Our 2016 Eco Christmas Gift Guide

It’s December and we want to help you with your gift searching with our eco Christmas gift guide. Samantha and I have been scouring the internet to bring you our favourite eco-chic finds – from gifts to decorations to wrapping.

You might think ‘not another Christmas gift guide’ but we promise ours is a bit special because all the items we’ve chosen have eco credentials, all come from UK based businesses (many of them small independent businesses), and we’ve kept the majority of items affordable with a few luxuries thrown in.

The items in our eco Christmas gift guide are handpicked by us because we feel they are truly worth sharing – they are not just what’s ‘on trend’ or cool this year. We’ve also included direct links to where you can buy the items to make it even simpler. So go dive in and support our ethical British businesses.

If you love a more rustic and natural Christmas style, then check out all blog archives for natural Christmas decorating ideas and DIY projects – my personal favourite being the DIY guide for making snowflakes from vintage doilies.

Decorations for an Eco Christmas

First up in our eco Christmas gift guide – our favourite eco Christmas finds for decorating your home…

Snowflake Garland from Paper Tree

This pretty paper snowflake garland is a super version of those handmade paper ones you (attempt) to make. Plus, these 14 handcrafted snowflakes unfold to create a 3D effect.

£7.50 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from recycled and FSC paper; Paper Tree are members of 1% for the Planet and give 1% of our sales to environmental organisations.

Beeswax Christmas Tree Candles from Gold&Black Candles

Beeswax is the ultimate candle and with it’s gorgeous gold colour couldn’t be more glorious at this festive time. Made by hand from 100% pure beewax the set of 3 Christmas Tree candles urn for approximately 8 hours each.

£20 (set of 3) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – natural beeswax; gift box from recycled board and paper covering from sustainable forests.

Mistletoe Wreath from Paper Tree

A beautiful hand crafted paper mistletoe wreath with raffia hanging string and ribbon. The mistletoe is hand crafted from eco-friendly saa paper – we love this.

£25.95 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from recycled and FSC paper; Paper Tree are members of 1% for the Planet and give 1% of their sales to environmental organisations.

Rustic Driftwood Christmas Tree Decorations from Emma Lane Designs

We love these simple but stunning rustic driftwood Christmas tree decorations. Hand painted with a cream star and hanging from a jute twine string they have they Nordic feel to them.

£6 (set of 5) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from driftwood.

Eco Christmas Gifts for ‘Big Ones’

Next up in our eco Christmas gift guide – our favourite eco Christmas finds for the grown-ups on your gift list…

Waxed Canvas Backpack from KOVERED UK

I think we both have this waxed canvas and reclaimed leather backpack on our ‘wish list’, it’s a gorgeous example of super cool eco ethical design. Described as a “durable multi-purpose laptop bag, book bag, tech bag…[it] is perfect for the daily commute, afternoon exploration, as a beach bag or your weekend adventure bag.” For those mums and dads out there I reckon it would also make a pretty awesome “nappy bag” that doesn’t look like a nappy bag.

£79 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – 100% genuine reclaimed leather; their range uses ethically sourced materials and sustainable business practice; durable design, built to last and then recycled; fully recyclable padded envelopes and recycled cardboard packaging.

Scandinavian Bison & Panther Notebooks from Papio Press

I gifted a pack of Papio Press notebooks to my hip London living younger sister and they got rave reviews. With illustrations this beautiful and printed onto recycled paper they were a must for our eco Christmas gift guide.

£5 (set of 2) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from recycled paper; designed and printed in the UK.

Winter Glass Tea Light Bag from Old Northern Candle Co

Old Northern Candle Co are based in Manchester (my neck of the woods), and I love the sound of their products and the way they present them. The smells of Christmas are so important in creating that festive atmosphere, and this duo of tea lights with warm orange, spicy cinnamon and clove would be the perfect Christmas scent.

£8 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – All ingredients are natural; packaging is recycled or reusable; 100% soy wax; cotton and paper wick.

Bath Salt Shots from Oakwood Soaperie

We love Oakwood Soaperie for their beautiful soap wedding favours, but we think this set of bath salt ‘shots’ would make a lovely Christmas present. Epsom, Dead Sea, and Himalayan salts are blended with scented with essential oils to make them both relaxing and smell beautiful.

£10 (set of 4) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – All natural ingredients; recycled kraft gift box.

Queen Anne’s Lace Lampshade from Hannah Madden

Hannah’s block print designs have long captured my imagination with their whimsical nature scenes and patterns. Her beautiful lampshades (Queen Anne’s Lace shown here in golden yellow) would be a delightful addition to any home and a true heirloom piece. If you have the funds, check out her glass flagon lamp with lampshade.

£69 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Eco-friendly water based inks onto UK sourced natural cotton fabric.

