Green Gifts to Celebrate the Season

If you haven’t found the perfect gift during the latest sales, you might want to check out some “Green gifts”. We are not just talking about the color of your gift, but how they are made and packaged. Find all the ways to give gifts to your loved ones but also to the planet.

What makes a gift green? There are a number of way to be Green:

1. Use Recyclable wrapping paper or boxes

2. Make your gift a Plant or Garden Related, or something from your kitchen

3. Hand make your gift. Use your talents to create a thoughtful gift through crafting.

3. Buy second-hand gifts (Check out the latest Buy a Bag of Book Sale at Parr Dec 11 – 19, 2021)

4. Give experiences not items. Tickets to a show or membership are wonderful gifts that sometimes get forgotten. If you want to keep it local be sure to check out membership/classes at Plano Parks and Recs or tickets to the latest events at Plano Art

To learn more be sure to register for our latest class on the topic Live Green in Plano’s Green Gift Guide hosted by the Sustainability & Environmental Education Division on Zoom at 11 am on Wed, Dec. 8, 2021.

Library Resources:

Databases:

Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center- EBSCO: A great online database that will help you find your next project!

Magazines:

BH&G Sustainable Home: This issue looks inside eco-friendly homes and offers inspiration for easy steps you can take, whether you’re building a new home, renovating, decorating, or just making a few upgrades with furniture, fabric, fixtures, paint, and appliances. Plus, take a first step into green landscaping and gardening—and live a bit greener every day with our little ways to make a difference.

Eco Living: More than just another lifestyle magazine Eco Living is delivering a real message, helping its readers to make discerning choices when it comes to purchasing homes, holidays, food and goods that will, by their nature, help nurture and ultimately save our planet.

EcoBalance LifeStyle: This magazine explored ways to bring balance back into our everyday lives through articles and features that encourage making the right choices within our environment.

Green Living Guide: Contains articles on how to live green in all aspects of life.

Gift Ideas and Decorating:

The Art of gift wrapping: 50 innovative ideas using organic, unique, and uncommon materials by Wanda Wen: From organic and eco-friendly wraps to lush and romantic presentations, the more than 50 projects and ideas contained in The Art of Gift Wrapping will remind you that it is as much fun to wrap as it is to receive. |Print|

The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan; Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously by Liesl Clark and Rebecca Rockefeller: In the spirit of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and The Joy of Less, experience the benefits of buying less and sharing more with this accessible 7-step guide to decluttering, saving money, and creating community from the creators of the Buy Nothing Project. |eBook|

Half-yard gifts: easy sewing projects using left-over pieces of fabric by Debbie Shore: Contains 22 projects to sew and give away, each made using less than half a yard of fabric. The book contains gifts for all your family and friends: the projects range from pincushions, bags and paperweights to aprons for budding chefs, kneeling pads for gardeners and tool belts for DIY-enthusiasts. |Print|

Homemade holiday: craft your way through more than 40 festive projects by Sophie Pester: Bring the magic of a handmade Christmas into your home with 40 projects for gifts, decorations, and homemade wrapping paper. Save time and money with the festive craft projects in Homemade Holiday. Clear, step-by-step instructions guide readers to create fresh flower garlands, bake edible gift tags, make homemade bath salts, and paint authentic tree ornaments. With last-minute ideas and lots of inspiration, this book will help you wrap up gift-giving and decorating for the holiday season |Print|

Knit green: 20 projects & ideas for sustainability by Joanne Seiff: Offers tons of information and ideas on everything you need to be a more environmentally conscious knitter. From sourcing materials locally and using organic products, to supporting fair work and fair trade programs, ” Knit Green “is a tremendous source of information to help you tailor your craft to your convictions. |Print|

Live Green; 52 Steps for a More Sustainable Life by Jen Chillingsworth: Live Green tackles all areas of your life from your cleaning routine, home furnishings, food shopping, fashion choices, natural beauty and Christmas, and has all the ingredients to help you achieve a more sustainable year. From making your own eco-friendly cleaning products, buying vintage furniture, making your own moth repellent and improving your natural beauty regime to creating a capsule wardrobe and creating your own ethical Christmas decorations – discover how to get the most out of life by living with intention. Live simply. Live Green. |eBook|

Mending with love: creative repairs for your favorite things by Noriko Misumi: Mending With Love shows you how to apply embroidery, patching, darning, felting, stamping and a little crochet to worn pieces of clothing or household items. Instead of stowing or throwing away damaged pieces that hold happy memories, you can employ these beautiful and sustainable ideas to give them a new life. |Print|

Mini knitted cosmos: over 40 woolly aliens, rockets, planets and other astro-knits by Sachiyo Ishii: Knit your own fabulous cosmos with this delightful book! All the projects are quick and relatively simple to make, with very easy techniques to follow. There is a step-by-step section on how to sew the figures and animals together and the patterns are all suitable for competent beginners. Including full-size templates and more than 40 simple knitting patterns, this is all you need to make your very own knitted cosmos. |Print|

Raffia crochet: 10 contemporary crochet patterns with raffia yarn by Wool and Gang: From a versatile tote to a desirable clutch, a stylish sun hat to a hardwordking phone case, the 10 patterns included in this book are all made using Wool and the Gang’s Ra-Ra Raffia yarn in a range of colours. And once you’ve finished your crochet, you can try your hand at embroidering onto the projects in a contrasting raffia colour. With step-by-step guidance and clear illustrations, you’ll be a raffia master in no time and ready to hit the beach! |Print|

Recycled paper projects by Marcy Morin: Don’t recycle that magazine or old gift wrap-re-craft it! Nature-inspired jewelry hangers, earth-friendly journals, funky window suncatchers, and more are just a snip, fold, or stitch away. Turn old paper into new, one-of-a-kind eco-creations with more than 10 fun crafts. |Print|

Sew eco-friendly: 25 reusable projects for sustainable sewing by Debbie Shore: Sew 25 stylish, reusable projects to help reduce waste. Sew more, waste less. It’s never been more important to be mindful of what we consume. This book will help you to make 25 small but meaningful life swaps to help reduce waste and live more sustainably. |Print|

Woodcraft: master the art of green woodworking with key techniques and inspiring projects by Barn the Spoon: Looking for a simpler, more natural way of working with wood? Create beautiful wooden objects from fresh green wood by becoming skilled in the crafts of whittling, ax-based furniture making, turning, and weaving. With green woodworking there’s no need for costly materials and machinery. All you need to begin crafting is a log, an ax, and a hand knife. Starting with selecting and splitting your very first log, let Woodcraft show you all the techniques of green woodworking and guide you step by step through a series of rewarding projects. |Print|