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aedm week 3 :: greening up my gift giving & a holiday swap




this year for the holiday season, my goal ls to try to go as green as i can with my gift giving. charlie brown is so right, the holidays are too focused on commercialism. art everyday month has really helped me start thinking of fun gift ideas i can make, and how to create them in the greenest way possible. i have so many craft supplies that i have accumulated over the years, and i am always saving things that i think i might be able to reuse someday. this year, since i have everything out in front of me because of our move, i am going to put it to good use...lots of fabric, great papers, bits of trim, and yarn and beads, little canvases and scraps and do dads. my goal is to make something for as many people on my list as possible. any gifts i do have to buy i want to make sure it is a gift with a conscience or bought from a fab indieshop. here are some of the things on my gift giving list...

broken bits of crayons remade into these great swirly coloring discs

leftover yarn made into fun knitted patchy scarves

collaged glass jar candle lanterns

recycled containers decorated for live holiday plants or flowers

fabric covered boxes for homemade yummy treats

ornaments made of shells and seaglass and beads

cd's filled with a mix of favorie tunes and podcasts

cozy quilts and blankets

handmade stationery sets tied with ribbon

tiny painted paper mache bowls and boxes filled with one of a kind jewelry

gift tags made from recipe cards and holiday colored paint swatches

photographs in thrifted frames

planting a tree in honor of someone special

brightly colored bohemian totes with a book tucked inside

canvas market bags decorated with iron on prints of my son's art

gift certificates for things to do rather than to buy

sending holiday postcards sans envelopes (saves on postage too!)

using recycled paper giftwrap and boxes and bows

shredding old bills and junk mail for packing mailing boxes

i vow to not get caught up in the frenzy of the buying and consuming this year. it is important now more than ever to teach my son the meaning of the holiday season, and that giving from your heart is what makes a gift special.

also in the spirit of creating and giving and sharing and greening up, i would like to host a green holiday gift swap. if you would like to participate, your gift should be something you have made, recycled or renewed, not something you bought. it does not need to be anything too elaborate, just a token of the season. leave me a comment here with your email addy by this friday and i will add your name to the pool. once i have all the participants, i will draw all the names from a hat to match you up and email you with the name and address of your lucky gift recipient. spread the news of the fun because the more the merrier, and most of all have fun spreading the cheer!


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