A 100% eco-friendly Christmas
We’ve made up our mind! This year, we’re going to enjoy the festive season in harmony with Mother Nature and local know-how, all without sacrificing pleasure. From a DIY Christmas tree to artisanal decorations and gifts, here are a few ideas to break away from the norm!
To the cedar forest for decoration
The Cedar Forest in Bonnieux is the largest of its kind in Europe! Its majestic trees welcome us on the northern slope of the Luberon massif.
We therefore have a 250-hectare site where we will find a thousand and one materials on the ground (you must not pick anything) during an energising walk to take home to make our Christmas decorations.
Extremely on-trend, homemade items are also just the thing for all the little ornaments in our home sweet home as the festive season approaches. This year, we have decided to create our own Christmas tree and there’s nothing better than a trek into the Cedar Forest to gather pieces of wood of different lengths, pine cones and other fruits from intensely aromatic resinous trees, small red berries (be careful, you can’t eat them!). Set off to explore and find inspiration along the way, admiring the magnificent views from the crests. Here we find a spruce stem, there we gather small pieces of bark from scented tree species… Back at home, we arrange the pieces of wood and tie them together with a nylon thread to form the outline of the tree. Patience and dexterity are required! Then we decorate it with all the little pieces gathered during the walk with the help of a glue stick, and we dress the whole thing with small LED fairy lights (yes, we’re giving up on candles! ).
And there we have it: an original, 100% green tree that takes up very little space and above all is very eco-friendly!
A few gifts made in the Vaucluse
We are counting on the know-how of our Vauclusian artisans to spoil our nearest and dearest. From treasures of the terroir to local and artisanal goods, there is something to suit everyone! Here’s a little list to guide you in your purchases.
Brun de Vian-Tiran fabrics: Shawls, scarves and blankets, all crafted in high-quality fibres (alpaca wool, merino, llama, etc.) offering pure warmth and softness.
Candles: In Roussillon, Il était une flamme offers a whole range of artisanal scented candles. In L’Isle-sur-la Sorgue, the master candlemaker Confidences Provence creates natural GM-free artisanal candles. In Gordes, l’Alchimiste & La Fée produces hand-made scented candles with plant-based soy wax and Grasse fragrances or essential oils. Likewise, 36 Chandelles in Gargas designs healthy candles made solely from plant-based ingredients without pesticides and hand-poured.
Chocolate delights with master chocolate makers: Aline Géhant (Avignon), Castelain (Châteauneuf-du-Pape), Chaloin (Puyméras) and the eco-friendly artisan chocolatier Nacao (Carpentras)
Lavender in every form: find all the 100% natural products derived from lavender (home fragrance, pillow mist, aromatherapy set, candles, etc.) in the Lavender Museum’s shop in Coustellet, the organic family distillery Aroma plantes in Sault and the Agnels distillery in Apt.
Wines and spirits: a land of wine, the Vaucluse offers some of the best crus (Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Séguret, Gigondas, Beaumes-de-Venise, etc.). Also don’t forget pear brandy from the Manguin distillery along with craft beers brewed in the Vaucluse such as Ventoux einkorn beer or lavender beer (St Jean de Sault). The Vaucluse has a host of micro-breweries to discover. And soon we will be able to enjoy Château du Barroux Whisky.
Scented candles 
Chocolates 
Lavender detergent 
Manguin distillery
Learn how to make cocktails
To stand out, making your own cocktails is a good idea for the festive season
To help us to get a clearer picture, Fari distillery in Vaison-la-Romaine offers a mixology workshop based on its elixir. Share as a couple or with friends!
