Upcycled trash transforms into Christmas couture at Lougheed House

Eco-friendly Christmas couture and decor are lighting up the Lougheed House this winter season.

Each year, different Calgary interior designers get a chance to build on the house's heritage by donating their creativity and materials to make new interpretations of Christmas decorations in an old house.

This year, Calgary designers took an environmentally focused approach, withfour stunning dresses made entirely of found materials, as well as tree trimmings purposed out of compostable materials.

"We all want to make sure that our spaces are beautiful so that we can share them with our families, but a lot of what is communicated to us is about buying things new," explained Holleay Rohm, programs manager at Lougheed House.

"That can start to feel really unsustainable. So part of this was to be friendlier to the planet," she said.

"But also, it's a lot nicer on your chequebook when you're thrifting, and taking thingsand repurposing them or upcycling them. You get to have this beautiful space and not have the pain of the cost of it."

Coffee filters, packing material and feathers adorn this neck-piece, made from abent wreath.

Ikea lampshades make upthereflective cape shown here. Copper kitchen scouring pads have been strung together to create the belt around the hips.

A plastic salad container forms the structure of this wedding headpiece, decorated with elements shaped by heating egg cartons.

Dried, compostable orange slices make a colourful ornament for Christmas trees.

They also can be strung together to make a curtain, like this one.