SUSTAINABLE GIFT GUIDE

The first brand I want to highlight is Ara The Altar.  It's founder Lauren creates stunning jewellery in intricate, minimalist designs.
Using recycled precious metals and biodegradable packaging, Lauren is one of many artisans choosing to value sustainability and integrity in their craft, offering products made to last a lifetime over cheap novelties.
Inspired by astronomy and nature, Lauren's pieces are perfect gifts for loved ones. They are keepsakes and statements of love.

Candles are a Christmas gift staple. Perfect for anyone from your Secret Santa to your special someone. Earl of East creates stunning scents, hand poured in their East London studio. They use soy wax, a natural and renewable source as opposed to the paraffin wax in many other candles, which is both non renewable and carcinogenic.

Candles are often something of a throwaway gift, it's what you get a person when you're not sure what else they wants. Buying bespoke, ethical candles from an independent brand means that the recipient gets a statement piece for their home, and your 'little something' makes a big impact.

On to KEEPCUP! In the UK alone, we throw away 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups a year, and even if you put yours into recycling, the plastic lining means that only 1 in 400 will be recycled, which means the rest end up in landfill, or floating in the sea. I'm sure you agree with me when I say NOPE!! This brand makes beautiful, quality, reusable drink cups in a range of styles and sizes, perfect for a loved one who grabs a coffee on the way to work, or for a couple who love to take hot chocolates on a chilly Sunday morning walk.





Crystals are always a great option for Christmas presents. The sheer variety means they can be affordable trinkets or big expensive statements. They can be wrapped into jewellery or used as home decor. Some claim that crystals have healing or rejuvenating properties, and even if you don't buy that at all, it can add special meaning to buy someone a crystal with these properties in mind. Amethyst for example is rumoured to help with bad dreams, whereas orange calcite brings joy and inspiration.
High Vibe Designs has a wide selection of crystals. These wrapped pendants are utterly beautiful and are perfect for a small yet meaningful gift.

Homeware is an often neglected area for gift giving, and yet I can't think of anyone who wouldn't appreciate quality pieces chosen with care and love.

Timmy's is a store I want to give a massive shout out to. They've only just opened and sell, not only this beautiful blanket, made from 50% recycled wool by Tweedmill Textiles in Wales, but the candles and keepcups shown above as well as a host of other products, all featured for their sustainable and ethical practices.

If you're looking to give sustainably this year I can't recommend Timmy's highly enough. They also have ranges of soaps, glassware and other products to help create a sustainable everyday.

If you're still stumped for gift ideas, consider giving to a charity in their name. My parents need absolutely nothing from by broke ass, and so my brother and I are spending £27 each, and reserving places in their name for two homeless people to have Christmas dinner at a Crisis Centre, and gain year round access to housing and employment support. There are hundreds of thousands of worthy causes out there, it just takes a google to find something they will appreciate.

I really hope that was helpful and maybe gave you a few ideas for how to avoid the throwaway novelty culture this Christmas and give friends and loves ones items they can really cherish. Tight budgets and crowded high streets can sometimes mean that we can't always make the choices we would like to when shopping for seasonal gifts, but even just making sure candles are soy, or buying books straight from the publishers can make a big difference in how our world functions and slowly bring us all towards a more sustainable ethical future.