Merry Christmas everyone! I have been more excited about this holiday season than any other so far. I love the Christmas activities and time spent with family but I am also very excited about the Christmas gift overhaul I’ve done this year. This year, I chose to prioritize sustainability in my gifts this year giving gifts that are homemade, natural, zero-waste, or local.
It’s a pretty broad theme so what do sustainable gifts actually look like?
I created a list of my 12 sustainable gifts for Christmas this year. This list is just what I gave family members and friends this year – it is by no means an exhaustive list of all things sustainable! There are so many different options sustainable gift giving that next year I will have a completely different list.
1st day of Christmas: Herbal tea blend
This is a relaxing blend of damiana, nettle, lemon balm, raspberry leaf, oatstraw, and rose. I usually package it in paper bags, glass jars, or tins. Include these essentials and it makes the perfect zero-waste gift for the tea lover in your life!
2nd Day of Christmas: Zero-waste kit
Everything fits into a small bag which makes it perfectly purse-sized. I’m giving one of these kits to the budding environmentalist in my life! Check out this post for how to put one of these bags together!
3rd Day of Christmas: Homemade candles
These are made with soy wax, organic hemp wicks, and essential oils. I also got all of the jars second hand for next to nothing. Don’t waste your money on toxic phthalate-filled candles – have fun making healthy candles your co-workers, friends, and family will love!
Day 4: Local practical art
I found printed tea towels and notecards made by local artists and inspired by nature. Finding practical items is a great way to add art to everyday life. One component of sustainability is a thriving local economy so supporting local artists and businesses is important!
Day 5: Environmental Working Group’s produce shopping guide
Most people cannot afford organic food 100% of the time so this guide shows you which foods are most important to buy organic! This is super handy to have in your purse or wallet whenever you go shopping and they make great stocking stuffers!
Day 6: Set of cotton kitchen towels.
These may seem like basic items but many kitchens suffer from an extremely wasteful paper towel addiction! I’m giving these paperless towels to start my family members on a lower waste lifestyle. Baby steps!
Day 7: Homemade treats
Who doesn’t like shortbread during Christmas? Especially chocolate cocoa nib and almond shortbread cookies! Almost all of the ingredients can be bought zero waste in the bulk section and they make great gifts for co-workers and friends plus the cocoa nibs are fair-trade!
Day 8: Bulk treats
Most bulk stores offer awesome sweets and snacks and it’s a gift that can be used up and enjoyed without worrying about unwanted clutter and breaking parts. It isn’t my cup of tea but I have a family member who *loves* black licorice and is thrilled to get his favorite treat every year!
Day 9: Lotion Bars
These moisturizing lotion bars made of cocoa butter, coconut oil, and beeswax that I got from a co-worker who got the recipe from Mommypotamus. Such a cute gift and perfect for the dry and cold winter!
Day 10: Homemade face mask
This mask is made from (bulk) oats and various dried flowers harvested from our backyard. Everything is ground in a food processor and the dry mix can then be mixed in with yogurt, rose water, honey, or a hydrosol of choice to make an ultra-soothing face mask.
Day 11: Gift certificates
This may not seem sustainable at first but gift certificates can be bought from local businesses like spas, yoga studios, music stores and restaurants supporting small businesses. Giving experiences also makes people happier than tangible gifts and a massage won’t end up in the landfill in a couple months!
Day 12: Homemade sore muscle rub
This has arnica and comfrey infused sunflower oil and beeswax and features over a dozen essential oils creating relief similar to icy hot! I’m giving this to my s.o. with the hope that he won’t see this until tomorrow morning 😉I’ll try to get a recipe of this put together soon.
There are a ton of other fantastic ideas for sustainable gifts but I am so excited about giving these gifts this year!
Comment and let me know what sustainable gifts you have given to others (or have received)! I would love to know how you’ve made your Christmas more sustainable!
