If shopping up a storm right before the silly season makes your environmentalist blood curdle, we’ve put together a list of beautiful Christmas gift ideas that are not only sustainably produced, but also give back to the communities in which they operate.
Scroll down for 13 planet-friendly pressies that will help you embrace the spirit of giving, consciously.
Deluxe Pamper Pack
LOVELUVO
Everyone deserves a little pampering, especially after the year that’s been, but this gorgeous gift box ($65) promises to help more than just the lucky recipient. LoveLuvo is a social enterprise providing environmentally-friendly bathroom and laundry products made from Australian native plant extracts and essential oils, which are paraben free, cruelty free and sulphate free. They provide sustainable, paid employment opportunities for people who experience barriers to finding a job, giving an opportunity to build skills and confidence in a supportive work environment. Plus, their beautifully designed bottles can be re-filled at their HQ in Seddon, Victoria. The Deluxe Pamper Pack includes bath salts, hand & body wash, body lotion, a travel candle and Fairtrade Bennetto Chocolate.
A great gift for: Lovers of natural body products
Linen Robe
CARLOTTA & GEE
Nothing says ‘activate holiday mode’ like slipping on a luxurious robe. Made from the same beautiful OEKO-TEX 100 & GOTS certified linen as their bedding with feature pockets and a tie waist, these Carlotta + Gee linen robes ($135) are perfect for lazy summer days lounging around the house. They also offer all-natural, sustainable, 100% French linen bedding and homeware products in a wide range of warm, earthy tones.
Great gift for: Your parents or your partner
Quick Pack – Coffee + Glassware
THE BRANDED COFFEE CO.
Unlike grandma’s annual present of hankies and socks, the gift of freshly roasted coffee is one that will never be pushed to the back of the cupboard. The Branded Coffee Co – created by Bec and Angus Macdougall who also own the gorgeous Slow Stay, Dunmore Farm – works with Australia’s best coffee roasters to produce premium blends which are full bodied, smooth, rich and creamy. Allow your loved ones to create a cafe-like experience wherever they roam with this pack ($21.95), which includes 3 Boxes (one of each blend) of Emme Mac Black Nespresso compatible (and 100% compostable) coffee capsules and two double walled glasses.
Great gift for: The coffee connoisseur in your life
Handmade Linen Apron
SIMPSON COTTAGE SIGNATURE LINEN
Made with love by another one of our clever Slow Stay owners, Tara from Simpson Cottage hand sews these beautiful pinafore-style aprons ($115) from pure European flax, which carries the Masters of Linen accreditation. Believing that linen is healthier, lasts longer and is more environmentally sustainable in production, Tara has fitted the cottage out with her tea-towels, aprons and bedding, which you can take home with you via her online store.
Great gift for: The chef in your life
Greeting Cards
KARA ROSENLUND
Send someone a thoughtful ‘hello, I love you’ this Christmas. A homage to all things Australiana, these gift cards ($34, pack of 6) by photographer Kara Rosenlund are completely frame worthy, but the best thing about purchasing these products is that proceeds from ‘Honey the Baby Kangaroo’ greeting cards, plus some of Kara’s other prints, are donated to help our bush friends who find themselves orphaned or injured and need care.
Great gift for: A long lost friend who needs some love
HANDMADE FACE MASKS
TASI TRAVELS
If you have to wear one, you may as well make it beautiful. These masks ($20) by ethical clothing label, Tasi Travels, are a stylish alternative for the surgical or plain black variety, plus they’ve been handmade from fabric offcuts that would normally go to waste. Designed and made on the Sunshine Coast, the reversible face masks feature a triple layer design and fit most face shapes. For each sale made, the owners give back to organisations such as 1% for the Planet and 1TreePlanted to support the reforestation of Australian bushfire affected areas. Read more about Tasi Travels here.
Great gift for: Anyone who loves quality fashion
BOTANICAL PERFUME
REWILD
Go bespoke this Christmas with Rewild’s new ‘Curiosities’ scents ($69.95) which can be sampled in six compact sizes small enough to fit into a pocket or handbag. Rewild Co. perfumes are hand-crafted in the studio of Amanda Stevens, on the wild southern coast of South Australia. Every one is freshly compounded from natural botanicals, hand labelled and even the packaging is stitched by hand. A labour of love, Amanda also creates exclusive room scents for accommodation providers, businesses and personal households.
Great gift for: Lovers of perfume
HANDMADE CERAMIC MUGS
LIQUORICE MOON STUDIOS
Give the gift that can be enjoyed every morning, sipping coffee or tea from one of these handmade, small-batch ceramic mugs ($54.95). Created by Eve Simmons, each piece is crafted on the pottery wheel, cast from a handmade mould or forged using hand-building techniques before being hand painted, dribble glazed, or accented with gold, resulting in unique and one-off pieces.
Great gift for: The craft lover
ECO KITCHEN BASICS
SEED & SPROUT
Instead of stuffing that stocking with junky single-use items this Christmas, why not help a loved one say ‘see-ya to plastic’? This Eco Kitchen Basics bundle ($35) includes everything you need to keep your dishes squeaky clean without having to resort to plastic products. Designed by founder Sophie Kovic, Seed & Sprout products offer ingenious and stylish solutions for plastic-free living, with everything from silicone food huggers to lunch bags and bamboo cleaning brushes. Read more about Seed & Sprout here.
Great gifts for: The relative that needs a little push in a greener direction
PLANT & CHOCOLATE BUNDLE
THE GOOD PLANT CO.
Gift the gift that will keep on giving by sending some greenery into somebody’s life this Christmas. These plant and chocolate bundles (from $70) include a potted plant, choc-coated cherries, strawberries or coffee beans, and a gift card with free shipping. The Good Plant Co. is a family-run business and ships from their Queensland nursery Australia wide. From live plants to cute pots, grow kits and Christmas gifts, this online plant stall is all about “happiness, delivered”.
Great gifts for: A faraway friend
ADOPT A NATIVE SPECIES
WWF
Forego the spoils of gift giving this year and sponsor an animal instead through the WWF adoption program. Choose to send your money to a koala, turtle, tree or international species to ensure wildlife carers and medical facilities have all the tools to look after sick, injured and vulnerable animals; create wildlife corridors to help them move around safely; and protect their forest homes for the long-term. You’ll even get a cute adoption kit including a WWF booklet, adoption certificate, sticker and a toy which you can gift to educate younger generations about conservation.
Great gifts for: The person who has everything
MAGNESIUM BATH SALTS & BODY WASH
NIGHTFALL NOURISHED
Even if you can’t make it to stay at Nightfall in the Gold Coast Hinterland, you can bathe in the same magnesium bath salts and body wash ($54 for both). The Nightfall Nourished range of organic, eco-friendly products is created with Australian botanicals and sits proudly in their safari tents for guests to enjoy. We also love their critter spray, bottle lotion and room mist.
Great gift for: Nature lovers
ACCOMMODATION GIFT VOUCHERS
Gift a Slow Stay
If someone you love needs a well-deserved break, why not treat them to a night away at a Slow Stay? Many of our beautiful accommodation providers offer gift vouchers, or you can contact them directly to make a date. Have a look at these gorgeous vouchers by Atelier34 and Hidden Cabins or browse the directory to find a Slow Stay near you.
Great gift for: Someone who needs a break