Environmentally Friendly Holiday Gifts

As you know, I’ve been on a mission lately to reduce my waste and impact on the Earth (I’m currently participating in the #icareaboutwaste challenge hosted by Sew in Love & Sustainable Wraps). That said, I’m sharing some gift ideas with you today – some to make and some to buy – your choice!

{Bonus points: wrap your gift in fabric with this tutorial}

To Buy

1. Beeswax wraps

Beeswax wraps are a great way to replace your use of plastic wrap – use them to cover dishes, wrap cheese, contain snacks, pack a sandwich, etc.

Buy: Sustainable Wraps

2. Wool Dryer Balls

Dryer sheets are not only wasteful, but toxic. I love my wool dryer balls and have been using them consistently for a few years.

{Click the image to read about how to use wool dryer balls and why you should}

Read more about how to use wool dryer balls here.

Buy: Woolzies seem to be very popular – and you can buy them on Amazon*.

3. A reusable mug or water bottle

By now, everyone likely has a reusable mug or water bottle, but not everyone has invested in a high quality version that will last them for years to come. Rather than treating them to a bottle whose cheesy quote will rub off on their hands before next Christmas, pick out a glass or stainless steel mug/bottle.

Buy:

For the minimalist: the KeepCup pictured above* (here’s a review of the KeepCup from Green Indy Blog).
For the color-lover: this silicon wrapped glass bottle*.
For the hip chick: this tumbler* with a straw & bamboo lid.
For the sporty guy: a stainless steel Klean Kanteen*.

4. Locally Made Soap

Stop by your local farmer’s market and you are bound to find a local soapmaker to support. My local favorite (and good friend!): Penny’s Naturals.

Pictured here: “Carolina Coast with real ocean water. Wadmalaw with green tea from SC’s tea plantation. Palmetto Rain made from rainwater.” – Penny’s Naturals

Buy: Shop Penny’s Naturals online here.

5. Glass lunch container

The Hubs and I switched over to using glass containers to pack our lunches in a few years ago and they are great. This frego container* is on my wish list – the silicone sleeve is the selling point for me (the Hubs has dropped and broken one of our glass containers already and it also protects your hands from the heat of the glass).

Buy: Shop Frego containers here. {You can find more ideas in this list of Best Reusable Lunch Containers from Mindful Momma}

More gift ideas:

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To Make

1. Reusable shopping bag

Here’s an easy tutorial from Sew In Love on how to make a shopping bag from a pillowcase.

2. Reusable sandwich/snack bags

I really like this tutorial because it doesn’t require any extra hardware/closures (no zippers, velcro, buttons, etc.) so you likely have all you need already in your stash.

Here’s a great article on how to choose food-safe fabric for your bags (also, cloth napkins from the thrift store are a great source!).

3. A catch-all bag

Technically, this is a sock knitting project bag, but the size is super handy. I made one with oilcloth as the interior fabric to use as a wet bag for the baby. The tutorial includes an option for two fabrics on each side of the bag so it’s a great scrap buster.

I’ve made several version of this bag (including the one above!) – you can read about another one I made in this post.

4. Gifts in a Jar

I absolutely LOVE gifts-in-a-jar! To make this gift environmentally friendly, use recycled jars (save your salsa/marinara/jelly jars, remove the labels with hot water+soap+lemon essential oil & a good scrub, then run them through the dishwasher). Buy your ingredients in bulk for extra environmentally-friendly-credit!

When reusing jars, you can paint the lids with chalkboard paint to disguise any labeling (& make the space usable for the future).

Inspiration:

Healthy, Edible gifts-in-a-jar from Veg Girl RD
6 Homemade Soup Mixes in a Jar from Wholefully
Spicy Black Bean Soup in a Jar
My favorite resource is my Vegan Food Gifts* book my MIL gave me a few years ago – see if your local library has a copy you can borrow–it’s a fantastic resource!

For more ideas, check out my Gifts in a Jar Pinterest Board!

5. Lotion Bars

Making your own lotion bars eliminates packaging entirely! Bonus: Make a drawstring bag (that can be reused!) for the lotion.

{Click the image to view the tutorial from Melly Sews}

Here is a tutorial from Melly Sews for lotion bars and a drawstring bag!

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Looking for more DIY holiday gift ideas? Check out my guide from last year!

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*This post contains affiliate links. If you use the link to make a purchase, I may receive a small compensation at no additional charge to you.

Author: Jordan Slice-Metcalfe

My name is Jordan. I'm a full-time working mom whose coffee cup is always half full (and probably still in the microwave). I've got a weak spot for rescuing old dogs, pretending pizza is a vegetable, negotiating dessert with every meal, propagating more plants than any home needs, dreaming of sewing projects while my husband is talking to me, and loving my tribe too deep. View all posts by Jordan Slice-Metcalfe

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