Green Gift Ideas for a Merry Christmas

Green Christmas presents are gifts that conserve resources, cut back on waste and energy use, and contribute to a clean environment. With a little creativity, you should be able to think of all kinds of ways to make Christmas gift items or ornaments with green or recycled materials. Not only will this save energy and waste, but it can save lots of money too so that you can give as much as you possibly can to those you care about. Here are a few time-tested and appreciated ideas that are easy to put to together for friends, family, or teachers. Maybe they can even spark ideas for other things that you can do.

Clay Ornaments

An easy to make creative gift that is also eco-friendly is a clay ornament. All you need to make the dough is flour (two parts), water (one part), and salt (one part). In that ratio of 2:1:1, mix the ingredients together, knead for a minimum of 10 minutes, and then roll out the dough to cut out shapes.

Before baking, it’s a good idea to put a hole in the top for hanging, and make it larger than you normally would because the dough will shrink in the oven. Bake them at 325 degrees F., for about one and a half hours. They are fun to paint and decorate and you can get the kids involved too. The possibilities for clay ornaments are as limitless as your imagination. When they are finished you can put them in a festively decorated recycled box.

Gift Baskets

Everyone loves to receive gift baskets. They are also easy to make as well as eco-friendly. The basket itself can be a recycled basket, container, or wrapped cardboard box. Children’s artwork can make attractive wrapping for gift baskets. If your children have produced more artwork than you can use, you can shred extra to be used as bedding to hold the gifts.

Just about anything can fill a gift basket. It can be themed to fit the interests of the recipient. Gifts that anyone would love include homemade candy, jams, or cookies. Natural, organic lotions or bath products would make a nice gift for teachers. Children can always help to make gift baskets or containers. Aluminum cans can be covered with a photo or painted to make a nice pen holder. Shoe boxes can be recycled and decorated to hold treasures too.

Natural Wreaths

At Christmas time, many people like to hang wreaths on their mantel or front door. They can be easy to make for an attractive gift that is environmentally friendly. All you need to do is collect some dried twigs and evergreen branches from a nearby park or the woods. You might be surprised at your creativity in arranging them, and you can add stringed berries or ribbon for color. The best part is the materials are entirely biodegradable.

There are many creative ways to create green Christmas gifts that help save money and the environment. Get your green on this Christmas and try a few.