Looking for thoughtful gifts that don’t cost the Earth — or your conscience? My Christmas gift guide is full of sustainable, ethical and personal gems that support small businesses whilst caring for the planet and its people.
Homemade gifts
Whether it’s rusks, cookies or sweets – there is no better gift than a homemade one. I love baking a few different biscuits or homemade sweets and popping them in a glass jar or old tomato punnet. One of my favourite homemade gifts is my White Chocolate Rocky Road. It is easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.
Another great homemade gift is a framed drawing or painting. Get the budding young artist in your home to draw a picture and frame it – granny and granddad will love it.
Recipe box
This year I will be treating the foodies in my life to a recipe box. Choose an interesting recipe you know the person will love. Print the recipe and fill a box will all or some of the ingredients, depending on your budget. What I love about recipe boxes is that it is wonderfully personal plus you aren’t burdening someone with a gift they don’t want. Why not add a bottle of wine that will pair well with the ingredients in the box.
A beautiful bottle of South African Wine
Speaking of wine. For those who like a festive tipple there is no better gift than a beautiful bottle of South African wine. Hang a pretty Christmas decoration around the bottle or pop the bottle in a reusable gift bag (I bought this fabric one from Mr Price) and you’ll have the wine-lover in your life smiling. Keep an eye out on my blog for my favourite wines for summer and the festive season.
Secondhand books
The only thing better than gifting someone a new book, is gifting them a secondhand book. I especially love giving people second-hand recipe or gardening books. Giving a second-hand book is not only a great eco-friendly choice, but you just might also kickstart a lifelong fascination into a subject.
Adopt a bee hive
What says ‘friend of the earth’ louder than taking care of a bee hive? A small but mighty move that will help protect our planet’s future. Adopt a hive from HoneyBee Heroes. Their Adopt A Hive initiative offers individuals and businesses the opportunity to help honeybees by adopting a hive.
Journalling notebook
Few things clear my head quicker than a good journalling session, or as writer Julia Cameron calls them; “morning pages”. She says: “Each morning, as we face the page, we meet ourselves. The pages give us a place to vent and a place to dream.” A beautiful notebook from Upcycle is the perfect gift for the writer in your life. They also have a wide variety of up cycled products that make for beautiful Christmas gifts.
Gift certificates and vouchers
Here are a few great ideas for those family members and friends that fall into the ‘impossible to buy for’ category.
Gift certificates for services or experiences, like a manicure or a theater ticket, make for great gifts and can be very personal if you put some thought into them.
A voucher for a workshop is another great sustainable alternative to traditional Christmas gifts. Not only will you not be burdening someone with something they might not want or need, you will also be giving them the opportunity to learn a new skill. Why don’t you also buy yourself a voucher, tag along and make some memories.
xxx
