Upcycling and Recycling for Thoughtful and Fun Gifts

As we consider our carbon footprint with gifts and activities, its worth thinking through the lens of the three R’s that we all learned in elementary school – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  With a bit of creativity, this lens can lead to some really thoughtful gifts, fun activities, and joy/pride in making something special. 

If there is one thing our boys love to get at Christmas time it’s Stuffies. To coincide with our New Year’s resolution we made last year to aim as much as possible to not buy anything new, Crystal made Stuffies this year from old ripped sweaters, pillow cases and duvet covers.

Here are some very cool upcycled items Crystal made for Christmas presents. It’s time consuming, but this is her meditation.

Merry Christmas from Naartjie. He was very happy with his homemade catnip toys and simple yarn ball. 🧶 🐈

Saturday morning knitting. Crystal learned how to knit when she was Hugh’s age and remembers it, and the skills, to this day. It’s great meditation or something to keep your hands busy while watching a movie.

Yay snow!!!! We have a small but fun hill in our neighborhood park. All 3 of these toboggans were purchased on Marketplace, participating in our circular economy. Simple ways to be more environmentally conscious. Bundle up, get outside, get some fresh air. And let’s take care of our planet so we continue to get snow. ❄️ ☃️