Many of us have treasured memories of our childhood Christmas. And for me the big excitement was sitting on my bed opening my stocking early in the morning and enjoying the tiny little surprises contained in it.
Nowadays most stockings are made of synthetic materials, many being flimsy and designed for single use. Most of the gifts are made of plastic then wrapped in glittery or foil paper. That can add up to a lot of plastic that can’t be recycled.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. In my family we each had a stocking with our name on it and these were brought out year after year. I know some families who use large walking socks or pillowcases. Maybe you might even want to try knitting a stocking.
So, apart from the obligatory orange, what other gifts might you include in your plastic free stocking? Well, we all need toiletries so here are some ideas to get you thinking
- a little tin of lip balm such as our blackberry lip balm
- a set of five organic cotton facial pads
- plastic free deodorant- I really like this vegan deodorant
- bath salts. – try this mini bottle from Och Vegan
- a travel toiletries kit which includes a bamboo toothbrush, mini Truthpaste and mini soap
Speaking of which, you can never go wrong with a gorgeous soap. We love OchVegan. Try these
- Energising soap with peppermint, sweet orange, pine needle and sandalwood
- Lavendula gentle soap with lavender and ylang ylang
- Grounding soap with patchouli, lavender and sandalwood
For people who love the outdoors or can’t resist a takeaway, what about a bamboo cutlery set and/ or a cutlery pouch so that they will never again be tempted to accept those pesky plastic knives and forks.
Homemade gifts always add a real personal touch. What about a jar of cookies? Or some of your own tomato chutney? Maybe you could knit a little tree decoration.
But what about the children? I hear you say. Yeah fair enough, most of these ideas are for adults. You might want to give your little ones a kids toothbrushing kit to get them started on their plastic free journey. My daughter loves the tiny tin of toothpaste and the little bunny on the toothbrush. Another favourite in our house are these stainless steel straws which come individually or as a pack of four with a cleaning brush.
Here are some other suggestions for the kids
- a notebook – adults and children alike love a pretty notebook. You could buy a plain one and cover it with fabric
- a wooden toy such as a yoyo or spinning top
- a knitted soft toy- look out for these at craft fairs
- marbles
- a pack of playing cards
- crayons or chalk
It’s lovely to have each present gift-wrapped but before you rush out to buy wrapping paper, maybe you already have an alternative that you could use. What about old newspapers or fabric? Tied up with coloured string, they will look great. You could try using brown parcel paper and draw on a design or a message.
Happy Stocking filling!
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