Green Gift Ideas for Every Occasion

Today you can easily find sustainable, green gift ideas that will thrill recipients without harming the environment or contributing to piles of disposable consumer products that are never used.

You can also make gifts more sustainable by choosing presents that come in minimal, eco-friendly, recycled or biodegradable packaging. Green gifts don't even have to be tangible. You could give a poem or a day helping a friend with chores. Your goal is to give a gift that will be used and appreciated while leaving a minimal impact on the environment.

Why Should You Give Green Gifts?
All too often, gifts we spend a fortune on end up unopened, unused, returned to the store, re-gifted or just thrown away. By being more careful about what we purchase, we can cut down on the amount of waste that ends up in our landfills every day. By choosing a green gift that is made of sustainable, renewable or recycled materials, you are making less of a negative impact on the environment.

Give Them What They Want and Need
The first step in green giving is to make sure you give something that is really wanted or needed. A gardener may want or need a new wheelbarrow, a reader may need a good reading lamp or an artist may need new paintbrushes. If you are unsure of what to give, you can always go with gift certificates, gift cards or cold, hard cash.

Gifts With Heart
Sometimes, giving the gift of yourself or your time can be the greatest and the greenest gift of all. For instance, maybe your mom would love nothing more than to spend a day with her daughter. In that case, give her a gift certificate that you made good for a Mother/Daughter Day spent doing her choice of activities.

Other ways you can give green gifts with heart are by donating money to a person's favorite charitable cause, or getting together with a loved one and spending a day doing volunteer work together.

You can also give green gifts you made yourself. Knit a scarf, sew a quilt, crochet a baby blanket, make a pair of earrings or create a homemade card. If you've never given someone a gift made by hand, you may be pleasantly surprised by the reaction. A handmade gift is a great way to show someone how much you really care because recipients see that you put effort into their gift.

Green Gift Ideas for Everyone
What can you give that is useful, wanted, needed or eco-friendly? Some practical green gifts include the following:

• Safe, reusable water bottles, which can replace the need for disposable water bottles
• Durable canvas shopping bags that can be used over and over again instead of disposable plastic bags
• CFL light bulbs that last longer and use less energy than regular incandescent bulbs
• Low-flow showerheads
• Faucet aerators
• Programmable thermostats
• Rechargeable batteries
• Solar-powered lights
• Solar recharger kits for batteries, cell phones or even for laptop computers

If practical green gifts aren't your style, opt for a present with a little more flair, such as a basket of edible goodies. Make it doubly green by including organic chocolates, cheeses, wines and locally grown organic fruits and vegetables.

Are you an awesome cook or a fabulous baker? Include some of your own freshly made breads, cookies, brownies, soups, dips, jams or whatever your specialty is. Another yummy option is a container full of dry mixes. Get a clear jar, and add layers of ingredients for cookies, chili, soup or breads. Just tie on an instructional card with a pretty ribbon and, voila, an edible gift. You can also give pretty bottles of flavored vinegars, oils or syrups; or jars of homemade jams, jellies, butters, dips, salsas and/or spreads.

If you have people on your list who seem to have everything, you still have plenty of options. Artists are creating wonderful and useful works of art out of recycled materials. You can find bowls made from recycled records, furniture made from recycled skis, high-end glass art, home glassware made from recycled glass and even jewelry made from recycled materials. From the simple to the mundane, you can find it made from recycled materials.

Still not sure what to buy? Everyday items are now available in green, eco-friendly and sustainable options. Sheets and blankets are made from organic cotton and bamboo, bathrobes are made from luxurious blends of organic cotton, hemp and bamboo, spa-quality bath products are made from all-natural, organic ingredients, kitchenware and utensils are made from bamboo, organic cotton, hemp and other recycled materials, and elegant writing journals are being made from recycled, tree-free and handmade papers.

Green Gifts for Kids
Have you ever noticed how young children will often discard their expensive fancy toy they just unwrapped so they can play with the wrapping paper or the box the toy came in? Why? Because they are fascinated by simple things they can transform in their mind into whatever they want. Kids love to use their imaginations. Give green gifts that inspire them: books, arts and crafts projects and supplies, dress-up clothes that can be bought from secondhand stores and board games. Skip the video games and DVD's, forget the plastic toys and give them old-fashioned fun.

Little girls would love a box full of hats, gloves, scarves and pretty costume jewelry to dress up in. Boys might love a box of cowboy hats, wooden swords, a tent or other gear that can be used for high-action situations.

Green gifts for kids can be made from used, recycled or organic materials. If you do go for new stuff, make sure it is something they really want, and also make sure it's safe. Try to pass on the plastic and go for old-fashioned (but new) wooden toys, or get stuffed animals made from organic cotton or other sustainable materials.

Wrap It Up
When giving a green gift, don't forget to wrap it in a green way. Using traditional wrapping paper defeats the purpose of giving a great green gift. You can forgo the wrapping paper altogether or make the gift part of the wrapping. If you are giving a home gift, wrap everything up in a pretty tablecloth, a nice fluffy towel or a decorative sheet. With a bath or spa set, use a bathrobe wrapped around everything tied with its own belt. A pretty scarf tied around a gift also makes a beautiful presentation.

You can reuse materials you have lying around the home as green gift wrapping as well. Old maps, bright comic strips from the newspaper, pretty magazine pages and even wrapping paper that has been previously used will work. You can even make your own wrapping paper from paper grocery bags, art paper and junk mail. If none of those options suit your needs, you can always purchase wrapping paper made from recycled materials.