There’s a reason we look forward to festivals – there’s lots of good food, you get to dress up and meet up with family and friends. But there’s another fun part to celebrating – gifts! Giving gifts are just as much (or more) delightful as receiving them, especially when they’re something that brings a smile to the recipient’s face.

In this post, we’ll tell you all about the eco-friendly gift ideas you can indulge in this festive season. Not just for yourself, but also for your friends and family.

4 Eco Friendly Gift Ideas for the Festive Season

1. Gardening

Let’s literally go green with gardening tools and accessories! No matter how small a person’s home is, there’s always space for a little potted plant. Even the ones without a green thumb can manage a succulent! There’s a lot to choose from in this category – gardening tools, potted plants, seed packets and more. Herbs are something most people welcome, considering they use it in everyday cooking. If your gardener friend already has all the essentials, go for some bird feeders or pretty accessories in the shape of lady bugs or butterflies. You’ll find many made from clay and other green materials. There are also ready made eco-gardening kits that are available, maybe that can be another option to consider as a gift.

2. Personal Care

There are several brands for personal care products that are easy on the environment and many of these are socially responsible too. They’re fair-trade, employ local workers, use organic ingredients and don’t test on animals. The prices are slightly steeper than your regular drug store brands. But when you think of all the carcinogens you’re avoiding, it’s worth it! Got a tight budget this year? No problem, you can make your own – soaps, lotions, balms, scrubs, masks and much more! Just make a few different products in a similar fragrance theme and pack in a little basket with a bow – a beautiful, eco friendly handmade gift!

3. Kitchen

When you think of green living, one of the first places most people start with is the kitchen. If you look closely, there’s really a lot of plastic in your kitchen that you can replace with fabric counterparts – grocery bags, drawer liners, produce bags, sandwich bags and even food covers! Fabric products are washable and reusable, and make your kitchen look pretty too! Other options are products that promote green living, like sprout makers, wooden or clay utensils and vegetable baskets.

4. Home Decor

Home decor is one of those categories that are often done to death during festival time! But you don’t have to go the vase-clock-picture frame route, just go green! There are so many interesting pieces of home decor available today, many of which are made with recycled paper, wood and glass. You’re also certain to find things that are made of nothing but garbage! The sky’s really the limit here, but some fun options are aromatherapy sets including candles and incense sticks, desk sets including pen stands and photo frames as well as personalized decorative trays. Again, if you want to save some money and make it more special, make it yourself!

It’s not just about eco friendly gift ideas, it’s also about eco friendly gift wrapping! Use up old wrapping paper, newspaper, your child’s leftover book wrap or even fabric! Make it prettier with bows of fabric scraps, lace, jute or burlap. By making a little extra effort, you can be sure to give your loved ones a gift that they’ll never forget!