Zero Waste Christmas Gifts

Christmas is a time for giving, but how do we give without creating more waste. The simplest way to reduce waste is to keep the gifts experiential. A voucher for a class or maybe a massage or a day out can all be wonderful gifts to receive.

Another way is to make gifts at home. This reduces the packaging and is fun to do. I have some ideas below to get your creative juices flowing. They are all very simple to make.

Storage Containers with a Twist:

A great way to give a gift of a glass storage container is to place some bulbs inside. For this you will need a few bulbs, about a cup of stones and a glass container.

Fill the stones about 2 inches in the jar.

Fill the jar with water to the top of the stones.

Add about 3 bulbs. I like Paperwhite Narcissus the best as they are the sweetest smelling.

Leave to sit until Christmas and when you see the water drop, just add a little water. You want the bottom of the bulb to be touching the water.

After the New Year the bulbs can be composted, the stones re used and the jar filled with some food produce.

Sweet Treats:

I love giving edible presents. Making sweets is my favourite. There are loads of recipes out there for great fancy sweets. I kept it simple and quick. For this you will need 1 bar of 85% cocoa chocolate bar, 1 cup of shredded coconut and 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.

Melt the chocolate on a double boiler.

Add the coconut

Add the cranberries

Mix together

Place a tsp of mixture on a plate and let it set

This mixture should make around 36 sweets.

Place them in small glass storage containers or little reusable boxes lined with brown paper.

Homemade Beauty Products:

There is nothing like getting a homemade beauty gift and these sugar scrubs below are super easy and quick to make.

You'll need 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup melted coconut oil and 10-15 drops of your favourite essential oil or a mixture of a few.

Add all the ingredients together and place into a glass jar. Once the coconut oil has set you can stab the mixture with a fork, just to mix it all up.

Decorate with some garden foliage and twine.

A Plant from a Plant:

Clipping off a plant and regrowing is a great way of using what you have and sharing with others. Get one of your house plants and clip off a shoot that is diagonal to the main stem.

Next place in water until you see some roots grow and then place in some damp soil.

Decorate with some burlap and twine. The receiver can enjoy watching the plant grow. The money plant is a sturdy plant that transplants easily so if you have this one , it's great for people who aren't the best at looking after plants.

These gifts are just a few ideas of what you can do. Keep it simple and homemade and you can keep the waste low.

Thanks for reading.

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