Squeezed moms are bemoaning the yesteryear habit of loading up on store-bought toys, since this year, budgets are tight. Fortunately, with creative ingenuity, gifts can be memorable, green, and low-budget.
Go for quality. Louise Klein, a native British Columbian, surprised her graduate school friends by serving them proper English tea at a picture-perfect table set with stunning china. She explained that at each gifting occasion, her frugal farm-wife grandmother had presented her with a matching tea cup, saucer, or serving piece. By the time Louise headed out on her own she was the beaming owner of these lovely heirlooms. Going for high-quality, enduring items is the greenest strategy around.
How about kicking off a tool chest or tool belt collection? That’s the custom of Kim Ethridge’s Annapolis, Maryland family. Dad gives each child a new tool each Christmas. And presumably along with the tool comes one-on-one demonstration time to learn its use, a gift which lasts a lifetime.
For moms who can wield a sewing machine, whip those surplus T-Shirts into bags. EarthCreations, an American eco-fashion company, provides instructions: just cut off the sleeves, turn the shirt inside out, and stitch the bottom closed. Fancier versions can use two t-shirts, for a reversible bag. This is a great use for outgrown, favorite clothes, giving them a new life. It also makes a creative, reusable gift bag.
Bubble paper is fabulously entertaining for kids. Save a large sheet from a shipment, or ask for one from your local Freecycle . Especially if the gift is for young children, make sure to deliver it in person. Put silver dollars inside, way more impressive to little ones than a gift certificate or larger check. Then watch the children stomp on the bubbles, make hilariously loud noises, wrap themselves in it, turn it into a tent or an evening gown, creating their own games. The idea that children “need” manufactured toys and games is a myth perpetrated by retailers. Children just need the raw materials!
A really cheap, really lasting gift for a child who lives far away is a video read-aloud. Two friends or family members team up, one videoing the other reading a story; the book can come from the library for free. Ham it up: the narrator can wear a funny hat, use some props, and change the main character’s names to the recipient’s. Upload it to YouTube, and an excited child can watch it over and over and over again. And no shipping charges apply!
To measure your carbon footprint and see great ways to reduce your see the Carbon Counter .
