I’m greening by using recyclable shopping bags when I do my holiday shopping :)

I’ve used the scraps of Christmas projects past to make cloth wrapping paper for our gifts. Should be good for years to come!

My family is exchanging only used, homemade, or environmentally friendly gifts this year.

making both some gifts, and the wrapping paper from other stuff, plus planning on baking (of course w/o preheating!) and am getting better at carrying own bags.

To wrap my husband’s presents I re-used wrapping paper, tissue paper and gift bags. Sometimes all that stuff takes up alot of room to store but I’m always glad I have it when the time comes around.

I’ve reused my received Christmas cards as gift tags this year. I also bought a few of the reusable “green” shopping bags to use as “gift bags” this year instead of wrapping paper or paper gift bags.

I like to decorate with poinsettas and pine cones. I also use pine branches to decorate. It’s green and makes the house smell great.

I’m using decorative gift boxes whenever possible, reusing wrapping paper and gift bags, making our holiday cards, and using my reusable bags on my last few trips to the stores.

The only presents I give are to my goddaughter and office mates [there are only 4 of us and one is really into gift-giving so...] and I am wrapping them in outdated maps — USGS is near where I work and they give them away free — how cool is that?

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we are only giving meaningful, mostly homemade (or artisan made) gifts this year … with a budget of $30 per person.

Green living through cooking: As much as possible for us, we’re making our holiday meals from scratch. We bought a bunch of roasted chilis from the farmer’s market this fall and froze them in batches, and are using them to make our traditional winter green chili. Also just finished making a huge batch of chicken noodle soup, homemade from the chicken stock to the hand-rolled noodles. All extras–loose ends of carrots, onions, celery, etc–go into the kitchen composter, and, when the ground thaws, into a hole in the garden. We’ve also begun some indoor cilantro, which “greens” up the window sill above the sink. All this, of course, saves on trips to the grocery store and all the detritus that goes with it.

I reuse wrapping paper and ribbon from gifts that I’ve received. I got married last year, so there’s a lot! Thanks for the chance to win!

Have always reused gift boxes, bows and gift wrap since I was a little girl.
Cut up gift cards for package tags.
Buying local and handmade gifts and food.
Making food items for gifts.
Cut our own tree from local farm. Trimming with popcorn and peanuts. (when it goes out in January the birds and squirrels benefit.
My car proudly sports a “Recycle or Die” bumper sticker. (I’m getting the word out)

I’m not buying gifts – just giving gifts of the preserves I have made – and I’m not decorating with anything that uses extra electricity.

I am using gift bags from last year! Also not watering the grass!!!

Buying local.

Every year I save my Christmas cards. The next year I cut off the pretty fronts, draw a line down the middle of the back and *poof* I have a postcard! I use these for my Christmas cards. Not only are they free, I’m recycling and they only cost 27 cents to mail! I used to be called cheap but nowadays I’m thrify and green! LOL
hondaray6 at hotmail dot com

I’m greening my holiday season this December by choosing 25 ways or things I can do in 2009 to save,simplify and protect the environment. I do use cloth shopping bags, try to consolidate trips to town, reuse wrapping paper, etc – yet there are many (some very simple) things I can do. Since my 25 list is “new ideas something I haven’t tried before” I want to thank all the green bloggers and websites for supplying me with loads of information.

I’m giving small presents – local organic soaps/crafts, and then everyone is getting a small (reused) jar of pinyon nuts that I picked off the ground myself : )

I’m giving 2nd hand presents, wrapping in scrap paper, buying a live tree to either keep or plant after the season and not traveling. I have also sent e-cards instead of mailed xmas cards.

Many thanks to Tiny Choices for all the great ideas and for the inspiration to do more!

Happy Holidays!

The only gifts I am giving to family and/or work are various donations to charities. I do have a handful of children I buy environmental education books for and one family of small children that I give a family membership to our local nonprofit aquarium.

I’m skipping the tree at home this year, Christmas is always spent at my Grandma’s anyway. Also skipping holiday cards, and giving a phone call to anyone important far away.

All the women I’m giving gifts to are getting scarves or gloves I’ve crocheted from yarn I found at the thrift store, and wrapped in the comics section of old newspapers collected from friends who subscribe. And the men are getting baked goodies in pretty tins that I also found at the thrift store. :D

I’m greening our holidays by making ice wreaths which couldn’t be more environmentally friendly:

http://resurrectionfern.typepad.com/resurrection_fern/2008/11/how-to-make-ice-wreaths-.html

I’m also reusing ribbons and boxes and doing a lot of holiday baking for gifts.

And you’ve probably already mentioned this, but one of my favorite holiday gifts is to give to a charity in honor of someone. I work for a nonprofit so I know how important it is. Plus any nonprofit will generally be happy to send a letter (or email!) to your loved one letting them know they’ve been honored and telling them how much the gift helps their work.

i severely reduced the amount of “things” i’m giving as gifts this year–mostly it’s gift certificates to well-liked restaurants and tickets to shows in nearby boston. for the few physical gifts, i bought vintage gift tags and recycled plastic tote bags to put gifts in–both from people/businesses < 30 miles from where i live! my boyfriend and i also decided to get a live, uncut tree, so we can plant it outside when the weather gets warm again. (luckily my parents have a huge yard with plenty of room for planting.)

one of the biggest events this year will be having christmas dinner at my apartment, with my family and my boyfriend’s family. he’s a vegetarian, so our meal will be (mostly) vegetarian, too. and i am pleased to exchange gifts here, because we can save or recycle all the gift wrap! (my family recycles usually, but doesn’t bother around the holidays–i don’t get it!)

I’m greening in the gift wrap area – reusing wrapping paper and gift bags, and possibly using the Sunday comics or fabric if I need it. I also gave my mom and early gift of eco-friendly wrapping options – a reused gift bag, fabric, and recycled wrapping paper (though freshly manufactured, I can’t see my mom NOT using some kind of new pretty wrapping paper, so I thought recycled is better than not).

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This year, TheBoy and I are finally on our own and were looking for a sustainable Christmas tree. Unfortunately, I’m allergic to cut trees and we didn’t want a nasty lead-laden, PVC, dioxin-producing Christmas abomination… So, instead, we’re making one!
Using non-toxic paint to green up some posterboard and then taping it to the wall after cutting into Christmas tree shape. We’ve strung LED lights across the “tree” and hung then ornaments on that.

My other greening method was to give my MIL a completely recycled gift: wine bottle melted into a cheese plate wrapped in a handmade gift bag made out of recycled-plastic-bag-yarn. She loved it!