Earth resources are limited, and 8.2 billion people, that is: 8,229,909,965 people, reside on the earth in 2025 (1). Stewarding the resources of the earth is necessary for the care of our future, our children’s future; thus, sustainability is important to consider when creating holiday traditions and everyday decisions. Sustainability can be attained through different means, but most of those means require creativity.
Everyone Creates:
“Creativity involves imagining new ways of seeing, sensing, and being. Another simple way to be creative is to look around a room in your home and find an object, meditate for a moment on its functions, and then consider what else it might be used for. The simple act of repurposing an object changes your relationship to it and keeps things fresh.” (2) “The Cambridge Dictionary defines creativity as ‘the ability to produce or use original and unusual ideas.’ That said, if we put it into practice, it can be the ability to create valuable or novel ideas through the use of imagination. These creations can be intangible (an idea, a theory, a joke, or even music itself) or physical (a toy, a new plate of food, a practical invention). Creativity, beyond creating “something new”, provides solutions to solve problems or achieve a goal that -at the beginning- may seem impossible.” (3)
Create by repurposing something old:
Landfills are packed with used products that could have been given a second life. If someone took a closer look at what they already had, they might find a new way to use it. By asking around, they might even be able to donate it to someone who could create something new from it. In many cases, people could simply keep using what they have instead of throwing it away and seeking something brand-new.
Ways to create a Christmas gift by reimagining:
A great way to reuse items is by looking through your donation box to see whether any of the things you’ve set aside are items you’d purchase at your local thrift store to create one of the gift baskets listed below. If your donation box doesn’t contain what you need, check your local thrift store. If you still can’t find the items, try your local natural grocer or a nearby small business. Once you’ve gathered everything you need for a sustainable basket, simply arrange the items artfully in a basket.
Baked goods basket: Purchase a basket, a tea towel, small containers, jelly, & goodie bags. Make some rustic bread, mix up some flavored butters by using butter and jellies/herbs/zests/honey, use the small containers and goodies to package the bread and butters. Then compile your basket. To make a flavored butter at home try this recipe: ‘Sweet Flavoured Butter’ (linked)
Flavored Popcorn basket: Purchase or make caramel corn, purchase or make cheddar popcorn, purchase or make buttered popcorn.
Caramel Corn Recipe:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 cups popping corn
In a 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar, butter, maple syrup, molasses and salt. Over low heat, bring to boil, then add marshmallows and cook for 8 minutes.
Remove old maids from the popped corn, pour syrup over popped corn, and mix well. Bake in a roasting pan at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Baking is optional. Allow to cool and enjoy.
To make Cheddar Popcorn try this recipe: ‘Homemade Cheddar Cheese Popcorn’ (linked)
Pancake breakfast basket: Mix together or purchase a pancake mix; then purchase or make some jellies, butter, and an infused maple syrup (such as elderberry, blueberry, or lemon). Use small containers and goodie bags to package the gift basket, and artfully arrange all the above items in the basket.
‘Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe’ (linked)
Literature basket: Find 3 classic books, 2 vintage bookends, a blanket, and a cute pillow. Classic books such as: Oliver Twist, Chronicles of Narnia, To Kill A Mockingbird, Jane Austen Books, Silas Marner etc.
Nice additional decorative ideas for any of your baskets are to use some ribbon and tie a bow to your baskets. Use a muslim blanket, old newspaper, tissue paper, or brown paper to wrap the individual items, and decorate the paper with stamps or natural accessories such as:
Natural Twine
Dried flowers
Dried orange slices
Evergreen tree cuttings
Pine cones
Tea towel
Make salt dough cookies and use them as name tags that later can be ornaments to be hung on the tree.
Shop local:
But is shopping locally sustainable? Yes—especially if you shop at local stores that curate and create products made with sustainable ingredients or repurposed materials. You can find items like these at Dandelion Naturals. Check out our All Natural Laundry Soap Bundles on our website. These are all-in-one gift bundles, but you could also add a mason jar for aesthetically storing the laundry soap, along with wooden clothespins.
Dandelion Naturals All-Natural Laundry Soap bundle can be found on our website under the laundry tab.
A few of our favorite things to gift:
A beeswax candle, a recycled juice box pencil bag, an embroidered journal, a lotion bar, a bottle of bath salts, and a jar of Dandelion Naturals Tallow Balm. Each of these items can be found in our brick-and-mortar store in Hayfield, MN; affectionately known as ‘The Dande’.
Tea party basket: Choose 3 loose tea blends, a loose leaf tea infuser, possibly a mug or thermos, a chocolate bar, and some note cards or a classic book.
Get well basket: Choose 2 herbal tea blends, 2 immune focused tinctures, a therapeutic hot/cold pack, mug, loose leaf tea infuser, and a Dandelion Naturals Breathe Easy Menthol Chest Rub.
Creativity and you:
Whether you are a do-it-yourself guru or a busy professional, each of us has people in our lives that we could bless by curating a gift for them. Giving a gift is just one of five ways to show someone we appreciate them, so don’t forget to share your appreciation with the people in your life via gifts, physical touch (as appropriate), kind words, time together, and acts of service throughout the year. If you are looking for sustainable and handcrafted gifts, feel free to check out our store in Hayfield, MN, ‘The Dande’ or online at www.dandelionnaturals.com
Resources:
https://worldpopulationreview.com/ (1)
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-lights/202210/the-importance-of-creativity (2)
https://creativityworkshop.com/what-is-creativity.html (3)
