Tag Archives: christmas

Practical Green Gifts

It’s almost Christmas, but there’s still time to find gifts for those you care about. My favorite kind of gift to give combines green with practicality. It’s not always an easy combination, but finding it can be great.

You have to know, of course, what will be welcome. Giving CFLs is green and practical, but not everyone is going to appreciate being given light bulbs, no matter how much money they’ll be saving.

Reusable shopping bags can work. Interest in these has been increasing as cities look at banning or having stores charge for plastic bags.

A composter can be a great gift for the gardener in your life. You can find models that will work indoors or out, depending on the space available. It’s really amazing how much food waste happens just incidentally, as well as from failing to use food up soon enough. Seeds from Seed Savers would be another good idea.

Cloth diapers can be a great help to the expectant mother… says the expectant mother. If you know the type she wants, so much the better. You could also make some cloth wipes at home and include a recipe to soak or spray them in for use on baby’s bottom.

And of course, many of the ideas I gave in my post on Green Gift Ideas to Give to the Non-Green will work just as well for the enthusiastically green.

The most important key here is to think about what is needed. So many people have much more than they need, but you can probably find something practical and green, rather than something that will sit about, unused. Give it some thought and try not to rush into something just because you need to buy SOMETHING. Think about books you can give, gifts of time and other such things. Sustainablog has a great post on holiday gifts that keep on giving.

Keeping Christmas Lighting Under Control

Many families put up a lot of lights for the Christmas season. It’s fun, they’re beautiful. Not much more reason is necessary for most.

Too bad so many kinds are really bad for your electric bill.

Lots of people really don’t worry about the bill. They’re just enjoying the lights. But you can consider your bills and still get the pleasure from the beauty of Christmas lights.

1. Replace old Christmas light strings with LED light strings.

Depending on the theory you prefer, you can do this all at once, saving money on your power bill, or do it as strands die, spreading out the cost of replacements and being more sure that you aren’t overbuying. Both have their good points.

2. Limit the hours you leave the lights on.

This is especially important if you’re the typical family with no real reason to leave the lights on all the time. Turn the tree lights off for much of the day and when you go to bed. Turn off the outside lights off when you go to bed or set them on a timer.

Remember, outside lights look very pretty, but not many people are out admiring them at 2 a.m., even in the neighborhoods known for spectacular lighting displays.

3. Think about how many displays you need.

This can go beyond lighting. Go to any store that sells Christmas decorations and you can see just how much things have changed since you were a child. There are more decorations out there that can take electricity to run and light up on the inside. Think of the many inflatable outdoor decorations for example.

If you have a reason, that’s one thing. But if you’re trying to be good to the environment, extend the same thought to your decorations and don’t overdo it. You may be able to find other decorations that are still interesting, yet don’t require extra power.

Cutting back may not be fun, but simplifying does more than just save you money on your power bill and decrease the amount of carbon you are thereby putting into the air. It’s a great way to start focusing on the real reasons you are celebrating, whether it’s out of faith or simply because you enjoy the more secular side of Christmas and time with your family.

Greening Your Gift Wrap

One of the most difficult things about gift giving to green up can be the gift wrap. So much wrapping paper ends up in the trash every year. Wrapping paper is potentially recycleable, but many people don’t bother, and some of the papers can be challenging to recycle.

wrapping paper

So how do you make your gifts look beautiful without wasting so much?

  1. Buy recycled
    Gift wrap made from post consumer waste is out there.
  2. Reuse
    Any gift wrap that isn’t too badly torn can probably be saved for next year. With young children a lot will be pretty badly torn, but think as you unwrap your own gifts and save what you can.
  3. Make your own
    This is especially fun if you have kids. Get some butcher paper, brown bags, newspaper, etc., and get creative. Draw on it, stamp it, just have fun with it.
  4. Use a basket
    A good basket can be a lovely way to present a gift. Try to skip the plastic wrap like you see in the stores.
  5. Reuse gift bags
    Just like gift wrap, gift bags can be used over and over. In my family these can go back and forth for years.
  6. Make the wrap a part of the gift
    Get a cloth shopping bag and put the rest of the gift in it. Put gardening supplies in a garden bucket or watering can. Get creative.

Best of all, many of these ideas, including sometimes wrapping paper and gift bags, can be found at secondhand shops like Goodwill. People often don’t finish and sometimes don’t even start rolls. You don’t have to buy new if you shop early enough.