7 Eco-Friendly DIY Christmas and New Year Decorations Using Tree Parts

7 Eco-Friendly DIY Christmas

Christmas and New Year are just around the corner. Decorating a Christmas tree, adding festive touches to your home, and preparing meaningful gifts for loved ones are some of the most exciting traditions of the season.  

As the classic colors of red, green, and gold are the hallmark colors of Christmas and New Year that bring ambience of warmth and joy, this year why not try something different by creating eco-friendly decorations that connect you more with nature?  

Tree twigs, leaves, fruits, or even planted trees can be transformed into stunning Christmas and New Year decor. Best of all, you can make them yourself at home! Here, we present 7 eco-friendly DIY Christmas and New Year decoration ideas using tree parts and planted trees. Let’s explore these simple projects and make your holidays even more special! 

Pine cones decoration 

When walking through a pine forest or along streets lined with pine trees, don’t forget to look around and collect fallen pine cones. Add a touch of gold or white glitter to the tips of the cones for a shimmering effect. These glittery pine cones can be used as hanging decorations for your Christmas tree, decorating candle holders, or Christmas wreath. 

Pine Cones

Source: Pinterest

Dried oranges hanging decoration 

Slices of dried oranges can be a unique, affordable, eco-friendly, and fragrant way to decorate your home. What you need to do is just to slice oranges you do not want to eat into thin slices, then dry them. You can heat them with an oven or if you live in a tropical country, you can dry them in the sunlight. You can insert a thread to a single or few slices of oranges to make a hanging decoration for your Christmas tree. You can also mix them with star anise, cinnamon bar, or dried cherry. 

7 Eco-Friendly DIY Christmas

Source: Pinterest

Leaves and grasses Christmas wreath 

Fallen leaves and grass often seem invaluable. However, they can be transformed into a beautiful and eco-friendly Christmas wreath. Arrange grasses and various types of leaves in different shapes onto a circle rattan, cardboard, or braided tree root as a base. You can use glue or thread to arrange them. Enhance the design by adding pine cones, dried flowers or fruits, and decorative ribbons. Hang your stunning wreath on your door or wall to bring eco-friendly and fresh ambience to your home. 

DIY Christmas

Source: Pinterest

Dried leaves and flowers greetings card 

Real leaves and flowers can also be transformed into stunning decorations for greeting cards. You can use them fresh or dried, depending on your preference. Start with folded recycled paper and glue uniquely shaped leaves and a flower piece to the front. Add a ribbon, dried roots, thread, or a splash of paint to enhance its aesthetic appeal. These handmade greeting cards can be displayed as home decorations or sent alongside gifts to your loved ones. 

7 Eco-Friendly DIY Christmas

Source: Pinterest

Twigs Christmas tree 

Fallen twigs can be transformed into a creative and eco-friendly alternative to a Christmas tree. You can design them as either a hanging tree or a stacked tree.  

For a hanging twig tree, gather five to ten twigs of varying lengths. Arrange them in order from shortest to longest, then tie the ends of each twig to one another using rope or string, leaving spaces between them. Hang the structure on a wall and decorate it with fairy lights and small hanging ornaments. 

Christmas Trees

Source: Pinterest

For a stacked twig tree, you’ll need an upright stick as the base. Drill a hole through the center of each twig, then slide them onto the base stick, starting with the longest twig at the bottom and ending with the shortest at the top. Finish the look with string lights and festive decorations.

Source: Pinterest

Pot mini Christmas tree  

A mini live tree is an excellent choice for an eco-friendly Christmas decoration. You can select a young pine or another lush potted tree. Simply decorate it with small hanging ornaments and place it in a corner of the room.  

Source: Pinterest

Planted poinsettia Christmas decoration 

Did you know that the vibrant red flowers associated with Christmas decorations are poinsettia flowers? These shrub plants, native to Mexico and Central America, have spread worldwide and well-known as a Christmas decoration due to their bold red color and the star-shaped crown. Instead of using artificial flowers, consider decorating your home with live potted poinsettias to create a festive ambiance in red and green.

Source: Pinterest

These DIY decorations can also be thoughtful and eco-friendly gifts for your loved ones this Christmas and New Year season! For an even more meaningful gesture, consider gifting Trees4Trees planted trees alongside your handmade creations. 

Our planted trees provide immense benefits to the environment and communities. They have been planted in degraded areas and help local farmers enhance their livelihoods. To gift trees, simply visit our donation page, make a contribution, and provide the recipient’s email address along with a personalized message. We will email a tree planting e-certificate featuring a unique code that allows the recipient to view their trees online. You’ll also be notified once the certificate has been sent to your loved one. 

