Homemade Eco-Gifts for the Holidays

We recently looked at some good ways to green your holidays this year. However, we didn’t look at one of the most eco-friendly actions you can take – homemade gifts. Homemade eco-friendly gifts cut down on new materials (if you go with recycled ideas), are fun, cost less, and can be as eco-friendly as you like since you decide what goes into the gift. The problem with most homemade holiday gifts is they look homemade though. That said, there are plenty of options that look good and would make a great gift even for a picky, “I’m a snot about homemade gifts” type of person.

Following are some great ideas for eco-friendly gifts you can start making now, and by Christmas you’ll be good to go.

Reusable Garden Tote: Perfect for the gardener in your life, or mix it up, choose a non-garden design and make a tote or two for anyone.

DIY play kitchens that actually look amazing and professional but at half the cost of a store bought play kitchen. Best of all you can make most of them with recycled goods and non-toxic finishes.

This homemade sugar body scrub is so amazing, if you package it in a nice jar with a computer made label, your best friend will never guess that you made it at home. Lemon Bath Cookies are a good bet too.

Easy as pie Canning Jar Gifts – layer them carefully for a professional look and use organic goods.

Cinnamon Marshmallow Stars – not vegan! Cute though and would look amazing in hot cocoa.

For a great stocking stuffer try homemade chunky crayons made with recycled old crayon bits.

An amazing list of 50 edible holiday gifts you can make – some are super fancy. Make sure you use organics.

NOTE: If you want to make a homemade gift, and aren’t sure where to start, take an hour and browse Etsy. Etsy is all things handmade that you can buy, but it’s also an excellent place to gain some amazing inspiration for projects you could pull off yourself. If you need more tips listen to NPR’s broadcast about eco-friendly homemade gifts.

[image via stock.xchng]