Botanical Calendar from The Green Gables

Would it be a Christmas gift guide without a calendar? This pretty, botanical 2017 calendar from longtime eco champion Gabrielle at The Green Gables would look lovely hung in your kitchen or home office and will help keep you organised.

£8.50 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – No paper is wasted due to double-sided printing; printed on 100% recycled paper; packaged in a compostable cello bag.

Fair Isle Snood from BIBICO

BIBICO’s knitwear is always on my wish list, and come Christmas time they always have the most fabulous selection of mittens, socks, bobble hats and scarves. I have had to limit myself to picking my favourite for our Christmas gift guide, and this Fair Isle snood is it. I love it’s deep blue Nordic fair isle pattern and I love that it’s a snood – an item of winter clothing that takes me back to my 80s & 90s childhood.

£49 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Fair trade; handmade in Nepal; 100% mohair.

Wood iPhone Case from KOVERED UK

This eco-chic phone cover is the one I chose when I recently got my first iPhone. The phone is beautifully made, really durable (believe my I’ve tested – ahem – out) and from a UK company with really strong ethics. As they say, “bring a little bit of nature back into your life.”

£19.95 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Created using ethically sourced materials and sustainable business practices, which includes environmentally friendly wood sources; durable design, built to last and then recycled; fully recyclable padded envelopes and recycled cardboard packaging; they work with e-forests UK to plant a tree for every 25 units that they sell.

Cotton Chambray Crossover Dress from Wild Flora Clothing

We love the ‘slow fashion’ created by Wild Flora Clothing, and this cotton chambray dress is one of our favourites. As mummy’s this dress ticks lots of boxes for us: lightweight, elasticated waist, pockets in the skirt, and we even wonder if the crossover bodice would make it breastfeeding friendly. Perfect worn with heels, or layered over a tee shirt for a more relaxed look.

£75 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials –  Natural textiles of the highest quality; uses natural dyes; traditional artisan textile production techniques.

Queen Anne’s Lace Necklace from Wishes on the Wind

We love Queens Anne Lace or Cow Parsley type flowers, so we think this magical necklace that captures the delicacy and beauty of these flowers would make a lovely gift. It is made from Queens Anne Lace flowers and crushed ice crystals set into an eco resin to create a ‘snowflake’ type effect.

£25 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made using eco resin, a bio-resin which is pine oil based as opposed to petroleum based.

Organic Cotton Rope Lead from Bramble and Friends

I didn’t imagine we’d be included a pet related gift, but I couldn’t not share this eco-chic dog lead. It’s made from 100% organic cotton rope lead and has a stylish blue/grey Harris Tweed finish.

£24 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Organic 100% cotton rope; natural with no dye; Made in Scotland.

Little Garden Bird Fridge Magnets from Butterfly Track

I’ve had some of illustrator Rachel Hudson’s designs saved in my Etsy favourites for a while, so it’s great to have an opportunity to share them. My little girl and I love spotting all the wild birds in our woodland garden, and I reckon that any nature or British bird loving person would be delighted with this dinky set of garden bird fridge magnets.

£4 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Produced by a UK based company with high environmental and ethical standards; 100% recycled card mount.

Eco Christmas Gifts for ‘Little Ones’

Moving on with our eco Christmas gift guide – it’s our favourite eco Christmas finds for the children and babes on your gift list…

Eco Friendly Wooden Blocks from Happy Little Folks

For so long now I’ve longed for someone to make natural wooden blocks for little ones, but I resorted to the ‘vintage’ wood versions of my childhood found in charity shops. But here they are, available now in the UK for your little ones – and in the most wonderful modern colour palettes. They are handmade and this set comes in pastel colours.

£23 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made of solid fir wood, which is sustainably sourced in Europe; untreated, except for the pattern; non-toxic, water based paint, toy safe certified; pattern finished with natural, organic beeswax mixed with botanical oils; bag of blocks comes packed in a eco kraft box.

Eco-friendly Baby Teething Ring from Perch at Home

When my little girl was a baby I spent ages looking for these kind of wooden teething rings in the UK to no avail. I’m delighted someone is making them and highly recommend them for a baby Christmas gift. These are 100% natural birch wood teething rings, which are crocheted around the ring in 100% organic cotton.

£5 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Natural birch wood that has been sealed in a mixture of beeswax and jojoba oil.

Marshmallow Crossbow from Ash Rowan Crafts

This is just such a genius idea, and I’m not sure whether this should be in ‘little ones’ or ‘big ones’ because let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to fire mini marshmallows from a wooden crossbrow?! I can see this handcrafted gift providing oodles of fun for all ages.

£19.50 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from reclaimed wood.

Handmade Natural Beeswax Crayons from Sea of Grass Studio

Since becoming a mum I’ve extended my love of natural products to kids toys, and beeswax crayons were one of the first things I came across. They work just as well as ‘ordinary’ crayons but are made with all natural ingredients and in our experience colour beautifully. These ones are available in 2 colour ranges.