Click this LINK to learn how to gift trees with us! 

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani

Our 2024 Achievements Together with Our Partners

Our 2024 Achievements

2024 was a remarkable year for the environment in one part of the world. Together with our supporters, we advanced our efforts and achieved significant strides in greening rural and urban areas, including improving drought-prone, water-scarce, and erosion-prone regions, and enhancing industrial areas through urban forestry tree-planting initiatives. In collaboration with coastal communities, we also expanded our efforts to establish green belts by planting more mangroves. 

As we close the chapter on 2024 and look forward to 2025, we extend our deepest gratitude to the individuals, companies, and organizations that contributed to our green initiatives this year. Your generous support as sponsors, donors, and volunteers has enabled us to achieve remarkable milestones, and we are excited to share them with you! 

Our 2024 Achievements

 

These accomplishments represent a significant milestone for us, as this initiative is not only about planting trees but also about restoring forests both in rural and urban areas, rejuvenating rivers and preventing them from siltation, restoring degraded lands in the industrial areas, preserving biodiversity, and empowering local communities, including young farmers.   

Looking ahead to 2025, we remain committed to expanding our tree-planting efforts across various regions in Indonesia and are excited to continue this journey with you. The Trees4Trees planting season is currently underway and will extend into early 2025. This year, we are broadening our initiatives to include Bali Island and planting additional mangroves in Cilacap, Central Java, with the aim of achieving even greater impacts on the environment, local communities, and the economy. Through our commitment, we aspire to double the trees we plant in the next two years.  

Want to make a real impact on the earth this year? Join us in our reforestation mission! Together, help the environment and nurture life on our planet!  

For more details, please reach out to us at info@trees4trees.treesforplant.com or directly click here Plant Trees with Us! 

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani

Microsoft’s Green Initiative: Expanding Urban Forests in West Java

Microsoft’s Green Initiative: Expanding Urban Forests in West Java

In Cikarang, West Java, the Greenland International Industrial Center (GIIC) is starting to be crisscrossed with corridors of green. Over the past two years, Trees4Trees has been working with Microsoft and One Tree Planted to regreen this urban area, by planting trees and engaging communities in reforestation efforts. These trees will be joined by new growth in the weeks ahead, as part of a new chapter in the ongoing story of regeneration in Cikarang.  

In November 2022, the tree-planting initiative kicked off in the Greenland International Industrial Center (GIIC) in Bekasi and the Karawang International Industrial Center (KIIC) in Karawang. As two of Indonesia’s biggest industrial hubs, both locations have to contend with serious environmental issues, from air pollution and rising temperatures to soil degradation and subsidence.  

With more than 40,000 trees planted between 2022 and 2023, both have seen positive changes over time, with more improvements ready to take root in the months ahead. From December 2024 to February 2025, an additional 20,000 trees are being planted, further enhancing the urban environment with nature-based solutions. 

Trees
Trees planted during 2022 and 2023 are already thriving.

Restoring soil, reviving the ecosystem 

The primary goal of the latest tree-planting program is to conserve water and soil. Several species of shade trees will be planted over the next few months, including burflower (jabon), albizia, suren, and black-wood cassia (johar). “We intend to plant 14,500 trees in the GIIC, and more in community lands around the KIIC,” explains Pandu Budi Wahono, Director of Trees4Trees. 

“Industrial areas tend to feature marginal lands characterized by nutrient-deficient soils,” he says. “To address this issue, Trees4Trees focuses on planting fast-growing shade trees that are both well-suited to poor soil and able to improve it over time by recycling nutrients. Restoring soil health and reviving the ecosystem is our top priority,” he added. 

Pandu and Arina
Pandu Budi Wahono (left), Trees4Trees’ Director presents a tree-planting certificate to Arina Dafir (right), Microsoft’s Community Affairs Manager – Southeast Asia.

A new chapter in the story  

To kick off the next phase of Microsoft’s ongoing urban forestry initiative, a tree-planting event was held on November 22, 2024, at GIIC, Cikarang. The event involved Microsoft’s stakeholders and staff, with over 100 volunteers working together to plant 600 new trees. “We want to be part of the community, and we’ve brought together all the different stakeholders today to support this program,” said Arina Dafir, Microsoft’s Community Affairs Manager – Southeast Asia. 

One of these stakeholders is the Nusantara Academy, represented by Erick Hadi, the founder of the academy. He confirmed they are committed to promoting environmental awareness: “it’s great to see a lot of companies today sending representatives to do something good for the Earth,” he said at the event. Kentaro Miyashita, GA Admin Advisor of Jaya Obayashi, who also volunteered for this event, said “I hope events like this will continue in the future, encouraging more people to join, providing them with opportunities to think more about the global environment.” 

