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Going Green: DIY Holiday Gifts

vpetersen
Explorer B

The holiday season is now upon us as grocery stores and shopping malls are decking their halls with red and green trinkets, reminding us, and our wallets, that it’s time to think about what to give our loved ones. Although sometimes stressful, the holidays don’t always have to put a dent in the bank. Thanks to websites like Pinterest and Etsy, you can find ideas to refurbish just about anything to make unique gifts your friends and family will love. Also, by making your own snazzy gifts, you’re helping out the environment by keeping older materials out of our landfills.

I decided to embark on my own do-it-yourself (DIY) project and make a Southwest-spirited gift for one of my Co-Hearts.  After fiddling with our signature Southwest peanut and pretzel bags, I came up with the idea to make a Southwest Trail Mix in a cute, eco-friendly container. Using decoupage, I pieced together a collage of our peanut and pretzel bags on a ceramic jar. Next, I filled the jar with the peanuts and pretzels, as well as raisins and Southwest colored M&M’s. After tying a red ribbon around for the finishing touch, my easy and unique gift was finished! I am not usually a very crafty person; however, I had so much fun making this inexpensive and Green gift. Here’s the finished product: 

DIY

DIY 3

Here are a few other DIY gifts that are sure to delight anyone who receives them:

  1. Homemade Sugar Scrub: Mix one part extra virgin coconut oil and two parts white sugar to form a liquid paste. Add essential oils for scent, such as peppermint oil, which would give your scrub a holiday twist. Place the scrub in any unique jar you may have around your home and tie a ribbon around the top for a personalized touch.
  2. Ribbon watch: Have an old watch you never wear? Even if you don’t, older watches can be easily found for this gift at thrift stores or pawn shops for only a few dollars. Remove the face of the watch and tie a colorful ribbon to make the band, preferably the gift recipient’s favorite color or design.
  3. Layered Cookie Mix Jar: Who doesn’t love an edible gift? Start by finding a one-quart smooth Ball jar. If you don’t have any jars at home, your local craft store, such as Hobby Lobby, sells them for right around a dollar. Next, pour in your favorite cookie recipe mixings, creating layers of each. I personally like to combine all of the white mixings, such as flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and then stack the layers by color of ingredients. For a custom touch, create and print out a label for your cookie jar and tie a ribbon at the top.
  4. Wine Cork Coasters: This gift can be enjoyed by many as it can add uniqueness to anyone’s home. Simply gather and cut 19 wine corks in half. Next, super glue them in the shape of a hexagon. Once the glue has dried, wrap and glue a colored ribbon around the edges for added strength and beauty. This will produce two coasters; however you can always make more. Throw in a bottle of wine to take this gift one step further.

Whatever you decide to purchase or make yourself this holiday season, make sure to Gift Responsibly by checking the labels of items to make sure there weren’t any toxic materials used to make the product.

Do you have any Green DIY gift ideas? Let us know by commenting below or e-mailing green@wnco.com! DING! You are now free to be Green!