11 Creative DIY Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Green Gifting

Posted by Neha Agarwal on

 Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Green GiftingImage Credit : istockphoto

Sustainable gifts are the latest trend in the gifting world because they contribute to a healthier and more sustainable planet. When you choose eco-friendly gifts, you make a conscious effort to reduce your impact on the environment, preserve natural resources, and support ethical production practices. In recent years people have become more aware of sustainable living and one of the best ways to reduce plastic usage is by going green while you gift a dear one for any occasion. Choose plastic-free gifts in sustainable packaging like organic gift baskets or choose upcycled gifts like DIY planters, and DIY jars for your gifting needs. In today’s post, let us share with you some creative DIY eco-friendly gifts for green gifting.  

Upcycled gifts from objects lying at Home

You might have a ton of things lying at home which you can transform into something unique. Let’s take a look at some up-cycled gifts that you can make.

#1 Cork  and CD Coasters

Remember the stash of CDs and DVDs which are no longer in use Make something creative out of CDs and wine cork stoppers.

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.   Old CDs
  2.   Stick on papers
  3.   Markers
  4.   Old cork stoppers
  5.   Washi tape
  6.   Glue gun
How to make it?
  • Wrap compact discs you no longer use in non-slip gift paper or stick-on paper.
  • You can add your creativity to draw and decorate them.
  • Glue in a few cork stoppers to form a circle.
  • Wrap a washi tape around it to make it look pretty and rustic.

#2 Key chain Holders with old Cutlery

Key chain holders made with old cutlery like spoons and forks can be creative eco-friendly gifts for housewarming. By repurposing old cutlery, you are also preventing it from ending up in a landfill and reducing the need for new resources to be used to create new products.

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.   Pieces of cutlery - spoon or fork,
  2.   Pliers
  3.   A key ring
  4.   Drill machine
How to make it?
  • Use the pliers to bend the handle of the cutlery into a loop that can be used to attach the key ring.
  • Use the drill to make a hole at the end of the handle where you want to attach the key ring.
  • Attach the key ring to the hole in the handle.
  • Your key chain holder made with old cutlery is now ready to use!

#3 Mobile Charging holder with an old shampoo bottle

One of the easiest upcycled gifts for a friend can be a mobile charging holder made from old shampoo bottles.  These eco-friendly DIY projects are fun and ensure you are following zero-waste gifts. By upcycling an old shampoo bottle, you can give it a new life and prevent it from ending up in a landfill.

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.   Empty plastic shampoo bottle
  2.   Scissors
  3.   Craft knife
  4.   Marker
  5.   Paint or Marker Pens
How to make it?
  • Take a clean and dry old shampoo bottle, and use a marker pen to mark where you want to cut the bottle. For example, you can cut off the top of the bottle to create a small container.
  • Use the scissors/ craft knife to cut the bottle along the marked line.
  • Paint the bottle using eco-friendly paint to give it a new look.

You can hang this as a mobile charger holder. You can also give this kind of up-cycled gift to store small items like jewellery, hair ties, and makeup items.


DIY Recycled Gift Ideas 

#4 Glass Bottle Planters

Have you noticed how many empty glass bottles you might be hanging in your kitchen cabinet? Old bottles of ketchup, beer or even wine? These can be very good recycled gifts. Let’s see how

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.   Empty Glass Bottle
  2.   Twine
  3.   Plant cutting
  4.   Water
  5.   Paint - optional
How to make it?
  • Wash and clean the empty bottles.
  • You can paint any design if you want or keep it transparent as it is.
  • Fill it with water
  • Add a plant cutting and let it grow in the hydroponic method

Some plants that can be propagated in water are the Money plant, Snake plant, Wandering Jew, Philodendron, Monstera, ZZ plant etc. These plastic-free gifts are best when you have a party at home and want to give eco-friendly gifts to your guests.

Glass Bottle PlantersImage Credit : istockphoto

#5 Old Crayon Recycled Gifts

You will be surprised to know the number of DIY projects you can do with old crayons. These up-cycled gifts using crayons can be colourful and quirky. You can easily create a rainbow layered candle from broken wax crayons.

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.   Old crayons in different colours
  2.   Old glass jar
  3.   Wick
How to make it?
  • Separate broken crayons by colours.
  • Prepare a glass jar with a wick at the base.
  • Melt them on a double boiler one colour at a time.
  • Add layers of melted wax crayons in the jar to make rainbow-layered jar candles

These recycled gifts are fun projects to do with kids. The sustainable packaging of this jar candle ensures you are living a green life and giving plastic-free gifts. They are a creative option for birthday return gifts.

Old Crayon Recycled GiftsImage Credit : istockphoto

#6 Mason jar Lanterns for Diwali

We are looking for ways to go green on Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. This Diwali re-uses your fairy lights or candles in the most creative way and gift near and dear ones mason jar lanterns. They are easy to make, and they also add a stylish and personal finishing touch. 

