It's a holly, jolly reusable holiday

Mounds of ripped up gift wrap, stacks of paper cards and shredded Christmas crackers tend to make the naughty list of waste each holiday. Well, we think Santa and the eco-elves along with Mother Nature will be pleased with our fine finds that combat the waste problem and are eco-friendly.

Wrapagami

Designed by Jenn Playford, a Victoria-based mom, who is also an illustrator, Furochic, is reusable fabric gift wrap. Say goodbye to tape and scissors and hello to a whole new eco-friendly way to wrap presents. All you need to do is fold and tie knots. The neat thing about this is that the wrap is part of the present, and it’s able to wrap a variety of gifts, including a bottle of wine, a book, a toy, a bouquet of flowers and more. The bright, whimsical designs will dress up any Christmas tree or party. The lucky person, who receives the gift, has many options to reuse the fabric wrap. On our end, we recently tried out the Furochic and we will be wrapping our gifts with a variety of their designs this season. It’s fun, it’s environmentally friendly and it’s simply cool.

Available online at www.furochic.com or Planet Organic. On a side note, check out Playford’s assortment of illustrated greeting cards, including festive ones and gift tags. They are very cool and on sale.

Green Christmas crackers

For some, Christmas isn’t Christmas without Christmas crackers. The suspense of finding out what’s inside as your guests snap open the crackers is half the fun. What’s not so fun is that these paper crackers end up in the trash. However, thanks to a local company, Green Planet Parties, you now have the option to use reusable, felt Christmas crackers. These crackers scream eco-friendly. You can either fill the crackers with your own treats, or, to make life a little easier, you can opt to have an organic treat or sustainable gift included (for an extra charge) in your cracker. In the long run, you’ll save money as you’ll be able to reuse your Christmas crackers, season after season. Available online at www.greenplanetparties.com.

Natural cards

Christmas cards are a joy to receive. After all, it’s a great way to find out what your long-lost friends and family members are up to. An alternative to paper cards is the sweet Natural Wool Christmas cards. Handmade in Nepal, out of 100 per cent natural wool, these Christmas cards make for a keepsake and can be transformed into Christmas decorations the following years. We think they’re perfect for giving to someone near and dear. Filled with four blank pages, you have plenty of room to write a nice letter to that special far away friend, or even have your child colour a few pictures for the grandparent. Available at www.lavishandlime.com.

A twist on trees

Artificial Christmas trees are typically made out of metals and plastics, including toxic PVC, and can be harmful to your health (read more about it from Healthy Child Healthy World). Here's a green alternative to artificial or cut trees. A Burnaby-based company Evergrow Christmas Trees Co. rents out potted-Christmas trees and then cares for them in the off-season in a Langley nursery. When the trees grow too large for the pots, Evergrow will plant them. On your end, you get the tree delivered to your door and picked up at the end of the holiday season. If you don't have a similar service located near you, potted is the way to go.

Advent calendars

Albeit it's Dec. 1, it's never too late to get an advent calendar. We love the selection of handmade advent calendars on Etsy. Camelot Kids in Vancouver also has a great selection of reusable advent calendars. For those who like to make their own, online store Saplings is offering free downloadable advent calendars from Liz Clay of Cici Art Factory.