This year, give your loved ones gifts that are both thoughtful and kind to the planet. Check out these eight sustainable gift ideas for everyone on your list.
If you’re looking to shop more sustainably this year – good for you! Along with buying secondhand gifts and gifting handmade presents, supporting eco-conscious and ethical brands is a great way to celebrate the season while lessening your impact on the environment.
Whether you’re looking for something small to stuff in a stocking, or something a little more luxurious – I’ve got you covered with these eco friendly gift ideas.
And because being sustainable means so much more than buying things made of natural or recyclable materials, this list also focuses on how you can support small businesses, talented artisans and BIPOC-owned brands.
***This post has been updated and therefore some of the products I selected for the original post are no longer available. The links to these products have been replaced with links to similar items. Each one still carefully curated be me!***
Hope you find that perfect something for all your practically-perfect someones!
Handcrafted Candle Gift Set
Where to Buy: Bluecorn Beeswax
Who to Buy it For: Candle-lovers and lovers of things that just smell great.
Why It’s Sustainable: Pure beeswax scented with essential oils like eucalyptus and lavendar, handmade in Colorado in a facility powered by 100% renewable energy. Bluecorn Beeswax also plants trees and offsets their carbon emissions.
Price: $$
Organic Cotton Sheet Set
Where to Buy: Boll & Branch
Who to Buy it For: Those who love to go to bed early, sleep in late, nap – or just really deserve a great night sleep (i.e.: new parents).
Why It’s Sustainable: Boll & Branch’s sheets are made ethically from 100% organic cotton, meaning made without the use of harmful chemicals in factories that prioritize the wellbeing of workers. Their products are shipped in recycled paper packaging.
Price: $$$$
Trees Planted in Support of “Entreeprenuers”
Where to Buy: Click-A-Tree
Who to Buy it For: Treehuggers, nature-lovers and people who either already have everything or who don’t like to receive material gifts.
Why It’s Sustainable: No I didn’t make the “entreeprenuers” pun up by myself… but I wish I did! Click-A-Tree came up with the clever name for the people who attend their entrepreneur school – which is funded every time you pay for a tree to be planted. When it comes to green gifts – a planted tree is the greenest!
Price: $
Zero Waste Book
Where to Buy: Earth Hero
Who to Buy it For: Those who are interested in the zero waste movement or are already living a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Because there’s always room for improvement!
Why It’s Sustainable: Not only do the contents encourage sustainable living, but the book itself is made of FSC recyled paper and printed with soy based ink.
Price: $
Linen Oven Mitts and Pot Holders
Where to Buy: Etsy
Who to Buy it For: Family and friends who love to cook, bake and accesories their kitchen with pretty yet practical things.
Why It’s Sustainable: Handmade by small brand MeetraLinen our of 100% linen. Linen is a highly-sustainable fabric made from flax and actually biodegrades faster than cotton.
Price: $
Need help choosing eco-conscious furniture and decor for your home? That’s what I’m here for!
Handpainted Organic Cotton Tote
Where to Buy: Indigenous
Who to Buy it For: Lovers of fashion, accessories and those who just appreciates good bag to carry their stuff in.
Why It’s Sustainable: Made from organic cotton by women of Peru’s Shipibo community. Each bag is handpainted with a unique pattern that honours the Shipibo women and their way of life.
Price: $$
Ethically-Made Earrings
Where to Buy: Itemerie
Who to Buy it For: Someone in your life who is very special that appreciates the finer tings in life.
Why It’s Sustainable: Handmade in LA from 14K gold and natural pearls and shipped in recycled packaging. Plus Itemerie offers customers the opportunity to plant a tree in order to offset shipping.
Price: $
Handcrafted Mugs
Where to Buy: Made Trade
Who to Buy it For: Those who live for that first sip of coffee or tea in the morning. (That’s me!)
Why It’s Sustainable: Made Trade carries mugs in all kinds of shapes, sizes, colours and patterns. The one thing they all have in common? All Made Trade products are carefully chosen because they were ethically produced with environmental impact in mind.
Price: $-$$
Limited Edition Art
Where to Buy: Minted
Who to Buy it For: Those who love art and love their homes. This print in particular would be perfect for a new mother.
Why It’s Sustainable: The talented artist – Anna Leonhard – is just one of many Black creatives you can find on Minted. Supporting BIPOC artists is one important way you can contribute to a more diverse – and more sustainable – future. Furthermore, Minted has made a pledge to move to 100% recylable packaging by the end of 2021.
Price: $-$$$$ (Depends on print size.)
Organic Cotton Hoodie
Where to Buy: Organic Basics
Who to Buy it For: Family and friends who love clothing, love being cozy, or love discovering cool sustainable brands.
Why It’s Sustainable: When it comes to eco-conscious fashion, Organic Basics is the top of the top. Cutting edge sustainable materials, highly ethical and environmentally responsible manufacturing practices, zero waste packaging – and a ton of transparency. Yup. Organic Basics has it all.
Price: $$$
Woven Hanging Baskets
Where to Buy: OurCommonplace
Who to Buy it For: Plant-lovers, lovers of natural home decor and all the aspiring bohos in your life.
Why It’s Sustainable: Made from jute and wood by Fair Trade female artisans in Bangladesh. All shipping (and returns!) are carbon neutral.
Price: $$
Cork Tech Holder
Where to Buy: Ten Thousand Villages
Who to Buy it For: Friends and family who love their tech – or who just really like staying organized.
Why It’s Sustainable: Handcrafted by artisans in Columbia out of cork – which is stripped from the tree without harming it.
Price: $
Wool Weighted Blanket
Where to Buy: Vivaterra
Who to Buy it For: Those with sensory issues, those who love to stay warm and those who appreciate a beautiful throw blanket.
Why It’s Sustainable: Handmade by Peruvian artisans from pure Highland wool. And while wool isn’t vegan – it is still a natural, fully biodegradable material that has a smaller carbon footprint tan other natural textiles such as cotton.
Price: $$
Recycled Sari Journal
Where to Buy: Welljourn
Who to Buy it For: Writers, doodlers, dreamers and any other creative type in your life.
Why It’s Sustainable: Made from used saris handselected by artisans in India, these journals also contain handmade paper.
Price: $
BONUS: Custom Sustainable E-Design Package
Where to Buy: Here on Of Houses and Trees or over on my Etsy shop.
Who to Buy it For: Friends and family who just bought a new home, are renovating, or who love pinning and liking beautiful homes online – but aren’t sure how to make their decor dreams come true.
Why It’s Sustainable: All furniture and accessories selected for my custom design packages are made by sustainable brands or are handmade by small business-owners.
Price: $$
Have fun shopping for sustainable gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa – or whatever else you celebrate this holiday season!
What would you buy for a loved one who loves to be eco-friendly? Let me know in the comments!
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Originally Posted on November 10, 2021 (Last Updated on November 9, 2023)
Former architectural technologist. Current treehugger.
I’m here to help you green your home – and your life.
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