Who doesn’t love the magic of waking up on Christmas morning and seeing what was an empty stocking the night before, now full of surprise wonders! I’m guilty of being a bit stocking mad, it was always a tradition in our family.
Having a sustainable Christmas doesn’t mean you have to ditch this tradition altogether. Instead of adding things for the sake of filling up the stocking (I totally used to do this) or treats with lots of plastic, opt for useful items, perishables and activities. I’ve created a list of ideas that covers all ages and can easily be put together at the last minute!
- Favourite bar of natural soap
- A homemade DIY ornament kit – why not use it as a fun activity to do on Christmas day together
- A shampoo or conditioner bar
- An audiobook voucher
- Bamboo toothbrush
- Natural toothpaste or tooth tabs
- Favourite tea or coffee
- Home made treats (this can double as a fun activity to do with the kiddos too)
- Eco-crayons and a notepad made from scrap paper (or buy a 100% post-consumer recycled notepad)
- A list of amazing podcasts to suit the interests of loved ones (all this takes is a little research and some pen and paper). It gives them something to look forward to listening to over the holidays or in the new year (and they didn’t have to spend the time looking them up!)
- ‘Gift vouchers’ for things you can do for each other – e.g. mow the lawn, weed the garden, make dinner, pack up the toys, teach you to knit or play the guitar, the possibilities are endless. Plus the kids could have some fun coming up with some as well.
- Some seeds for the garden – they could be for native plants or flowers or to add to the veggie garden!
As for the stocking itself, if you don’t already have them, there are a few options rather than going out and buying them. You could use material scraps to make them, find some at a local op-shop, check on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, or why not use re-usable bags as stockings – adds an extra gift and can be used all year long. If you do want to purchase new ones, look for those that are made locally with people and planet in mind.
I got so excited about Christmas stockings while creating this list, I’m signing off to go get started on ours!
If you try any of these ideas this Christmas, let me know how they go! Or if you have some more to add, I’d love to hear them.
Happy holidays legends! May it be a slow and peaceful time for you to reset.