Christmas is my favourite time of year. I adore the fairy lights and Christmas spice, but most of all I love giving gifts! For me at least, giving presents is a great way to show people how much they mean to you and share some lovely memories together. However, for as long as I can remember Christmas for most people brings stress because there is always so much to plan for and, as families grow, so many more people to buy for. When you are shopping for presents it is important to consider where they are coming from, how they are being produced and how much waste they will ensure. Will they last and are they use are also important questions to be asking.
For this blog, I want to bring back some of our festive joy around gift-giving at Christmas. We need to change the way we treat giving gifts and how we spend our money, but also where we spend our money. First of all, we need to buy less and be intentional about our gifts. What we need to stop doing is trying to fill space with small bits and pieces just to pad out the gift. Especially since this year has been a difficult one and many people have lost their jobs, we need to take the pressure off expectations around gifts.
One of the best ways to ensure you are buying gifts that don't cost the planet is to shop from local sellers and producers, as well as hand made or second-hand gifts.
But here is a list of hand-made artisan products and eco-friendly business to choose from that are online.
Candles
Lytchett Bay Soaps have a wonderful selection of Soy Christmas candles for £12.50
Happy Moon Atelier on Etsy has a lovely range of soy candles in seasonal and everyday scents for £9.90+.
Scents I am tempted by are Coco & Milk, Tobacco & wood and Rock salt& Driftwood.
Earth Candle Co have a wonderful selection of handcrafted sustainable and recyclable soy candles. For every candle you buy from the Earth Candle Co they plant a tree, so not only are you supporting a business who created sustainable candles but they also have a commitment to reforsetaion. These candles are handmade in Cornwall and prices range from £10-£18.
Their Ceder wood & Jasmine sounds absolutely delightful, but so do their Vanilla and wild fig!
Useful Gifts
Eco Girl is a great online store where you can find some useful gifts:
If you are looking for a gift for a furry friend they even sell Fair Trade Cat baskets (which was too cute for me not to include).
Scrubber Store also sells a natural deodorant but this time it is a stick in the scents grapfruit& mandarin, or Ylang Ylang & Rose. Prices range from £4.75-5.99. Use the Code PracticalGreen10 for 10% off!
Luxury Gifts
Mind Divine offers a lovely range of high end sustainable fashion to choose from.
Eco-friendly face masks starting from $14.50.
Handmade Jewlery in a range of styles and prices.
The also have a lovely winter selection of gloves and hats to choose from.
Pattern Village who sell ecofriendly dressing gowns made from recycled plastic bottles, are a perfect Luxury gift this Christmas! Their patterns are to die for and look like they can be styled in all kinds of ways. So worth a look.
Rena Roots, who make gorgouse luxury skincare, are a sustainable brand with a focus on the UN sustainable development goals. They are a great brand with a lot to offer in their ethics as well as lovely products.
Here are a few I love:
Rosanne Elizabeth (my lovely friend) has created some hand painted artizan Christmas tree ornaments being sold at Boxed Boutique. There are only a few and they are selling out pretty quick so click here to take a look and support a local creator!
Luna & Pearl is a beautiful Etsy store which specializes in hand made sustainable pearl jewellery. The reason I lobe Luna &Pearl is because their style is timeless and extremely versatile. But also very classy and I think this would make any of their products a great gift!
So happy Christmas shopping a I hope this was helpful! Sometimes just buying less and making sure that the few things you do buy are special or useful is all that matter. Merry Christmas and have a great festive season everyone!