Hello everybody! I didn’t think I would be able to post this year’s guide before December, but here we are, a couple of days ahead of time. While many people might always know what they are going to give their loved ones for the holidays, this guide might be useful for those who don’t, or perhaps later down the line; this guide isn’t exclusive for the Winter holidays. You can also look at the gift guides from the previous years, some of the recommendations are most definitely still relevant.
Of course, physical and material gifts should not be the biggest part of any celebrations, and the most important thing is to always consume consciously and not overconsume, that goes for “sustainable” gifts as well. I am a firm believer in experience gifts, second-hand gifts and giving donations to charity, so those are always on the top of my wish list.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Traditional Danish Christmas Food // Made Vegan
Grünbag laptop sleeve // Simplet soap and holder // Fairphone earpods // Pela phonecase // Bæredygtig Gourmet cookbook (DA) // Pasta drying rack //
ALSO CHECK OUT: WHAT IS MORE SUSTAINABLE? // natural vs fake Christmas trees
Ruby menstrual cup // La Papier lipstick // Elate palette // Recycled paper calendar // Underprotection bodystocking // Bastet Noir coat // Sustainable Badass // Cariuma trainers // Wild deo // Leaf shaver razor
ALSO CHECK OUT: 10 THINGS I DON’T BUY ANYMORE // how to celebrate Christmas sustainably
Experience gifts:
Gifts do not have to be physical things we wrap, they can be experienced, and honestly, these are my favorite gifts to both give and receive. I also always wish for experience gift cards and the like from people I know who will otherwise buy me fast fashion or electronics. It is a sneaky way of making sure your gift will be more sustainable too. Here are my favorite experience gifts
Restaurant vouchers // dinner party invitations // concert tickets // picnics // museum/theatre visits // hotel/spa experience // game night // fitness workshops // ceramic/painting workshops // talks/lectures // movie tickets // thrift shop shopping spree // hikes/camping trips // bowling // sewing classes
ALSO CHECK OUT: what I am giving my family for Christmas // sustainable + zero waste gift giving
Second-hand gifts:
gifts do not have to be new in order to be great, and actually, there are tons of pre-loved second-hand options when it comes to gift-giving. If you have to find a gift for someone who has a very specific wishlist, but you don’t want to buy the item from new because you don’t want to support the company, you can look on online second-hand fora or Facebook groups for people selling those items. In terms of vintage and generally preloved fashion, you can use Etsy, Depop, Zadaa, and other online platforms to find both specific things or to find inspiration.
ALSO CHECK OUT: 2020 SUSTAINABLE GIFT GUIDE // +50 green gift ideas
Homemade gifts:
another thing I love is making something for the people you love. Again, giving a gift does not have to be expensive new things, there are other ways of expressing love. If you have a specific skill like sewing, ceramics, painting, building, etc use that to make something personal. I love doing watercolors, and this year, I am painting both gifts and greeting cards for people. You can also make jewelry, or makeup (check out my recipes). You can also make planters and give green gifts, ooor something edible like a cookie mix, a voucher for dinner, or something fermented or pickled.
ALSO CHECK OUT: 2021 GREEN GIFT GUIDE // +50 sustainable gifts ideas + zero waste wrapping tips
Zero Waste Wrapping:
Giving a sustainable gift also comes with conscious packaging, as gift wrapping paper and ribbon often isn’t recyclable. Instead, there are a couple of different options, all of which cost nothing, or very little. The first option is to use what you have at home like scarves or kitchen towels as wrapping, generally, anything that can be reused. You can also use fabric scraps or boxes that you have laying around. If you have these things already, or if you don’t want to give them away that you have, they can often be found in thrift shops for next to nothing. You can also save wrapping that you get and reuse that, but when it breaks, looking into reusable wrapping options is a great zero-waste switch.
ALSO CHECK OUT: 50 SUSTAINABLE CHRISTMAS TIPS // zero waste decor, gifts, food & fashion
