Eco-friendly Gifts for Christmas

Here are some ideas following a year of awareness around our home on what we could recycle, reuse or make ourselves to cut our carbon footprint. While continuing to simplify our lives we discovered we can do with a lot less than we thought. Following are some old and new ideas for a green Christmas starting with our Tree!

The Christmas Tree

• In the Fall, search for a living tree and pot it for taking indoors when you are ready to decorate. Pick a tree that will suit your family for a few years. If you have downsized pick a small Charlie Brown style tree which can be planted in your yard
• Use tree ornaments with sentimental value (from grandparents)
• Or add your own natural pine cone or other homemade decorations which can later be composted
• Use home made paper or popcorn decorations

The Card & Containers

• We noticed that the number of Christmas cards we receive each year is dwindling to be replaced by email Christmas wishes. Emails are relatively environmentally friendly and save many trees being cut down to make cards and envelopes. Stamps to mail 6.5 billion greeting cards (all occasions) are bought in the US each year at a cost of $7 billion. A lot of revenue for the US Postal Department. It is good to be thought of at Christmas and an online newsy letter with a photo is always welcome
• During the year "save" any paper which could be recycled as Christmas wrap.  Also use recycled (cotton) ribbons to tie gifts or try recycling clean newspaper or magazine pages as gift wrap
• Containers, tins, boxes can all be reused at Christmas time
• To make gift tags buy (new) recycled cards to cut down as gift tags (use fancy scissors to cut edges)

If you are crafty

• Write a message on a rock or shell from a special place to you and the recipient eg: a beach
• Sew an easy apron with a person's name sewn on it
• For the cook in the family: During the summer make apple sauce or closer to Christmas make up your own seasonings for gift baskets
• Knit a knee quilt out of recycled materials or knit from wool
• Use recycled kids alphabet blocks to make a Christmas word (glue together) i.e. Joy, Laugh, Love, etc

Make one of a kind gifts

Take a course and learn to make special gifts:

• Make some (natural products) soap, hand cream, etc
• Learn to make beeswax candles
• Craft unique one of a kind jewellery

Recycled Gifts

This is a little more challenging as many people do not feel this is right - some exceptions to the rule to consider :

• A special book(s) that is out of print, difficult to find, collectible or First Edition (signed by the author is even better)
• A family painting or art work
• Heirloom jewellery
• A collection of "old" photos in book form with names, dates and family stories

... best wishes for preparing ahead for a Merry Christmas. Be encouraged and flexible with yourself and others.  Very best wishes.

Regards, Liz

Gifts of time and love are
the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.
~Peg Bracken

Links & References

• Reminders to help you enjoy the holiday season
• Long Distance gift ideas for Christmas
• Giftwrap plants in cello with lots of ribbon. Gift baskets galore
• Sew an easy gift quilt for young and not so young
• What to do - Christmas is coming
• The history of the Christmas card

Update: December 2018

• Christmas is a challenging time for those on a diet or maintaining weight loss. There are low carbohydrate options available including zero or 90% sugar-free chocolate and cocoa
• Older recipes in Caramel & Parsley often have added sugar in them so high sugar recipes have been taken from this article but are still on CaP. Best to bypass or limit quantities of "sweet treats"
• If you have Type 2 Diabetes or are on a Low carbohydrate diet please watch this video by Dr. David Unwin 
• An article from an ex T2 diabetic (Dec 2018) International Diabetes conferences