Here are five ways to reduce waste, save money and give gorgeous gifts this Christmas.
Make something:
If you’ve got little ones and can’t bear the idea of dragging them around the shops, why not remove the stress and spend some precious time together making gifts instead. Seeds and Stitches and Mini Eco are both super stylish craft blogs with tons of simple gift ideas for all the family – a cheap, fun and really special way to show your love.
Bake something:
If you’re visiting family for Christmas how about taking along some homemade treats for the table instead of gifts for under the tree? If you want your ginger bread, marzipan sweets and Christmas cake to look as good as they taste, take some tips from Handmade Charlotte. It’s a great website for fun foodie gifts with simple recipes and printable templates.
Buy second-hand:
What with vintage becoming such a trend in the last few years buying second-hand isn’t always cheap but there are still bargains to be had on eBay and Preloved and down at your local charity shop, flea market or boot fair. For vintage fashion finds try Rokit and Old Children’s Books for a beautiful range of classic kids stories.
Swap stuff:
Swap shops are popping up all over the UK, so why not use the opportunity in the run up to Christmas to get rid of your unwanted gifts from last year, and swap them for something someone might want instead. Mumsnet is a great source of information about local kids swap shops, for women’s clothes and gifts check out swishing.com and if you want to swap baby clothes and toys online try Baby Swap Shop.
Have a whip round:
If there’s just one thing your mum, son or sister really wants, that’s beyond your budget, why not get the whole family to chip in? You can use our website to get everyone together to fund one big gift – piece by piece. From a playhouse to a bike to a weekend away, you can register any gift idea. And once you’ve collected your cash contributions direct, you buy the present where you like. No waste, no worry, no more unwanted gifts. Everyone’s happy.
To make your own patchwork just customise one of our readymades or create one from scratch.