Last updated on January 31st, 2023 at 03:57 pm
One way to make Christmas not only more sustainable but also less expensive than it would otherwise be, is to make your own gifts ( I may have talked about this before!!).
Now, when I was a kid, that usually meant making something out of cardboard that my parents then had to sneak into the recycling some time down the track when I wasn’t looking. I’m not saying they didn’t love receiving homemade gifts… but there is a limit to how many paper and cardboard creations one can sensibly keep in their house.
Luckily, it can be fun and super satisfying to make your own gifts while also providing the recipients with something they will actually use.
So, I had my assistant, Beth Hartley, put together some ideas for you (Beth has been helping me with Norwex all this year, and now she’s helping with Sustainable Suburbia too!).
Herbal Bath Teas
http://www.scratchmommy.com/diy-herbal-bath-teas/ – These herbal bath teas make a great addition to a hot bath, helping you relax and destress. With a variety of different blends, there are many different ways to soothe your body and rejuvenate your mind. They would make a great gift and are very simple to make!
Beeswax Candles
https://whatnomints.wordpress.com/2012/12/06/beeswax-candle-diy/ – Candles are always a great gift idea, but even better when you’ve made them yourself! Not only does it show that you put time and effort into your gift, but you can choose exactly what you want them to look like based on the style of jar you choose. These DIY beeswax candles have very simple directions to follow and would make a cute Christmas gift for anyone! (Also check out this post about why you should only make candles from beeswax)
Dream Pillows
http://frugallysustainable.com/homemade-dream-pillow/ – These dream pillows have a variety of herbs and blends to give you a restful night of sleep. They are small sachets to slip inside your pillowcase and would also be perfect for travelling. If anyone you know has trouble getting to sleep at night, this would make a perfect gift for them!
Crafty DIY Decorations
http://hercanberra.com.au/cplife/get-crafty-diy-christmas-decorations/ – These are more decoration ideas than gifts, but you may also know someone who would appreciate one of these as a gift. I love the Doily table runner…
Cute Felt Caterpillars
http://www.ikatbag.com/2009/05/caterpillars-or-donut-holes-part-1.html – Kirsten told me she made these for the Children’s Tent at her kids’ school Spring fair one year, but instead of the little beads between each round of felt, she used a tiny scrap of felt. This is a great way to use up felt scraps, and was super popular with the littles.
Shower Disks
https://sustainablesuburbia.net/what-do-laundry-and-coffee-have-in-common/ – These shower disks are another great way to relax in the shower, with many different oil blends depending on what you feel like. Another cute gift idea that shows you put thought and effort into what you did! (This page contains the different oil blend options to add to the basic recipe, click on the link within the article to see how to make the actual shower disks)
Hopefully this has got the creative juices flowing and given you some ideas for your Christmas gifts!
