Green Gift Ideas

Here are some gift ideas for the green enthusiast.

Wildflower Seed Bomb, $14 from UncommonGoods: Each reusable muslin pouch holds five seed balls made from clay and worm castings to enrich depleted soil.

Plastic and Millet Grass Basket, $32 from LEI: Cheerful, primary colors form a modern, geometric pattern on this versatile basket, handmade by local artisans in West Africa.

Reclaimed Skateboard Belt Buckle, $36 from Renegade Handmade: Remember all those hours on your skateboard trying to perfect that sick jump? Here is a belt buckle to proclaim your pain. Or success. You be the judge. Scratches on buckle authentic.

Recycled Plastic Bottle Purse, $8 from JPATPURSES on Etsy. The quilt batting in this little zip pouch is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, Oh so soft! Bold Retro Elements designer fabric.

The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (10th Anniversary Edition), $16.47 from Amazon.com (paperback).  Friendly, accessible language; full-color photography; comprehensive vegetable specific information in the A-to-Z section; ahead-of-its-time commitment to organic methods; and much more. Everything for the eat-local lover.

Handcrafted native, white (paper) birch wooden candle holders, $24, from Pretty Dreamer on Etsy.  When a tree falls in the forest, it may not always be heard.  All the same, the branch remembers the tree, the sunshine, the wind, the falling rain, and of course its earthy home.  S beautiful set of three woodland inspired candle holders for home, hearth, table and mantle.  Each set is one of a kind as two trees always are.  Holders are of varied sizes measuring approximately between 1 inch to 4 1/2 inches. Each holder comes with a hand-poured, 100% pure golden beeswax tea light candle.

Green Gift Giving--Decoupaged Glass Plates

Decoupage glass plates are an easy way to go green when it is time to give gifts.  So easy to make and delightful to receive.  Fill them with homemade goodies for an extra special treat.  Here's how.  You will need:

·       A Clear Glass Plate from a secondhand store

·         Wallpaper Scraps, tissue paper, small bits of scrapbooking paper, leaves, or petals out of your garden, such as hydrangeas

·         Decoupage Medium, such as Mod Podge

·         Foam Brush

·         Scissors

Decoupage medium is an all-in-one sealer, glue, and finish used for creating decoupaged works of art. It can be used for paper, wood, fabric, and other porous surfaces. It dries clear and holds tight.

Cut out your pieces or patterns from the wallpaper sample, tissue paper, scrapbooking paper.  If you are using petals or leaves, trim them neatly.   

Lay out the pieces as you will want them on the back of your plate. Remember to put them face down so that the side you want will show through the glass.  Hold the plate over your head to see how they will look.

Remove your paper or petals carefully in the same arrangement that you had them.  Apply a coat of decoupage medium (Mod Podge for example) to the back of the glass plate.  Then apply the paper or petals to the Mod Podge.  Make sure you remember to place them face down on the back of the plate, so that what you want to see shows through the glass on the front of the plate.  The paper can be moved around to some degree until you are pleased with the appearance of the plate.   Apply a generous layer of Mod Podge over paper pieces.

Select a color of tissue paper or heavier paper as the background.  Gold or silver makes a pleasing background.  The plate will be wet, so simply pull the paper gently over the plate to fit.  Trim the edges of the paper to fit the plate or bowl.  Smooth out any wrinkles, you want your plate to look neat.

After the Mod Podge dries, add another coat.  Dry.  Repeat so that you have three layers total.  

These plates can be sold at holiday bazaars for $15-$20, but you can do it yourself for a personalized, green gift.