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.       Mason jars
  2.       Spray paint (in any colour you like)
  3.       Lace/ribbon
  4.       Jute twine
  5.       Glue gun
  6.       Old metal hangers
How to make it?
  • Spray paint the mason jar in the colour of your choice
  • Straighten the metal hangers and wrap them around the neck of the jar to make a lantern handle
  • Decorate the mason jar with lace/ ribbon/ jute twine

Your mason jar lantern is ready. You can add fairy lights, or place a candle or an earthen diya inside to bring in the festive feel. These eco-friendly gifts are also good for parties, home décor etc.

Mason jar Lanterns for DiwaliImage Credit : istockphoto

#7 Plastic container Planter for Garden

Have a friend that loves gardening? What is better than gifting a self-watering planter made from plastic containers? These recycled gifts are the best ways to ensure plastic containers do not reach landfills.

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.   5-litre plastic container – (like an oil container or, water container)
  2.   Craft knife
  3.   Soil
  4.   Plant seedlings
How to make it?
  • Cut a plastic container in half.
  • Invert the top part and make holes around that part with a heated knife.
  • Fill the bottom part with water.
  • Place the top part in an inverted position so that the holes in the container are submerged in water.
  • Add soil and plant a seedling.

Plastic container Planter for GardenImage Credit : istockphoto

DIY Sustainable Gift Ideas 

#8 Sugar Scrub & Bath salt for the beauty-conscious friend

Have a friend who is beauty conscious and loves organic beauty products? Then a homemade skincare range with a sugar scrub and bath salt is the perfect idea for zero-waste gifts. Pack these beautifully in organic gift baskets or use sustainable packaging to make them look aesthetic.

Materials you will need for this DIY

For Bath Salt

  1.   Epsom salts/ sea salt
  2.   food colouring
  3.   essential oils

For Sugar Scrub

  1.   Coarse sugar
  2.   Essential oil
  3.   Vitamin E
How to make it?
  1.   Take an airtight glass jar each for bath salt and sugar scrub
  2.   Fill it with the respective ingredients
  3.   Write a sweet note on the jar

Your eco-friendly gifts are ready for your special friend.

#9 DIY Potpourri

Going for a housewarming party and want to take something handmade and meaningful? How about making a DIY Potpourri with herbs and spices available at home?

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.   Glass jar
  2.   Spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise
  3.   Herbs – rosemary, rose petals
  4.   Fruit peels – dried orange peel
  5.   Essential oil – lavender/ orange
How to make it?
  • Add all the ingredients to a jar
  • Add essential oils
  • Seal the container and allow it to sit for up to 6 weeks
  • Keep it in a cool dry place
DIY Potpourri

Image Credit : istockphoto

#10 Handmade Paper Greeting Card

No gifting is complete without a greeting card and cute gift tags. How about making them from the scratch? Making handmade paper is super easy and one of the best zero-waste gifts.

Materials you will need for this DIY

  1.       Old/used papers (magazines, newspapers, notebooks, etc.)
  2.       scissors
  3.       Plastic netted piece
  4.       Butter paper
  5.       Clothe
  6.       Large bowl
  7.       Water
How to make it?
  • Tear old paper and soak them in water overnight
  • Use the net to form a square or rectangle using the pulp you have now
  • Place I on butter paper with the pulp side down.
  • Take off the net carefully
  • Allow it to dry for 6 hours

 

Your handmade paper is ready to become a greeting card or a letter for someone. Making biodegradable gifts like these ensure you are recycling and reusing materials than throwing them away. These are biodegradable greeting cards and you can add some vegetable seeds to the handmade paper so that they can give a new life when left in a planter.

#11 Gift hamper with eco-friendly gifts

You can create a gift hamper with eco-friendly gifts in organic gift baskets. Some of the products that you can add to your hamper are reusable water bottles or coffee mugs, bamboo utensils, reusable grocery bags, stainless steel straws and much more. Use sustainable packaging to keep in line with zero-waste gifts.

Eco-Friendly Gifts

 

Take Away

Eco-friendly gifts promote sustainable living and are safe both for your dear ones and the environment. Remember little things like sustainable packaging and Green Gifts Box when planning a gift for a friend or family.  You can always opt for organic gift baskets or order eco-friendly gifts online to make conscious gifting. When you choose products like reusable water bottles, shopping bags, or food containers for gifting you are choosing sustainable living over misusing material and resources. Today you have e-commerce sites offering green gifting right from recycled gifts and biodegradable gifts to sustainable packaging. Choose a gift that will bring a smile to your dear one’s face and also will make the environment happy.

Eco Friendly Hamper

 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What to gift someone who cares about the environment?

  1. For an environment-conscious person, look for gifts with minimal packaging, and opt for plastic-free gifts. You can give them sustainable gifts like handmade soaps, handmade bath salts etc. Wrap their gifts in sustainable packaging

What are green gift ideas?

  1. Some of the green gift ideas are recycled products like - products from recycled paper, recycled cloth, and upcycled products  You can also gift sustainable items like plants, metal straws and mugs etc.  

What do you get someone who is zero waste?

  1. Living a zero-waste lifestyle is a choice and they prioritise recycling and reusing over throwing things away. Ensure you are gifting them plastic-free gifts in sustainable packaging. For example - Gift them handmade beauty products in glass jars that they can reuse. 

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