Christmas Without All The Crap

We love Christmas! But we don’t love the frothing-at-the-mouth consumerism it comes along with… shopping sprees, unwanted gifts, overeating, higher electricity bills and a lot of waste. But how to avoid it? It is possible, and we came up with some ideas below. We wish you a cheerful and un-consumerist Christmas!

Gift ideas

1. Make something (e.g. home-made cosmetics, upcycled jewelry, cookies, etc.)
2. Find an eco-friendly gift from one of the shops in our directory 🙂
3. Give an experience, not a thing
4. Donate to a charity in your gift recipient’s name
5. No gifts at all!

Gift wrapping alternatives

1. A pretty piece of fabric, e.g. a dish towel to wrap kitchen-related gifts
2. Old newspapers, magazines or maps
3. A reusable gift bag
4. No wrapping!

Christmas tree alternatives

1. Decorate a ladder, or other Christmas tree shaped object in your house
2. Make an upcycled Christmas tree out of cans or other trash (if you have lots of time on yours hands… :))
3. Decorate a real potted tree, such as a small pine tree or rosemary bush
4. Decorate a tree on your balcony or in your garden (if you’re lucky enough to have one!)
5. No Christmas tree, just decorate your house (With LED lights and candles, of course)!

If you have other ideas, please share them below!

Photo: Keghan Crossland