Planting event
(Above) Erick Hadi, founder of Nusantara Academy, one of Microsoft’s key stakeholders, is excited to join the event; and (below) Microsoft’s key stakeholders come together hand-in-hand for tree planting.

Microsoft’s Green Initiative

Impact and inspiration: Working together with local communities 

The event demonstrated Microsoft’s wider commitment to creating lasting impacts, both on the environment and in local communities living near the data center in GIIC. “In addition to tree planting,” explains Microsoft’s Community Engagement Lead for Indonesia, Dania Pratiwi, “Microsoft has also undertaken other initiatives including providing local communities with access to clean water, community empowerment funding for school infrastructure development, and digital skills improvement,” she said.  

Tree Planting event
Not only adults, but also children, under their parents’ supervision, volunteered to plant trees.

Microsoft’s Green Initiative

“It’s truly inspiring how Microsoft invites the community to work together for a better environment,” said Danastri Widoningtyas, Program Manager of Yayasan Rumah Energi, one of Microsoft’s community partners. Happy Syarifudin, from the GIIC Community Relations department, also noted that Microsoft’s initiative has already inspired some other companies to follow their example. “I believe in the coming year more companies will engage in similar initiatives,” he said. 

‘Responsible neighbors’: Microsoft Global Sustainability Goals 

Through an ongoing process of urban forest expansion, Microsoft aims to achieve lasting impacts that align with their global sustainability goals. To support this mission, Microsoft is continually looking for new ways to give back to nature and engender a more sustainable, better-connected society. 

“Supporting programs like this is an investment in the future,” explains Arina Dafir, Microsoft’s Community Manager – Southeast Asia, “because the trees that we plant today will continue to benefit nature and communities for many years to come. We are striving to be good, responsible neighbors to the communities we live with and the environment we operate in.” 

Highlighting the visible green impact of the tree-planting initiative on the industrial area, Happy Syarifudin, representing GIIC management, expressed his sincere gratitude to Microsoft and Trees4Trees for their collaboration. “This marks the third year of Microsoft’s urban forestry initiative. We hope this program will continue to expand, bringing greater benefits to both the environment and the local community,” he said. 

 

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Editor: Chris Alexander. Photos: Yulianisa Dessenita & Kemas Duga Muis/Trees4Trees 

Parjono from Durensawit: From Canvas to Crops

Time is a strange thing. Some days it can feel like there’s too much time, but when you’re surrounded by the right people, and doing what you love, time has a way of feeling fleeting. That’s how it is for Pak Parjono, our 40-year-old resilience farmer. Beneath his tan skin and thick Javanese accent, he is far from ordinary. 

Behind his busy days managing his farmland, Pak Parjono is also a passionate artist. Since his youth, painting has been his escape, and even now, his artwork brings in extra income. Besides farming, he teaches religious studies at the local madrasa and raises livestock in his spare time. When exhaustion sets in, he retreats to his garden, where the greenery offers calm. 

Parjono is carrying one of his sketches.

Since joining Trees4Trees in 2017, Parjono has become a senior farmer, starting with teak and fruit trees like soursop. This year, he’s planting timber trees like sengon and jabon, along with avocado trees, continuing his dedication to reforestation. 

One of the things he values most about Trees4Trees is the training they offer. He hopes that in the future, there will be additional training, such as grafting techniques or other cultivation methods to help farmers become more skilled in caring for their plants. 

Parjono’s Journey from Malaysia to a Fulfilling Life as a Farmer in Durensawit Village 

An adventurer might be a very suitable word to describe Pak Parjono. Before settling into farming, he spent five years working abroad in Malaysia, taking on jobs in welding, livestock, and construction. Yet, when he returned to Indonesia, he found that farming was his true calling. “Farming suits me better because it brings me peace, seeing my land lush and fertile,” he recalled. 

Parjono is planting a tree from Libra Palma and Trees4Trees.

Proud of his role as a farmer, Parjono believes that working with nature offers both healing and learning. “Maybe today’s generation feels ashamed to be farmers, but we contribute so much to the environment and the economy,” he added. He hopes his children will one day follow in his footsteps, helping to preserve the environment and take part in green initiatives that benefit the Earth. 

Despite challenges such as prolonged droughts and crop failures, Parjono remains optimistic. He constantly reminds his fellow farmers not to tire of planting and caring for the trees provided by Trees4Trees. “I am grateful to Libra Palma for providing seedlings and facilitating farmers to gain knowledge on greening our village,” he added. 

