A Recycled Christmas Carnival

A few weeks I was wax lyrical about the amazing range of creative ideas for Christmas gifts that exists on the web, featuring recycled or reused materials. I'd been inspired by some research I'd done for the Recycle Now website and came up with the notion of this carnival to share details of things that other people have made or have even spotted on the Internet.

While I was waiting for creative bloggers to send me their links, I got busy with my own ideas and started making presents to give to some lovely people this Christmas. The gift that you see above is something I've made for Mr A's aunt. It's pot pourri, which features dried rose petals that I'd gathered from the garden this autumn, along with rosehips, pyracantha berries, sliced clementine peel and some cinammon sticks from the cupboard. I packaged it in an old jam jar, wrapped in an offcut of fabric taken from a festive organza tablecloth. It really was that simple and cost just a small amount of time.

I have to admit it's been an uplifting experience creating some handmade gifts this year, particularly using things from the garden that would have otherwise perished. Although I haven't had much time available, I've given it my best shot and even when we've sent our relatives money, I've tried my hand at "banknote origami" to add some originality - try googling it as I'm sure it will bring a smile to your face.

Well that's enough of my exploits. In this post I want to highlight the creativity and inspiration that has come in from other folk and as ever, between them there is a massive amount of enthusiasm that I hope will inspire you for years to come. So grab your favourite seasonal tipple, put your feet up and enjoy.

A bit of festive recycling from around the web.

Kicking off the carnival, is the lovely Nixdminx, who in her post Recycling this Christmas highlighted a fabulous pair of Vivienne Westwood shoes made from a fabric that will be recognisable to anyone who has visited London. It really shows how recycled products can be both stylish and cool.

I can't believe when I initially put this together that I forgot Evie George's most wonderful Baby Friendly Christmas Tree. I'd lost the email link and have been scratching my woolly head to find it again. And I am so glad I did because her work of recycled art is truly inspirational as is her gorgeous blog.

Mrs Green over at MyZeroWaste.com, (who you might recognise as being featured in the Sunday Mirror this weekend) has been a real busy bee. Her post A Zero Waste Christmas highlights how she's discovered her inner creative child, just in time to make an MP4 player case from an old pair of pyjamas for her 8-year-old. For someone who hasn't had confidence in picking up a needle and thread for years, the results are amazing.

Maria at Fabmums has also been creative with decorations made from branches, fir cones and recycled ribbons. I love her Monday Crafts post about how she made the festive branch, which not just saves pounds, but is so versatile it can be used in a number of ways to decorate the house this Christmas.

I'm sure you'll also fall in love with the painted garage in this post called Loving-Not Loving-Christmas, which has been submitted by Simone from Great Fun For Kids. How she has transferred an old battered child's toy is utterly awesome and is really worth a look.

With a totally thrifty feel, Cambridge Ecothrifter, also called Simone, has submitted her fabulous ideas in her post Cheap Christmas Cheer, which includes a whole host of creative thoughts on alternative gifts this year.

And if you have any doubts at all that you're up for the job of crafting your own recycled presents, Grit has done a great job of inspiring confidence, especially if you have children to hand and need to come up with that "something special" for the loved ones in your life. For an amusing tale, check out Grit's guide to Christmas for mean parents.

Now last - but definitely not least - is this cracking submission from a new website that I've recently discovered, thanks to a tip-off from the wonderful Mrs B from York. If you haven't visited the website Present Sense, then it really is a must. I guarantee that regular readers of The Rubbish Diet willl absolutely love it. Set up by a group of mothers who are passionate about sustainable gifting, the website offers bundles of alternative ideas for sourcing recycled or reused presents and helps break down any social barriers in doing so. I've already caught up with Karen, one of the founding members, who is delighted to include their Gift Ideas page in this carnival.

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So there you have it, lots of inspirational posts and links to keep you on the straight and narrow in preparing for this Christmas and many more to come. Huge thanks to everyone who took the trouble to submit their entries. With so much to choose from, the difficulty will be deciding between what recycled gifts to buy and what goodies you can make. Judging by this year's experience I know that I will be champing at the bit to start my plans in January.

