Of course the most sustainable thing to do is either not buy gifts or make donations to charity (which is also a great idea to suggest as a gift if you don’t need anything) however, most of us to love nothing more than to receive a thoughtful gift be it large or small. The point is the thought that’s put into gifting.
My Christmas gift buying has definitely dwindled with children growing up and families and friends drifting away. For me, I absolutely to give a gift so i always put thought into what I buy. This might mean buying something a person wouldn’t buy themselves or investing in a smaller but better quality gift.
I have pretty much managed to only buy from independent businesses over the last few years and with sustainability in mind for sure. I also tend to start my buying early to ensure i never panic buy. If i see something i know a person will love I’ll get it and put it in the present box! This also makes it far easier on the pocket. I make sure to have a note on my phone about who/what I’ve bought and update each time, i always write a rough budget for each person.
When buying gifts for woven store, I am obviously drawn to things I would like to receive myself!
I have curated a small selection of thoughtful gifts at what I believe are reasonable prices for the quality of the items. All of which are either sustainably crafted, handmade, Fair Trade, natural + organic apothecary, support traditional crafting techniques. There is a story behind each one and they are all useful. I think that’s the key in gifting.
I definitely think it's worthwhile making a wish list so there are no unwanted or wasted gifts.
I absolutely love wrapping and love to set aside time to plot up with my foraged materials and get creative. There will be a video demonstrating how we wrap on Instagram in December.
Alby x