Every year, the question of the perfect gifts for Christmas comes up again.
To get them, 80 million Germans suddenly order parcels online like world champions. This is an extreme burden for the postal workers and also harmful to people and nature due to the increased emissions. In addition, the packaging produces a lot of plastic waste that could be avoided.
The pressure to buy expensive and extravagant gifts often dampens the mood in the run-up to Christmas. This diminishes the joy of the festivities themselves... and as we all know, anticipation is the best joy! With our ideas for sustainable Christmas gifts you'll not only give something special but also do something good for the environment and don't feel the usual Christmas pressure.
Sustainable gifts as an alternative
Finding the right gift for your loved ones doesn't always require a lot of effort and money. We've collected some ideas for sustainable gifts so that you don't have to rack your brains.
For creative minds: Sustainable gifts are often easy to make yourself. Wood is a great material for making jewellery boxes. Upcycling allows you to sew old clothes into bags and photo gifts add an additional personal touch.
But not everyone has time to spend the pre-Christmas period crafting. So try to buy Christmas gifts like kitchen utensils, toys and hygiene products made from sustainable materials like bamboo, wood or glass.
Remember: less is sometimes more and often more sustainable. With this in mind... are you ready for our 5 ultimate ideas for sustainable gifts?
1. Gift experiences
Spending time together is more beautiful than giving away material gifts. It's also a sustainable alternative to traditional gifts. Think about what the recipient likes or what you have always wanted to try. Here are our favourites and there's definitely something suitable for everyone:
Concert tickets for your favourite band
Theatre tickets or other cultural events such as ballet, opera or a poetry slam
A special visit to a restaurant
Voucher for an unpacked food store
Voucher for Off Camper
Or book your next holiday directly with Off and gift it together with a travel guide.
Homemade gifts don't always have to be opulent. Simply mix your own scrub or herbal salt and give it away in a labelled preserving jar.
Another idea for sustainable Christmas gifts is to make your own soap. To do so, grate 250g of curd soap into a small amount of lukewarm water to create a homogeneous not too liquid mass. You can choose the scent of the soap yourself by adding organic essential oils such as orange or lemongrass oil. Mix 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil into the mixture, pour it into a greased tin, let it dry for several days and your Christmas gift is ready to be given away.
3. Create a cookbook
Collect first-hand cooking inspiration from your friends and record their favourite recipes in a self-made cookbook. This gives the cookbook a particularly personal touch and the recipes have already been tested by your friends for feasibility and taste. This way, you can combine upcycling ideas and avoiding consumption. If you still need ideas for quick and tasty camping dishes, take a look at our blog:
Camping dishes - our top 5 recipes: Pasta with Tomato Ricotta Sauce, Little Lunch, One Pot Lentils with Feta, One Pot Pasta Spinach Gorgonzola, Pan Pizza.
Cross your heart. We actually already have everything we need. Instead of giving away unnecessary things you can give a donation this year! It's a really meaningful gift that supports people who need help.
ThroughSOS-Kinderdörfer you can help people and families in developing countries by giving them a goat or a cow, providing them with a safe birth or supporting them with material donations such as books, bicycles or tools.
With a Sponsorhip Plan, you can support a child in the long term and relieve the burden on his or her family and the whole community - for just 28€ a month.
The sponsorships are certified and bring joy to several people at once at Christmas.
5. Zero waste gift wrapping
Everyone enjoys unwrapping presents and it's even more fun when the gift is elaborately and beautifully wrapped. You don't need much to impress with your wrapping skills. You're bound to have most of it at home or find it on a walk in the countryside. We show you how to wrap gifts in a sustainable way.
Old newspaper, expired calendar pages or maps are perfect for wrapping gifts. You can also match the wrapping material or newspaper articles to the theme of the gift. If you're giving away a cookbook you can wrap it in baking paper and for a travel guide you can use maps.
For the decoration it's best to use natural materials such as fir branches and cones and attach them with hemp, raffia or jute.
Are you ready for the festive season?
No matter if you're busy making DYI gifts or buy something in all the eco shops in your region - the most important thing for sustainable Christmas gifts is to give consciously. Think about whether the gift is needed and can be put to good use. Often it's the little things that bring the most joy. We hope our gift ideas have inspired you and will get you through the Christmas season without the pressure of buying big gifts online.