But Christmas isn't over yet and with that in mind, don't forget there is still time to enter Recycle Now's draw to win this stunning recycled Christmas Tree, the deadline for which is 17th December.



And while you're there, be sure to check out the latest ideas for making Christmas decorations as well as musical instruments from things that might otherwise be thrown away.

So all that's left to do is to officially wish you a merry recycling Christmas. And do come back soon for some more waste-free fun!

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Steps towards a thrifty Christmas

Friends and family should close their eyes now, as I don't want to ruin the festive surprise that awaits.

Inspired by fellow blogger, VioletPosy's Thrifty Christmas week, I took a break from blogging and tweeting on Monday to venture out into the garden to prune one of the Photinia shrubs - also known as a Red Robin. An appropriate name I thought for my festive plan, which was to strip the leaves and bind them together to make a twig star Christmas decoration.



It was a bit fiddly but with practice will become much easier. The best bit is, as I've only used scraps of fabric to tie the twigs together, this is a really thrifty idea indeed and can be made for pennies. And of course, it is a Zero Waste pressie as the leaves are already being composted.

So now you know how I'll be spending my evenings from now on.

For more inspirational ideas, pop over to www.violetposy.co.uk, where you'll find lots of gorgeous ideas, both thrifty and otherwise.

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Don't look now if it's too early for you

Once upon a time, talking about Christmas in October used to be far too unseasonal for me, especially thanks to weeks of pent-up frustration of seeing festive cards and giftsets appearing in shops months before the celebration itself.

But this year, I'm of the opinion that if I can't beat 'em, I'm most definitely going to join 'em and start getting ready for Christmas too. I know we haven't even enjoyed Halloween yet, but I've got certain plans that need a little more time than traipsing around the high street can offer, which is why I'm getting prepared now.

Yes, this year I've set myself a challenge of organising christmas gifts which come with that extra personal touch and apart from a couple of things the children would like, most of the presents will be made by me or by local artisans and producers.

Without giving too much away, on account that some recipients may be looking in and due to the fact that I haven't yet got a precise plan of action, I am hoping to make Christmas preparations as simple as possible.

As well as getting creative with some tree decorations and bead jewellery, here are just a few of my other ideas:

• I've been harvesting runner bean seeds from the garden which I can give to some of my more green-fingered friends.
• I'm also going to make some festive pot-pourri, made from dried citrus peel, fir cones and rose petals. I'll be on the look out for some cinammon sticks to add to the blend too. I've never done this before so watch this space to see what happens.
• My children absolutely love money, so I have been busy gathering all our loose change and filling up jam-jars. I'm planning to add chocolate coins to the collection to create mini treasure troves as stocking fillers.
• And talking of stocking fillers, would you believe that I've had a special request to make more of the little stocking fellas I created last year.
  

This year I will also be ditching traditional gift-wrap and will instead spread the joy of reusable fabric wrapping, so I have treated myself to a few metres of gorgeous fabric decorated with festive prints. Don't fall off your chairs but I'm planning on calling the sewing machine into action to make some present bags.

There are simply billions of ideas out there and I am currently enjoying two particular scrummy books, which I picked up earlier in the year. The first is called Homemade by Ros Badger and Elspeth Thompson, which is stacked full of ideas that transcend the seasons. The other delightful read is The Christmas Book by Sheherazade Goldsmith, which focuses entirely on the festive season

So it looks as though this year will most definitely be a year of recycling and reusing, as well as using up stuff that we've got around the house. I'd love to know your ideas too. With little time on my hands as ever, I'm up for all ideas that come my way. If you're a blogger you may even be interested in joining in the Thrifty Christmas carnival which will be hosted by the lovely Liz over at Violet Posy. You can find more info about it here.

Given that the run-up to Christmas time has been very stressful indeed in previous years, this year, I am feeling surprisingly calm. Despite having more to do, I am optimistic that I will really enjoy it for the first time in ages. Well that's the plan.

All I now hope... is that the recipients will enjoy their gifts too.

