There are a few ways that I could address this question. First, is the way I've seen it presented. Second is the way that I actually see people doing it, realistically. The way I've seen greening Christmas suggested in other soures I've read, I always think, REALLY? Do you really think that people are going to do this? It's much greener than what I'll suggest, but I think it's too big of a jump for most people. I'm going to blog about greening Christmas in a way that I think YOU would do. (And by you I mean Magel. She's the one that asked for suggestions and I think she's a pretty good representation of a "normal" person.) I'm not going to tell you to make your gifts using items you have around the house. I'm not going to suggest that in lieu of a physical gift you donate to charity. I'm going to do the best I can to suggest ways that you can take what you're doing already and tweak it to make it a little greener.
1. Socks make great wrapping for stocking stuffers. I found this out when I got Evan socks for Christmas a few years ago. I unwrapped them and folded them over on themselves--which makes a pocket . I put a gift card or small item in each sock pair. It filled his stocking and was a great way to wrap without any waste.
2. Unpackage as much as you an before you wrap it. I made this rule after Caden's second birthday. It's a good rule to follow when you have small kids-not so much because it's green, but because it eliminates the whole unpackaging Christmas morning. Poor little Caden was so excited to play with his gifts, but couldn't get to any of them because of the INSANE amount of packaging. The other thing that's good about doing the unpackaging before you wrap, is that you have more time to sort and recycle. Christmas morning there's so much going on, it's just easier to shove it all in a trash bag. If you do it before, you can pull out that cardboard and plastic to recycle.
3. As for the wrapping... I use the gift as wrapping for adults. (This is really only applicable when giving a bag--I give a lot of Thirty-One gifts and they make good gift bags--even though the bag is the gift.) I (I mean Santa) wraps all of our stocking gifts in tissue paper. It's quick and less thick than wrapping paper. Santa does not wrap gifts at our house. Each kid only gets one gift from Santa and it's sitting in front of the fireplace under their stocking. Evan hates this. He also doesn't wrap.
They sell reusable gift bags, but I think gift bags actually end up using more paper. You end up putting so much tissue in it to make it look decorative, it's really less wasteful to just buy some recycled wrapping paper.
4. Buy Greener Gifts. I'm not suggesting that you get everyone an under the sink composter for Christmas, but think about buying locally or buying natural products. Nova Natural has a great selection of natural toys (however most of them are made in Germany--so much for shopping locally!). They're actually things kids will PLAY with--not just plastic junk that will break or will only hold their interest until January. As for local shopping, think about craft shows. This won't work for everyone on your list, but you might be able to knock out a few gifts. Consider giving less for Christmas. I remember someone remarking to me that they has just bought the shirt Caden was wearing for their son for Christmas. He was 3. Is your small child REALLY going to be jazzed about opening clothes? Sometimes, yes, but if it's just an outfit or item that you got to add an extra gift under the tree, maybe just skip it and take it right to the closet. I'm reaching here, I know.
5. Think green. You're clearly aware of making greener choices. You clearly WANT to make greener choices. As you're shopping and wrapping, just try to keep it in mind. I'm sure you can come up with even better greener ideas than I can. It's just a matter of seeking ways to change. Once you're on the look-out for ways to green it up, ideas will appear.
6. Check out Celebrate Green. It's a site dedicated to greening your holidays. All of them, not just the winter ones. They're the founders of Green Halloween. It's a pretty cool site. Of course, I think ALL sites that involve "greenness"!
Happy shopping and wrapping and greening! Only 6 days left!
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