Parjono’s Inspiring Impact on Trees4Trees 

The spirit of Pak Parjono has inspired Marthan, the Trees4Trees Field Coordinator in Pati to keep spreading kindness and sharing good things around Durensawit Village. “Pak Parjono is not only a dedicated farmer but also a mentor to his peers. His perseverance and enthusiasm for learning and planting more types of trees inspire us all,” said Marthan enthusiastically. 

With a humble smile, Parjono shares a few jabon trees he planted with Trees4Trees in 2023, now flourishing and growing beautifully.

The harsh reality is addressing climate change and motivating farmers to be aware of and committed to greening the village. But Marthan is grateful for working side by side with Pak Parjono. He often helps Marthan to encourage other farmers to join the Trees4Trees reforestation program and even takes part in conserving the village’s water sources by planting trees around springs.  

In a world where everything is fast-paced, looking back and finding that little inspiration around our daily lives seems like a rare gift. Pak Parjono’s quiet determination show us that positive change often starts with small steps. Together, with the support from Libra Palma and Trees4Trees they remind us that no matter the challenges, the work we do today can leave a lasting impact on our environment and future generations. 

 

Written by Teresia Miranti | Source compiled by Marthan Saputra | Photograph by Marthan Saputra 

Muchsinun: A Farmer Driven by His Passion for Gardening

Muchsinun
Muchsinun proudly shares the harvest from his garden, with strawberries as one of

On a sunny afternoon in Kebumen as we rode our motorcycle slowly. The atmosphere was lively, with villagers attending to their daily tasks as the endless rice fields stretched out before us. After one hour of riding toward Kenteng Village, Pak Muchsinun welcomed us with his warm smile. “Assalamualaikum! You didn’t get lost on your way here, did you?” Pak Muchsinun joked, his laugh warm and welcoming as he greeted us. 

Pak Muchsinun, or Sinun as he’s often called, began his journey with Trees4Trees in 2022 after his farmer friends mentioned it to him. The idea of receiving free seedlings and connecting with other farmers intrigued him. It felt like the perfect opportunity to tackle the pressing environmental issues in Kenteng. 

“We used to receive help, but it never truly focused on solving environmental issues.” He told us that Kenteng faces a difficult balance between landslides during the rainy season and the harsh impacts of the dry season.  

“I’m committed to using what I have to help restore the conditions in this village, and the easiest way to start is by planting trees on my own land.” Therefore, he is grateful and feels fortunate that his land is fertile enough to support trees like teak and albizia.  

Muchsinun's garden
Muchsinun’s garden yields are abundantly lush.

His passion for farming inspired him to create a small garden at home, where he grows strawberries, oranges, guavas, chilies, and various horticultural plants. Just like planting trees, gardening brings peace to his heart and excites him, especially when his plants bear fruit. He often shares his harvest with neighbors.  

“The key to gardening is patience and care, especially since the plants I grow are for my consumption, so they need to be full of nutrients,” he explains. Essentially, Pak Muchsinun cannot think of any reason to not farm sustainably because it allows him to move forward and keep maintaining progress for multiple generations. 

Single Parent to His Only Daughter 

A smile rarely left Pak Muchsinun’s face as he spoke of his love for nature and the peace that gardening brings him. But beyond his garden, his biggest responsibility is raising his daughter as a single parent after losing his wife. Though farming keeps him grounded, his dedication as a father is his greatest motivation. 

Leaving behind his office job in Jakarta, Pak Muchsinun made the bold decision to return to his village, Kenteng, and farm full-time while raising his child. Over the past seven years, he’s faced various challenges, such as the long, difficult periods of drought. “I once had to carry water jugs from the village for months to keep my land alive,” he recalls. 

Despite these hardships, he is unwavering in his support of his daughter’s dreams, not necessarily expecting her to follow in his footsteps but wanting to provide her with opportunities beyond farming. 

He admitted that not every day is a good day. Some days are bad, and some days are good. It can be challenging and tough, but he always finds moments of joy in the little things. Like seeing his crops thrive after a long struggle or just by looking at his daughter studying diligently.  

Partnering with Trees4Trees has helped ease some of the burdens. Pak Muchsinun not only receives free seedlings but also fertilizers and training to help his crops flourish. He’s grateful to Trees4Trees and Soboplac for the resources that allow him to focus more on nurturing his land. “The seedlings are free, and the money I would have spent on them can now go toward maintaining the trees,” he says. 

Muchsinun with trees
Muchsinun poses with a tree he planted last year with Trees4Trees.

