Julie’s eco-friendly gift guide

If you have no earthly idea what to buy that special someone for any occasion, think green! You will be able to give a gift all the while giving back to the Earth.

For food lovers, homemade goodies are always an excellent idea. Find recipes for jams, cookies, pies, butters, vinegars, sauces and oils. Place the treats in a tin and offer them, made with love. To satisfy a sweet tooth, give someone homemade hot chocolate mix with some marshmallows. Homegrown herbs and homebrewed wine are also thoughtful gifts. For the caffeine junkie, buy fair trade coffee with biodegradable filters and wrap it in a recycled coffee can. Organic herbal tea, presented in a cup is also ideal. For a sentimental gift, handwrite family recipes and offer a relative a homemade recipe book.

For nature lovers, give them birdseed in a wooden birdhouse, ceramic or earthen flowerpots, vegetable or flower seeds, a rare plant, a small bonsai tree or a nature calendar printed on recycled tree-free paper. For a more personal touch, take a photograph of a sunrise or sunset and frame it.

Eco-friendly gift ideas for new parents could include cloth diaper set, a free night of babysitting, an all-natural baby teething ring, their baby’s handprints/footprints in a frame, handwritten notes on parenting wisdom or a handmade knit.

Coupons for such things as a massage, breakfast in bed for one month or preparing an organic meal could make someone smile.

For children, buy handcrafted wooden toys. Stay away from plastic toys made from potentially synthetic ingredients. Try to buy toys made from sustainable, durable and recycled materials. Other gift ideas for kids are: homemade lollipops, handmade puppets, a cartoon drawing of them, handmade crown and magic wand or a 100% wool teddy bear.

If you’re crafty, try your hand at making handmade paper, recycled beeswax candles, bath salts and soap, a handmade wreath, ornaments or homemade organic play dough for kids. Jazz up some wine glasses and paint something on them or create a quilt out of old t-shirts.

Other great offerings, which won’t break your budget, are the gifts of time, services and lessons. Offer to shovel someone’s driveway, to do their dishes, to walk their dog or to clean their house, top to bottom, with natural cleaning products. If you have a special talent, offer lessons. Teach someone to play an instrument, to knit, sew, belly dance, paint or speak a foreign language.

With everyone’s busy schedules, the gift of time is priceless. Spend time with someone. Go skating, skiing or snow shoeing, have a movie night, host a dinner party, watch a hockey game or spend a day on the lake, ice fishing. Coupons for such things as a massage, breakfast in bed for one month or preparing an organic meal could make someone smile.

If your goal is to enlighten others on how to be green amidst all of the red, these gift ideas will surely encourage your gift recipients to become eco-friendly. Offer LED lights, used books with an LED book light, a book on how to go green, environmentally friendly cleaning products, energy saving light bulbs, a compost bin, an eco water bottle and energy efficient gadgets or gismos. Solar powered items are also gaining popularity. Offer solar powered items such as: a radio, a flashlight, a battery charger, panels, lamps, fans, etc.

For a personal gift, offer a loved one a jar of sunshine. Collect 365 nice thoughts and memories about a person and jot them down on separate pieces of paper. Put them in a jar and adorn with recycled ribbon. As the new year arrives, the gift recipient will be able to read a beautiful thought each day. A collection of photographs would also be a thoughtful present.

For the fashion-conscious lady on your list, clothing and accessories are always a good choice. Opt for organic hemp, bamboo, organic cotton or recycled fleece. Natural cosmetics or beauty products would also make great gifts. Try companies such as Burt’s Bees, Organic Wear makeup, Kiss my Face, Alba, Nature’s Aid and hemp products.

Other great green gift ideas are tickets to a local concert or theatre, a gift certificate to a local farmer’s market or a donation to a charitable organization. If you know someone who takes the bus to work, buy him a bus pass.

When wrapping gifts, use your creativity. Try using old maps, magazine pages, newspapers, recycled brown paper bags, sheet music, Sunday comics, a bandana, a towel or a blanket. Gifts may also be put into jars, cups, hats, socks, a lunchbox, a flowerpot or offered in an eco-friendly bag. Accent your gift with flowers, branches, beads, seashells, recycled ribbons, wire, yarn, leaves, pinecones, feathers, greenery or filmstrips. The possibilities are endless if your creative energy is infinite.

In order to find great bargains and recycle, shop at antique stores, flea markets, local shops and charitable organizations instead of big box stores. Support local artisans and purchase their artwork, pottery, photography, jewelry, knits, etc.

For great eco-friendly and all-natural gift ideas, visit these local stores: Village International, Durham Natural Foods, Paris Natural Foods, Tree of Life North, Organic Bodies: Pilates Yoga & Sensual Fitness, The Organic Salon, Eat Local Co-Operative, The Wellness Shoppe, Old Rock Roastery, Artists on Elgin and Nepal Handicrafts. Certain grocery stores also now have an organic aisle, where you will even find organic pet food.

A good thought to remember when gift shopping is: quality, not quantity.

Julie Chrétien is a Sudbury-based writer, metalhead, Bodhisattva, dreamer and artist.

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