I have been thinking a lot about gift baskets in the past month. Mainly because my best friend is about ready to have her first baby and I wanted to get her something that would be useful for her but also be good towards the environment. Gift baskets can create a lot of unnecessary trash mainly because most of them that you might buy at the store have the clear wrap around them and include things that are already in packages. All of this trash can be cut down by making your own gift baskets and thinking about what is going into them. For my friend I have decided to buy a basket that she can later put things in for the baby and then buy stuff like cloth diapers, towels, soft toys not in packages and a photo album. This will cut down on trash and is a thoughtful gift for someone.

I was thinking the other day about high school and some of the things that we used to wear. That is when I first saw a seatbelt from a car turned into a belt. I was then thinking about how hard it would be to make them because it would be something I think my younger brother would enjoy, especially since he is very into cars. When I researched it, there where several ways to make them but it didn’t sound too hard so I tried it. It took a few times of trying to get them to turn out but I finally did get something that turned out to be a great belt. These are a great gift idea for anyone who either wears belts or likes cars, plus you are reusing something that would have otherwise just sat around in a junkyard.

Did you know that most wrapping paper is not recyclable? We spend fortunes on gift wrapping paper, just for a few moments of pleasure. Take a look at Furoshiki, the Japanese art of folding cloth for wrapping gifts. Using techniques similar to Origami, Furoshiki uses a collection of folding techniques to attractively wrap gifts.

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They do say that it’s the thought that counts, however, what’s the point in giving a gift that’s unwanted? If you’ve spent a fortune travelling to see someone (hotels and transport are far from cheap these days), you might not have the pennies to buy an expensive gift. So here’s a great eco-friendly alternative, present your loved ones with a Gift of Time.

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Part of the charm of holiday gift-giving is in the wrapping. But when I searched for eco-friendly paper and ribbon near my apartment, located in the center of Washington, DC, I couldn’t find any. It made no sense to give eco-friendly gifts wrapped with new materials.

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Eco Friendly Baby Showers are the latest trend in baby showers. A Green Baby Shower is a celebration of life. Demonstrate this theme by decorating with potted plants and natural resources. You can throw an Eco friendly baby shower by using Eco friendly products and baby gifts.

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