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Feelgood Giving: Holiday Gifts for the Eco-Minded

An assortment of handmade gift tags.
An assortment of handmade gift tags.

This year, instead of a green gift guide, Jeff at Sustainablog hosted a Twitter chat where folks could pop in to talk about eco-friendly gift ideas. If you want to see what people were saying or add to the conversation, you can use the Twitter hashtag #ecogifts. There were some excellent suggestions, and it got me thinking about feelgood ways to fulfill my holiday giving lists this year.

Here are my ideas for green gift giving.

Activities

Rather than burdening folks with more stuff, why not give them a different sort of indulgence? How fabulous would it be to treat a loved one to a massage, facial, or spa day? Certificates for cooking or yoga classes might be fun for folks on your list, too!

Shop Local

Rather than hitting the mall or big box store, you can put your money back into the loconomy by shopping from small, local businesses. Local goods often have a smaller footprint than ones shipped from around the world, and you’re helping a small business owner thrive at the same time.

Buy Handmade

Buying handmade has a lot in common with shopping local. You’re helping to support an independent artist and getting goods produced on a small scale. You might even consider taking the handmade pledge this holiday season!

Charitable Donations

What’s more feelgood than a gift that gives back? You can make a donation in your giftee’s name to her favorite charity. These sorts of donations normally come with a card or certificate that you can give her, too!

Do you have any eco-minded gift ideas? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by stampinmom

Written by Becky Striepe

My name is Becky Striepe (rhymes with “sleepy”), and I am a crafts and food writer from Atlanta, Georgia with a passion for making our planet a healthier, happier, and more compassionate place to live. My mission is to make vegan food and crafts accessible to everyone!. If you like my work, you can also find me on Twitter, Facebook, and .

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