No one likes getting the same cookie-cutter presents every holiday. If someone you love loves the environment, growing their own vegetables, or just likes saving money, gifting them something eco-friendly can go a long way.
Here are some useful tips and guidelines for finding the most meaningful “green” present for the special environmentalist in your life.
Pinterest and Etsy
First thing’s first: where to look? Major online vendors like Amazon and HGTV will always have good selections, but for the most exclusive and specialized presents, there’s no better place to look than Pinterest or Etsy.
By buying through these sites, you can help support small businesses and creators who might not have the exposure necessary to make it to the front page of a larger website. Plus, you’ll have access to a more diverse pool of gift options that aren’t just the best sellers.
Upgrade The Garden
Trying to earn bragging rights? No judgment. If you’re looking to impress, take a crack at giving your green thumbed friend a gift for their most treasured space: their yard or garden.
Try finding eco-friendly gardening supplies like buckets, pots, or windowsill planters that use recycled materials.
Giving plants as presents isn’t everyone’s idea of a great gift, so tread lightly with this idea. You don’t want them to feel like they’re getting responsibility for Christmas. But if you know they’ll love it, make sure you get them the right plants for their environment.
Amaryllis is a classic winter gift; it grows during the cold seasons, works indoors and outdoors, and can regrow year after year. For low maintenance plants, check out cactuses or bamboo; they don’t damage easily in transport and don’t need much water. If the recipient is up for the task, invest in something that they will be able to use as more than decoration. Gift herbs or vegetables that grow well in winter, such as onions, garlic, peas or asparagus. Micro-garden kits are a guaranteed hit that covers all the bases.
Start Small
A full refurbish might be too much to ask for a holiday gift, but even the littlest items can make a big impact on how green a house can be.
Fairtrade gift baskets are easy to find, popular, and often involve chocolate. These work well for gift givers who don’t have a ton of time to peruse the wares of Etsy’s organic community but still want to express some thoughtfulness in their present.
Tired of the smell of canned Lysol? Help get rid of that chemical stink with candles. Eco-friendly handcrafted and homemade candle sellers widely populate the common websites we mentioned. Look into organic or natural beeswax candles to stave off stale synthetic fragrances.
Any object that is made with plasticware or wraps typically will have alternatives. Coasters, cutting boards, and bowls all work just as well when made from wood. Be careful not to assume that wood means good; dig a little deeper, and find products that are sustainably harvested and finished with natural oils.
If the recipient is open to ditching their precious Tupperware, abeego wraps are a trendy, reusable way to store food and help the environment.
Get Crafty
Nothing gets the environmentalist’s heart fluttering more than repurposed furniture. If you’d rather spend time instead of money on your holiday presents, create something useful out of the scraps in your garage.
Cabinets, coffee tables, dressers, and doors can all be recycled to make eco-friendly furniture that sets your loved one’s decor apart from the crowd. That old dresser in your kid’s room? Pull out the drawers, turn them into decorative wall mounts. Extra picture frames in the attic? Throw them over some corkboard and add hooks to make a gorgeous jewelry display. The internet abounds with ideas; your only limitation is how skilled you are with a hammer.
Home Improvements
If you’re looking to help them out inside the house, there is a ton of room for green improvements within the walls of a home.
If they don’t have them already, LED lights for any fixtures in the home are a good eco-friendly alternative to incandescent lighting. LED’s can last as much as 50 times longer than incandescents, making a lower bill at the end of the month the cherry on top of this gift.
If LED’s aren’t enough, eSun solar powered indoor lights can be used instead of traditional skylights to bring natural sunlight indoors. They’re not only better for the environment, but they display everything in the home in their natural, non-filtered full spectrum color.
Find The Best Green Home Technology
Contact us today to see how we can help make your home greener, healthier and cheaper this holiday season.
