Regift what you can, reduce what you spend, make thoughtful gifts, recycle packaging, and repurpose unwanted gifts.
Giving gifts is a great feeling, but it doesn’t have to cost the earth. Use the power of your dollar to vote for the kind of world you want to live in. We’ve written down a few of our favourite gifting options that can apply all year round, not just during the silly season.
Markets Support Local Makers and Artists
Markets are a brilliant way to support local makers, be inspired and find gifts with stories that fit the receiver well.
There are too many great Christmas markets to mention them all but here are a few of our Auckland and Wellington favourites for 2024.
There are over 50 different Christmas markets in greater Auckland and over 20 in Wellington, a good way to discover them all is to click over to event finder and search your region. Facebook is also a great resource for finding Christmas markets and events that may not be on event finder.
Eco-Friendly Subscriptions
Subscription boxes are a fun way to give a gift that keeps on giving. You can find a variety of eco-friendly options, from zero-waste products to sustainable beauty, wellness, or food boxes. Some of our favourites for this year’s good gifting guide are:
- The Very Green Gardener this wee plant box will turn up on your doorstep monthly with a new, different baby plant to nurture and love.
- Flower box subscriptions from Cellar Daisy
- Plant Baby another beautiful plant subscription but with a focus on New Zealand natives!
- Jess’s Under Ground Kitchen organic and ethical meal subscriptions.
- Kiwi Co fun and educational subscription box for all ages, offering hands-on projects that encourage creativity and learning.
- Make Kit eco-friendly craft kits that come in recyclable and reusable boxes, with repurposed packing materials for protection.
- Minerva Magazine Subscriptions Wellingtonions will know the beautiful Cuba Street shop Minerva and the large magazine offerings it stocks. Most magazines are centred around celebrating creativity and often have a sustainable ethos. Minerva offers a variety of subscription options for all types of creatives.
These subscriptions are not only a treat for the recipient but also a great way to support small, eco-conscious businesses.
MakeKit Kits
Donate to Charities
For the person who has everything—or for someone who just prefers not to accumulate more stuff, a charitable donation can be the perfect gift. Giving in someone’s name to a cause they care about adds meaning and purpose to the gift-giving experience.
Some local charities that are doing awesome work and deserve your support are:
Kelmarna Community Farm
Workshops and classes
So many creatives in their respective industries offer workshops and classes in all different areas, take a look at some of these workshops or spaces that hold regular workshops..
Auckland
Wellington
Online
A few special mentions
Hohepa Heartfelt and beautifully crafted gifts made by people with intellectual disabilities. We stock Hohepa’s beautiful candles at all of our stores and are among our favourite Christmas offerings.
Dining in The Dark An experience gift! This is a unique dining experience where guests eat in complete darkness, enhancing other senses and raising awareness about visual impairments, all the servers are vision impaired and quite frankly wonderful!
Felt An online market for locally made goods, designed to enable Kiwi makers, producers, designers, artists, and craftspeople to promote and sell their work in a supportive environment.
Hohepa Candles
Wrap it Up!
- Make a simple fabric gift bag or try furoshiki (Japanese style gift wrapping with fabric)
- Use newspaper or newsprint and twine or string
- Try Zero Waste Chef’s plastic-free glue and homemade paper tape recipe
- Our friends over at Ethique have a brilliant Christmas blog post with some pinterest worthy eco friendly wrapping ideas.
Happy gifting, community. You’ve got this.
