Go Green with These Five Economical, Earth Friendly Gifts

If you are worried about the environment, the economy (especially your own) and the many looming gift giving obligations in your future, there is no reason to panic. Here are five simple, cost effective and fun gift ideas to help you and your loved ones to go green (and you to save a little green, too).

If you are giving a gift to a gardening enthusiast, giving a green gift is a natural fit. My favorite gift to give a gardener is a simple terracotta pot (try the dollar store first) prettily filled with items like potting soil, seed packets, small garden tools, gloves, etc. If you can find a small bush or tree, this makes a nice addition (rosemary plants are attractive and smell great!). If you are giving this to an apartment dweller, consider making it an herb garden.

If your recipient has a sense of humor, give them the gift of manure. Let me clarify, before I get anyone in trouble here! New homeowners and gardeners know the importance of fertilizing. Manure is a good, recycled, green gift. It is available in bulk, in bags, or in cute little animal shaped statues that fertilize your plants every time they are watered (yes, I am serious . . . check specialty shops . . . these are hard to find, but worth the laugh). Stick a bow on a bag of manure, make a gift certificate for a pickup truckload of it, or wrap up your manure statue real pretty. Just make sure that your recipient is not the type to get offended and has a use for the manure.

Internet gift certificates are great green options. There is no paper to print out, the greeting and codes are sent by email, you can budget how much you want to spend (and there is no way to impulse shop your way over that amount) and there will not be any waste by giving an unwanted gift. Make sure you only give this to tech savvy people.

Homemade treats keep your cost down and limit waste in packaging. Reuse tins and jars you already own, and whip up your best candies, cookies, or whatever your specialty is. If you are not talented in the kitchen, consider giving mixes. Check out www.organizedchristmas.com for some easy mixes to give in reused jars. Although this is a Christmas site, the recipes work all year long. You can decorate your jars with whatever ribbons or fabric scraps you have around.

For gifts for kids, giving the gift of green living is a lot of fun. Put together a box filled with small plant containers, recycled paper for making signs for their recycling bins, a copy of 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth by The Earthworks group (an inexpensive, but fun, book that is available new and used at www.amazon.com). Give them gift certificates for your time to help them work on their new projects.

Keep the green theme going with your packaging and presentation. Use recycled or reused paper (newspaper even looks kind of good) to wrap gifts, reuse the fronts of old greeting card to make a sort of postcard greeting card, and reuse old bows from past presents to decorate your package.

Overall, just have fun and get creative! No matter what your gift recipient's politics, income, or opinions are, a thoughtful gift will make their day, so get out there and gift some green!