you a running start if the idea of zero waste, non-toxic decor is new to you. If you have experience already, maybe something shared can kick-start your next home decor project!

Perhaps this upcoming season you will decide to walk past those home decor isles and ignore their siren calls, choosing instead to head outside to find treasures with which to decorate! Or maybe you will decide to stop to snap a picture from those store isles to use the items you see as inspiration, instead of purchasing them. I also have lots of Pinterest boards dedicated to home decor that showcase many the zero waste, non-toxic options shared in this post. You might enjoy perusing the photos over there!

Just know that, although it may feel a bit odd to choose to avoid or minimize conventional decor in your home, it does make a difference. It encourages thoughtful consumption and purchasing, it reduces the toxic load for those living in your home, and it allows you to compost or recycle decor at its end of life, instead of throwing items in the garbage. Making better choices for home decor is a very rewarding process!

If you found value in this post, you may also enjoy reading through the other posts on our Waste Reduction page!

New to the idea of healthy living? Check out our Healthy Living and Simple Swaps pages, too!

I would love to hear about your experience in decorating your home with zero waste, non-toxic options. What materials and methods do you use? What ideas do you have for future projects? Comment below to share with our community!

Yours truly,

Erica Barlow