Pak Muchsinun’s story is one of perseverance, love for the land, and dedication to a greener future. He hopes that other farmers will be inspired to advance their villages and support reforestation efforts through programs like Trees4Trees. “Planting trees teaches you patience, and that’s what keeps me going,” he adds with a thoughtful nod. 

But for Pak Muchsinun, the trees represent something much larger than his own farm. Through his work with Trees4Trees, he’s helping to build a community that shares responsibility for the environment. It’s about leaving behind not just a greener Kenteng, but a legacy of hope and stewardship for future generations. 

Muchsinun with the Trees4Trees team
Muchsinun with the Trees4Trees team, cultivating a greener future on his land.

Written by Teresia Miranti | Source compiled by Lailatul KH | Photograph by Y. Desennita

Expanding Green Spaces: Urban Forestry in Gunung Putri, Bogor

Expanding Green Spaces: Urban Forestry
(Above) Local volunteers at the tree-planting program in Bojong Nangka Village, Gunung Putri District

Gunung Putri District is located near Bantar Gebang, home to West Java’s largest landfill site. Like many other areas on the outskirts of Jakarta, Gunung Putri struggles with a range of environmental problems, from air pollution caused by traffic jams to overpopulation, unchecked residential development, and the disappearance of green spaces. During the dry season, a lack of tree cover makes the region unbearably hot, and when the rains arrive there is flooding caused by poor drainage and soil erosion.  

But look a little closer, and green shoots of progress are beginning to break through the concrete of Gunung Putri. Supported by One Tree Planted (OTP), Trees4Trees has teamed up with local communities to rejuvenate the local environment with an urban forestry program. By replanting and raising awareness, these activities are helping mother nature in Gunung Putri (meaning ‘Princess Mountain’ in Indonesian), rediscover her former beauty. 

Planting Trees
(Above) A key feature of the program was outreach in schools, designed to engage the younger generation in nature preservation and demonstrate the benefits of a greener environment.

Nurturing the next generation 

Earlier this year, the urban forestry program from Trees4Trees and One Tree Planted kicked off in nine villages spanning Gunung Putri District. Planting activities targeted public spaces, privately owned land, schools, and universities. The aim was to regreen the local environment, while also helping reduce pollution and provide some relief from the heat. Another key objective was raising awareness of environmental issues in local communities. 

“Today we planted trees at SD Negeri Nagrak 04 (a local elementary school),” says Agus Susanto, one of several local volunteers in Nagrak Village who helped to plant teak, jabon, durian, jackfruit, and mango trees. “We would like to thank One Tree Planted and Trees4Trees for their support in planting trees in this village, including in this school,” he added.  

Focusing on schools was a key feature of the program. The objective was to instill the younger generation with a passion for nature preservation and demonstrate the benefits offered by greener surroundings. “Hopefully the trees we have planted will grow strong and make this school a greener place to be,” said Agus. “I hope the students can also see the benefits, making the school shadier and cooler, so they can study in comfort.” 

Fsrmers
Planting activities covered a range of places in Gunung Putri District, including schools, private lands, and public park. Providing community benefits.

Expanding Green Spaces: Urban Forestry

In nearby Bojong Nangka Village, the joint planting program mixed timber and multi-purpose trees, including mahogany, trembesi, pulai, jabon, and gmelina, which have wide canopies and are able to provide shade in public spaces. Other multi-purpose trees included durian, mango, clove, avocado, and petai, which have the potential to provide local communities with an alternative source of income.  

“This afternoon was amazing,” explains Amir Arsyad, the head of the village, following the planting activities. “On behalf of the residents of Bojong Nangka Village, we would like to thank Trees4Trees for providing assistance in the form of seedlings – hopefully they will grow well and provide benefits to the environment around us.” 

Trees
(Above) Keep on truckin’: T4T and OTP have delivered 12,000 new trees to locations in Gunung Putri District, including here, on the campus of Trisakti Nagrak

The multiple benefits of tree planting 

The One Tree Planted program has already planted around 12,000 trees in Gunung Putri District this year. With support from Trees4Trees and local communities, this urban forestry project aims to rejuvenate local ecosystems, reduce air pollution, provide shade, reduce soil erosion, improve water retention, sequester carbon, and build the awareness of environmental protection among local communities. 

Amir Arsyad is one of many participants in the program who has seen the benefits of this development and is now committed to nature restoration. “When we protect nature, nature will protect us,” he explains, before noting it is the community’s responsibility to care for their surroundings. “If not us,” he says, “who else will protect the nature around us?”   

Writer: V. Arnila Wulandani. Editor: Chris Alexander. Photos: Rusmanto Manulang/Trees4Trees