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My Festive Stocking Fella

I've been wondering what to do with my old laddered hosiery, which has been piling up on top of my cupboard for months. A few scraps of material and a couple of buttons later, I came up with the perfect solution just in time for Christmas...and with it... a little festive greeting.




So Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you have a brilliant time and manage to keep those festive bins looking as slim as Scrooge's old dusty wallet. Thank you for a real fun year and cor blimey it was a good 'un.

Well, that's me signing off for a while but I'll see you in 2009, when I'll be pondering my new year resolutions. Why don't you join in too, and get set for another trashtastic Rubbish Dieting year!

See you soon....
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Early Learning: Zero Waste Style

It is well recognised that if you've got young kids in your life, you're guaranteed to end up with a pile of excess clutter filling their bedrooms as well as the remnants of cheap broken toys and packaging filling your bins.

So if you're lucky enough to enjoy the company of little angels, the great news is that it is becoming easier to choose a zero waste present that they will enjoy and won't impinge on the sanity of their parents. And even better, you don't have to look any further than your high street, which as far as green credentials are concerned it comes as a refreshing change.

Yes ladies and gentlemen, if you're shopping for toys this Christmas, it is well worth checking out your local Early Learning Centre.

I haven't been to our local ELC for ages but this weekend I popped in to look for an elf costume. I didn't find what I wanted but I didn't come out completely disappointed.

As I browsed the store I was cheered to see a good range of toys that didn't have packaging. Many of those that were packaged came with compostable interior card, or were in open fronted boxes with none of the usual superfluous plastic.

From a parent's perspective. the less packaging on kids' toys the better, regardless of your zero waste intentions. It means far less mess on special days such as birthdays and Christmas Day. Less time for clearing up and more time to play.

So having had a good browse around the shop, I couldn't wait to check out their website and I'm glad I did because there is some happy news...

...The Early Learning Centre, a company that is owned by Mothercare, is officially going greener....and here's the lowdown.


* 20% of their toys have no packaging

* 25% of their toys are in recyclable packaging

* All instore display signage is on recyclable material and all catalogues and leaflets are printed on FSC or recycled paper

* Their innovative 'Book Amnesty' has recycled 130,000 books

*60% of their wooden toys are now made from 'forest friendly' wood certified by the Forest Steward Council

And it doesn't stop there. The Early Learning Centre has got a cunning plan to make us even happier and the world a greener place with some major targets for 2010 to make their business even more sustainable. Here are just some of them.

*By 2010, all their wooden toys will be made from either recycled wood, bamboo, rubber wood or wood independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council

*All packaging will be made from materials that are easy to recycle

*All cardboard packaging will be made from at least 70% recycled fibre

*They will reduce the amount of packaging by 30%

*They will cut carrier bag use by at least 30%

So, with 215 stores across the UK, this company seems to be doing its bit towards sustainable retailing. If you don't have a shop near you, you might be able to find some of the company's range of toys at your local Debenhams, Sainsbury's or Boots or even order online. Visit www.elc.co.uk for more details.

Things are starting to happen on the high street but we need more shops to follow suit, enabling people to make zero waste choices even if they don't know they're doing it. So I wonder who else will be standing out from the crowds this Christmas? If you spot a high street chain doing its bit for waste, do give them a shout-out.

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Kids in a Fizz: Just in time for Christmas

This weekend, I took the children to their favourite cafe in Bury St Edmunds: Coffee 'n' Kids, in Langton Place, where we went to road-test their latest and most exciting party activity ever...making bath bombs! And my goodness, I would never have thought that making those fizzy things would be so blimmin' easy, or indeed so much fun.




All they had to do was gently rub a bowl full of bicarbonate of soda, which had been combined with a little citric acid. Then adding a couple of drops of yellow and blue liquid, they watched the colour of the powder gradually change before their very eyes.



They added a scent of their choice. The mixture was then sprayed with some water and scrunched together as if making dough, before being pushed into a mould, where it was left to harden. A process that didn't take long at all.




And eh presto! No sooner said than done, the kids had a couple of solid bath bombs to take home with them!


And don't they look great!

As you can probably guess, I had no trouble getting both of them in the bath that evening...or indeed the next!