£3.50 (set of 4) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from natural pigment and beeswax.

Swedish Fire Steel from Myriad Toys

I’ve put this in the ‘little ones’ category but really I wanted to include it under ‘big ones’ because this is what my Mr wants for Christmas. A Swedish fire steel, for anyone who doesn’t know, enables you to start a fire in any weather – you just strike the metal against the fire steel bar to create sparks. So whether it’s for a little kid (age 6+) or big kid, it’s the perfect gift for those who love the outdoors, camping and bush craft.

£11.99 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from coconut shell waste.

‘Refuge’ from Little Maldod

I got this nativity story last Christmas for my little girl and it’s a beautiful interpretation. Told from the perspective of the donkey and with the most exquisite illustrations: “Focusing on the plight of a refugee couple who, with their newborn baby, depend on the kindness of strangers in a foreign land. An important read for young and old this Christmas, with a message that couldn’t be more relevant.”

£7.99 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – £1 from each book is donated to War Child, a charity supporting children affected by the horrors of war.

Bendy Woodland Folk from Myriad Toys

These have been one of the best gifts we’ve given our little girl, they have been played with and loved more than almost every other toy. They are made of wire so can be bent in all kinds of ways and therefore there’s no end to the imaginative play possible with them, plus they can stand unaided.

£17.99 (set of 6) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made of wood and wool felt.

Eco Christmas Cards & Gift Wrapping

Finally in our eco Christmas gift guide – it’s our favourite eco Christmas finds for gift wrapping and writing cards…

Winter Woodland Christmas Wrapping Paper from Moobaacluck

This wrapping paper is just so sweet with it’s charming illustrations of woodland creatures – squirrel, owl and robin – in the branches of a snowy wood.

£4 (2 sheets) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – The inks used to print this paper are environmentally friendly vegetable inks.

Illustrated Wreath Christmas Tags from Lucy Says I Do

We love Lucy’s designs and this festive set of gift tags complete with red and white bakers twine, would be the perfect finishing touch to any gift. She’s also donating a portion of the proceeds to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

£3.50 (pack of 10) – Buy it here

Eco Credential – FSC approved white card stock; 15% of the net proceeds from the sale of these tags to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Birds and Berries Gift Wrap from Anna’s Drawing Room

Two sheets of ‘Birds and Berries’ gift wrap in rose pink or moss green, covered in a pattern of blackbirds and wild berries and fruit. This is the kind of wrapping paper I’d like my gifts to be wrapped in, although I’d feel terrible about ripping such beautiful paper. This is in fact, the kind of wrapping paper that I buy and closet for a beautiful craft project.

£4.50 (2 sheets) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Hand painted in brush and ink; produced in the most eco-friendly way possibly; printed locally on recycled paper using vegetable based inks.

Decorate Your Own Christmas Tree Cards from Kate Broughton

I love Kate Broughton’s Etsy shop and designs and bought her temporary tattoo’s and badges for my little girl’s party bags. The idea behind these cards is for the recipient to decorate their card, but I think they’d be perfect for toddlers and kids – so I’d let my little girl loose to decorate the cards before we sent them. Either way a fun idea!

£8 (pack of 4) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Printed onto using 100% recycled card and the envelopes are recycled brown ribbed paper.

Spool of Black Jute Twine from Wedding in a Teacup

With all this gift wrapping we need something to finish off our gifts, and we’ve chosen this black jute twine for a luxurious but natural look. Spun from natural vegetable fibre, strong and bio-degradable, the black jute twine would look create against a simple brown paper wrapping.

£3 – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Made from bio-degradable natural vegetable fibre.

Winter Wonderland Christmas Card from Anna’s Little Card Shop

The magical snowy illustration on this card captured my attention, I love the colours (which aren’t your standard Christmas colours) and how it’s got that snowglobe type feel to it. A little glimpse into a faraway winter wonderland. This is the kind of Christmas card I’d choose for someone special.

£1 – Buy it here 

Eco Credentials – Printed on 100% recycled paper locally using eco-friendly toners.

Jay and Wren Lino Printed Gift Wrap from Handmade and Heritage

Here on the blog we are big fans of the brown craft paper/card and black ink style, it’s just so versatile and looks so good. The Jay and Wren wrapping paper has been lino printed onto eco brown kraft paper, and is a real treat for anyone receiving a gift wrapped in it.

£2.50 (1 sheet) – Buy it here

Eco Credentials – Printed onto eco brown kraft paper.

Buy British and eco-ethical

We hope you’ve enjoyed our eco Christmas gift guide, perhaps there’s something that’s taken your fancy – fantastic! It’s great to know you’ll be support a British business and one with strong eco-ethical credentials.

If you’re in need of extra natural Christmas decorating inspiration be sure to check out our Pinterest board dedicated to all things festive.