Eco-Friendly Gift Giving — Miss Magnolia Says

So you're trying to be conscious of consumer culture, but you still need to get your friend a birthday/holiday/shower present. You want to celebrate your friend, but you don't want to hop off that eco-friendly train just for an obligatory gift that fits the norms.

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Well, we are here to think outside the Amazon box my friend! Keep on scrolling for some great eco-friendly gifts ideas.

Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Your Next Occasion

Sustainable wrapping

Maybe you decide to go with the traditional gift that you know your friend will love, but you just can't stomach using wrapping paper (trees).

Consider using newspaper or magazine pages to wrap your gift! You can even go the extra mile and cut out letters from the magazine for a cool name tag to adorn your eco-friendly gift!

Why buy something that is literally intended to be thrown away?

Another great reusable option are cute drawstring fabric bags. There are lots of great options online, or if you are really crafty, you can make your own!

Now your friend has something to wrap their next gift in too - a total win-win!

Assorted coffees and reusable mugs

Another great gift basket idea is to put together some fair trade organic coffees and a travel mug! Who doesn't love coffee?

Hydroflask and KeepCup are great brands for reusable travel mugs that your friend can take to their local shop for a fill up!

I have three sizes of Hydroflask bottles - a tumbler, a travel coffee mug, a 22-ounce water bottle (fits a cup holder), and a 40-ounce water bottle for hikes or the beach! They keep everything hot or cold for nearly an entire day - they’re amazing and that’s why I have so many! Reliable water bottles and coffee mugs are a must-have.

If you’re new to buying Fair Trade products, the logo you want to look for is pictured below - top right of the Newman's Own bag.

It's best to buy fair trade, especially with coffee, because coffee beans are often grown in countries that rely on this as a huge chunk of their economy, and you want to make sure the individual farmer doing the work is paid fairly.

Gift some clean beauty products

Maybe your friend has been wanting to try more green brands, but hasn't taken the plunge to clean out their medicine cabinet yet.

This is a great way to introduce some new options and share something you love!

Some of my favorites include The Honest Company mascara and their almond scented shampoo and body wash, Bare Minerals primer, and Raw Elements Zinc Sunscreen - because sunscreen is absolutely a beauty product!

Houseplants are for everyone

Listen, I cannot turn down a good plant.

I now volunteer to go on shopping trips with friends to help them buy plants, because I do not have the room for a single new plant and yet I cannot not buy plants.

Snake plants are my favorite - I have three varieties in my house! They are great air purifiers, are relatively low maintenance, grow very quickly, and make any space look approximately 400 times better!

If your friend is new to plant lady life, pick up a beautiful and low maintenance plant like a vining plant like a pothos, or english ivy.

If you’re looking for a one stop shop online to order beautiful plants for yourself or a friend, you need to check out Plants.com for the most popular plants for your home that ship perfectly!

Plants are my very best friends

Get crafty with some homemade greeting cards

One unique present that was actually gifted to me last year by my cousin, was a set of homemade greeting cards!

This was one of the best eco-friendly gifts I have received because she put so much time into making them, and I love sending snail mail!

If you have old cards in boxes from your Sweet Sixteen and beyond, you have a great stash of supplies to use to make a set of homemade cards.

You will need some cardstock or premade blank card paper, but you have creative freedom to cut the retro pictures and words from old cards and rearrange them into something unique and crafty that keeps on giving.

Green cleaners gift basket

This one might sound a little funky, but I've done it and always received lots of thanks! If your friend just got a new place, or maybe a new puppy, or is having a baby, put together a basket of your favorite green cleaners.

No one likes taking the time (and spending the money) to transition household cleaners to eco-friendly (and health-friendly) options.

So put together your favorite products and do it for them!

My favorite products are made by Seventh Generation, Thieves (made by Young Living - expensive, but smells amazing), Method, Mrs. Meyer's, and Simple Truth Organic.

Enjoy working your creative brain and finding some thoughtful gifts for your friend and the planet!

Comment below with your favorite eco-friendly gift ideas to share!

Creatively yours,

Emily Rose // Miss Magnolia