Now that they are smelling a lot more fragrant than normal, the boys can't wait to have another go and experiment with the different moulds, to make hearts as well as the traditional ball.

And with Christmas around the corner, we've got just enough time to get cracking on some very special hand-made gifts that'll make a nice change from their home-made invisible bogie biscuits. You know the ones I mean...fingers in dough one minute - and when you're not looking - up the nose the next...

So you see, there's no doubt about it that these gorgeous bath bombs are a healthier option and much more pleasant too. Dried flower petals can also be added to make an extra special gift for all the aunts out there. So huge thanks to Jo, the lovely owner, for introducing us to this fizzy adventure and giving an extra special touch to our weekend. We will most definitely be back very soon.

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Who's on your Christmas List?

I know the kids have only just gone back to school and we haven't even celebrated Halloween yet, but I'm already making headway with our Christmas Plans, which I kicked off in August.

This weekend, triggered by one of the comments on the blog (thanks to John) I've been thinking more about how we can plan for a minimal waste Christmas by reducing our present list. I attempted this last year and managed to save on five presents, that's five fewer presents bought by us and five fewer presents received, which meant a joint saving of about £100.

So I've finally written this year's hitlist, sorry I mean Christmas List, to work out who can be saved from the annual present exchange and all the wrapping and stress that comes with it.

Now before you start feeling sorry for them, please don't. It's hardly as if I'm going to cause anyone any harm. My list just features all those people, grown-ups and children who I consider will not be offended if I ring them to ask the all important question.

"Shall we do something different this Christmas?".

I thought that would be a good question to start discussions. It's non-assumptive and won't make me come over as a scrooge. Even better it also gives the other party an opportunity to suggest an alternative solution first. You never know, they probably have been muttering about it for years but haven't felt brave enough to suggest something different.

Christmas is so personal and my priority is not to offend, especially as there are people who we rarely see but who want to play some part in our Christmas celebrations.

So taking the opportunity now will enable time for careful planning on both sides.

Of course a Zero Present Exchange is the perfect outcome, saving wrapping paper, precious time and money. But there are lots of gift options that help to minimise waste.

• Books (no packaging required)
• Gift Vouchers from the Post Office (which use old fashioned paper)
• Transferring money into a bank account
• Contributions to a joint, shared present
• Adopt an animal at a santuary, or a book at the British Library.
  
• A home-made present such as chutneys, jams or biscuits
• Seeds or bulbs that can be planted in the garden or in a container
• Favourite products that the recipient already uses, e.g shampoos
  
• Meeting up for a shared outing, especially if it is a special trip that is already being planned.
• Donations to a charity that is close to someone's heart
  

So this week, I'm going to begin my round of friendly phone-calls, starting with those who I know make their plans early.



But what about the Christmas Cards?

As you can guess, the Christmas card list will also be pared down and where possible will be replaced by ecards and free phone calls, using the opportunity of technology to spread the Christmas Cheer.

I'm also going to ask the kids what they want to do about school cards and see if they and their teachers can come up with some suggestions for their class this Christmas. I think I might start with a small maths lesson to illustrate my thinking. See what you make of this.

If a class of 30 children each sends 1 card to every other child in the class, what is the total number of cards distributed?

Hmmm.....by my calculation that's 30 children each sending 29 cards, which means a multiplication of:

30 X 29 = 870

WOW 870 cards distributed by one class alone.

That's 870 cards that are destined for either recycling or landfill once the festive period is over. If that figure is extrapolated to take into account the capacity of our school (150 children), I guess the figure could possibly reach the whopping tally of 4530.

4530 cards in one school. Blimey I've never even considered that before. I'm now wondering how that translates to money.

If we assume that it costs 10p per card that's

4530 cards x 10p = £453

Now that's a lot of money to go to waste, even if it is recycled. It's like throwing NINE £50 notes in the bin and hoping it will be reincarnated as next year's toilet paper.

Now that I've picked myself off the floor in shock, I'd better get on with my phone calls, and after that, I'd better start thinking about the next stage of proceedings....making a good old-fashioned Christmas cake, now that's a zero-waste challenge if ever I've seen one.


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