Earth Friendly Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your List
By Heather Merchant, Creation Care Team
Would you like a simpler Christmas with less stress, less waste and more joy? More focus on the meaning of the season, relationships and memory making? Green holidays start with thoughtful planning. Consider these ideas for fabulous gifts that are easy, enjoyable and earth-friendly:
Homemade Gifts from the heart – Baking cookies or sourdough bread shows you care enough to give of your time. Crafting is another great way to share your gifts, and possibly learn new skills like baking, sewing or woodworking!
Photographs preserve wonderful memories. Share a picture of you and a friend doing something together or maybe a favorite landscape or nature picture. Consider giving an old family photo new life via a fresh frame and mat. Digital pictures can make enjoyable screen savers for family and friends (help them install, if they need assistance).
Fun instead of things – Use points earned through credit card companies to plan experiences with family or friends. There is no greater gift than time spent together.
Smart home devices – The techies in your life might love saving energy with a smart thermostat or reducing water bills with irrigation controllers.
A subscription to a virtual learning or media platform – Life-long learners, music lovers and movie buffs will enjoy their favorite content anywhere, anytime, waste-free.
Gardening gifts – Give your favorite gardener something to enhance their outdoor experience. Consider wind chimes, hummingbird or bird feeders, or maybe a garden store gift card for spring planting expenses.
Support local businesses – Bellingham is home to many makers and small business owners. Their products and services make excellent gifts. Check out farmer’s and neighborhood markets for locally-made treasures.
Sustainable stocking stuffers – Reduce waste with items like stainless steel straws or bar soap. Beeswax wrap is a stylish, reusable alternative to foil and plastic wrap.
Eco-friendly gift wrapping – Don’t let gift wrap fill up your trash cart. Wrap ladies’ gifts in lovely scarves—a gift within a gift. Consider festive alternatives: fabric, old maps, unwanted wallpaper and comics.
In addition to honoring God, green holidays mean more joy, less stress, and more time to spend on the people and experiences that are most meaningful to you.
Merry Christmas from the Creation Care Team!
