Wooden, Felt and Wool Ornaments: Plastic-Free Tree Decorations

Wooden, wool felt, straw and pine cone ornaments are the main plastic-free alternatives to plastic baubles. Check each listing for fiber content, since much craft felt is acrylic or polyester, and “wool felt” can be a wool and rayon blend. For end of life, an archived EPA home compost list includes wood chips, straw and wool rags.

What makes an ornament plastic-free?

The main material is only part of the story. A wooden star can hang from a polyester ribbon, and a wool mouse can have plastic eyes glued on.

Before buying, check the listing for:

• the main material, and for felt, the exact fiber percentages
• the hanger: cotton or jute string, metal hook, or synthetic ribbon
• finishes such as paint or glitter, plus any glued-on extras

Sellers who make ornaments by hand usually know these details and will answer a quick question. A clear answer is also a good sign about the seller.

Wooden Christmas ornaments

Wood is the widest category: turned beads, carved figures, laser-cut shapes and slices of branch with the bark on.

What to look for

Where the wood comes from. The Forest Stewardship Council runs the best-known label for wood sourcing. FSC 100% means all the material comes from FSC-certified forests. FSC Mix combines certified wood, recycled material and controlled wood. FSC Recycled means the wood or fiber is 100% recycled.

Solid wood or sheet material. Some laser-cut ornaments are cut from plywood or MDF, which are bonded with adhesives. Solid wood slices and carvings are just wood, so the listing should say which it is.

Finish. Unfinished or oiled wood keeps the grain and the simple end of life. Painted or varnished pieces last well on the tree, but the finish goes wherever the wood goes.

A plain wooden ornament can be sanded and repainted or restrung when it looks tired, which extends its life further.

Wool felt vs polyester and acrylic felt

Felt is a textile made from fibers pressed and matted together. The fiber decides how the ornament looks after years in a box and what happens to it at the end.

A crafter at Cutesy Crafts who compared felts by cutting and stitching them found that acrylic pilled the most and was the weakest. In the same comparison, 100% wool had the best strength, and the wool and rayon blend pilled the least.

Recycled polyester felt uses fiber such as Eco-fi, which Textile World reported in 2007 is made from 100% recycled PET bottles and used in craft felt. It keeps bottles in use, but it is still polyester at the end of the ornament’s life.

End of life. Woolmark, a wool industry body, says wool biodegrades readily when kept warm and moist or buried in soil, and that the rate varies with conditions. Clean, dry wool resists breaking down, which is why a wool ornament holds up for years in storage. An archived EPA home compost list includes cotton and wool rags. Rayon blends, glue, sequins and plastic parts change that picture, so only pure, undecorated wool fits.

Straw Christmas ornaments

Straw decorations have deep roots in Northern Europe. The best-known form is the Finnish himmeli, a geometric mobile of straw pieces threaded together, with versions found in other Nordic countries too.

thisisFINLAND, published by Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, says the best himmelis are made of rye, the grain with the longest and sturdiest stems. A well-kept himmeli can last up to a hundred years. Traditionally, one hung above the dining table from Christmas until Midsummer to wish for a good harvest.

Straw is light and brittle, so store these ornaments in a box where nothing presses on them. An archived EPA home compost list includes hay and straw, so a worn-out straw star with cotton thread can go into a backyard pile.

Pine cone ornaments

Pine cones are the simplest natural ornament. Many listings, though, sell cones sprayed with paint or glitter.

Look for the words “natural” or “unpainted” and for close-up photos. A painted or glittered cone looks festive, but it is no longer just a cone. For drying your own cones along with orange slices and other garden finds, see our guide to natural Christmas decorations.

Handmade Christmas ornaments

Many natural-material ornaments on eBay are handmade by small sellers. Handmade pieces vary slightly from one to the next, which is part of their appeal.

Good listings state the size and the exact materials, and show the actual ornament rather than a stock image. Ask about materials before buying if the listing is vague.

Safety around small children

Soft ornaments are a good fit for the lower branches of a family tree, but they are not automatically toddler-safe.

The CPSC advises keeping trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children who could swallow or inhale them. It also warns against trimmings that look like candy or food, which may tempt a child to eat them. Felt cookies, candy canes and gingerbread figures are popular designs, so hang them high if a toddler is around.

What happens to each ornament at the end?

The most important factor is how long you keep an ornament. A decoration used for 20 Christmases replaces many that would be thrown out. When one finally wears out, sources point to these routes:

Remove metal hooks and synthetic ribbons before composting anything. If you are unsure, your county’s waste program can say what its compost service accepts.

Mixing materials on one tree

Many trees combine a few vintage glass pieces with soft, unbreakable ornaments lower down. Our guide to vintage Christmas ornaments covers Shiny Brite and mercury glass bought secondhand.

Want to make your own? Our guide to blank wooden ornaments compares unfinished woods for painting and engraving.

Wooden and felt ornaments also suit trees that are not trees at all. See our alternative Christmas trees for wall and driftwood designs. For trees, wrapping, lights and gifts, start at the eco-friendly Christmas guide.