Gift Ideas

These ideas have been compiled from numerous websites and member contributions

Activities

· Theater tickets

· Tickets to a sporting event

· A gift certificate for a massage

· A certificate for a meal at their favorite restaurant

· Used goods (see Links section)

Give your time

· Baby-sit

· Do household chores

· Help organize family photos

Other Ideas

· A cloth shopping bag: Its something everyone can use and it will help reduce waste 52 weeks a year.

· Origami boxes: Use the pages of an old wall calendar and you can make boxes that are a perfect size for drawer organizers. Here's a picture of them. http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthworm/105000413/ and here are instructions for making them: http://users.hsonline.net/~kidatart/htdoc/lesson16.htm

Gift Wrapping

A lot of the waste we generate over the holidays is gift wrap. Instead of running to the store and buying rolls and rolls of wrapping paper use some of these alternatives:

· Reuse old gift wrap.

· Use outdated maps.

· Use newspaper and paste on colorful pictures from old magazines, or old greeting cards.

· Sew fabric bits together to make your own gift wrap.

· Cut up brown paper bags and decorate with pictures. Drawings by children and grandchildren is perfect for this.

· Draw directly on gift boxes or make stencils from potatoes and decorate your boxes with colorful and unique designs.

Greeting Cards

Instead of sending traditional greeting cards, try these alternatives:

· Send electronic greeting cards via e-mail.

· Buy only cards that have 50% or greater post consumer recycled content.