The Solarium inside the Campus Center came alive with the sounds of Christmas tunes, lively chatter, and the steady hum of sewing machines on Wednesday, Dec. 4. 

The Campus Sustainability Team hosted a DIY card, wreath, and gift-making event aimed at promoting a “green” holiday. The event encouraged sustainability by reusing materials and repurposing items that would otherwise be discarded.

This year, the team introduced a Repair Cafe with the slogan, “Mend, Don’t Toss.” Students brought in worn clothing, and volunteers with sewing skills were on hand to help repair it. 

Team member and science professor Andy Vermilyea was spotted next to a wheelbarrow full of brambles, skillfully shaping them into circles so they could make them into wreaths.

“Half of them (the grape vines) are from my house, the other half are from campus from cleaning out some places that were overgrown and going crazy,” said Vermilyea.

Team member Nik Buonocore-Villalobos was busy leading a crafting table, where students worked with recycled corks and other materials. 

“I had this huge box of corks at home, so I was thinking about crafts we could do with those,” she said, as she began working on her cork Christmas tree. 

“I am obsessed with sustainability, and I feel like we have so much in production already that if we really just gave it a chance to look around and use the things that we already have. Like, nothing on this table was purchased. The wire, the paints, the brushes, the corks, the glue, every aspect of this craft is completely reused. And I love that, it makes me happy inside,” Buonocore-Villalobos added, smiling.

The event also showcased materials sourced from the local community. Caitlin Gates, communications coordinator came from a makerspace organization in Rutland called The MINT to promote sustainability.  “We’re using recycled calendars to make garlands. Calendars are just so pretty and they’ve been coming out really well,” she said, while motioning to an example of the garland she had created.

VTSU Student Government Association member Zack Durr stopped by to show support.

“In SGA, we try to attend as many events as we can to support what students and faculty are doing on campus,” Durr said. “It’s cool to use sustainable practices and have fun while making holiday crafts.” 

Durr had hoped to make a craft for his girlfriend but wasn’t sure what it would turn out to be.

The “Repair Café” aspect of the event drew many students eager to have their clothes repaired instead of throwing them away. 

“If somebody has something that needs to be mended, we can help with that,” Vermililyea said. 

The event offered more than just a chance to make crafts. It was an opportunity to learn about sustainable living. 

“We thought we’d start with clothing because students have clothing,” said Greteina Johnson, who was one of the seamstresses assisting with the Repair Cafe. 

VTSU student Leah Smith reflected on her ideas about sustainability especially around the holidays. 

“When you give people personal and homemade gifts, they’ll remember it more than something cheap you got off Amazon,” she said. 

“People buy so many gifts, and this time of year especially, it’s like the height of capitalism. I think it’s great to incorporate sustainable gifts into the holidays,” Smith added. 

The Campus Sustainability Team, which includes faculty, students, and staff, is dedicated to cultivating a more sustainable campus and world. 

“Anyone on campus can be involved if they’re interested in sustainability,” said Vermilyea.

The event aimed to offer an alternative to the typical consumer-driven holiday season, showing that it’s possible to make thoughtful gifts without relying on mass-produced items.

The DIY card, wreath, and gift-making event was just one of the many ways the Campus Sustainability Team hopes to inspire students and staff to embrace sustainability. By encouraging the campus community to rethink waste and consumption, the team is promoting a more sustainable lifestyle year-round, Vermilyea said. 

The team meets every Thursday at 12:30 in the Geology lab and is planning to send out an email at the beginning of next semester for those interested. 

With the holidays just beginning, the team hopes that their efforts will spark a shift in how people approach gift-giving and consumption, encouraging everyone to find creative ways to reuse and repurpose.