Reusable, sustainable Christmas gifts for the environmentalist in your life

I'm going to be honest: the gift ideas on this list aren't going to be as exciting as a Nintendo Switch or a diamond tennis bracelet, or even a gorgeous knit sweater. But sometimes, it's the simple gifts that make the biggest impression on people - especially when it's something they will be able to use over and over, saving them money down the road and reducing their carbon and plastic footprints!

So here is a list of my best-selling reusable items that you can find in my Etsy shop for your consideration this holiday season.

10 reusable, sustainable handmade gifts

1. Soft washcloths

Wash your face and body in comfort with these extremely soft, durable washcloths! Ditch the disposable plastic loofahs and wonky sponges that only last a month for a more eco-friendly way to gently wash away the day's makeup and sweat. Machine washable, this gift will last for years. They're ideal for anyone who uses either bar soap or liquid body wash!

Wash cloths are always BOGO 1/2 off - so they're best purchased in twos. Shop wash cloths here.

2. Soap savers

This soap cozy is designed to make the most of your bars of soap. Wash safely with the extra grip this cozy provides. The recycled cotton yarn is ideal for both its ability to make ample suds and keep your bar from sticking to the soap holder. The draw strings allow for easy, mess-free storage.

Shop soap savers here.

3. Face scrubbies

Save money and time by switching from disposable cotton pads to these eco-friendly reusable facial pads. While these makeup remover pads are made of the softest possible cotton, the puff-stitch texture helps to gently exfoliate your sensitive face. Splash on your favorite makeup remover, toner, or facial cleanser, and wipe away just like you normally would when using a disposable cotton pad or wipe. Whether you typically reach for a wipe or a cotton ball to remove makeup, the day's oil and dirt, or both, these machine washable pads will help to reduce your carbon footprint!

Face scrubbies come in sets of 4 so you won't run out between loads of laundry - shop here.

4. The whole shebang spa gift set

Got a slightly higher budget for a full spa set? Get the whole skin and body care sustainable living bundle at wholesale pricing! Spa gift set includes two textured washcloths, four face scrubbies, and a soap cozy. Don't forget to round out the gift set with a bar of soap - preferably from your local artisans shop!

Shop the whole set here.

5. Dishcloths

Looking for a reusable alternative to kitchen sponges? Look no further! These dishcloths are made from 85% recycled cotton yarn, so they are a very eco-friendly way to wash your dishes. They are more textured than my body washcloths are, so they will scrub off the grease and food grime with less elbow grease. The waffle-like stitch also makes them thick enough to be used as a pot holder.

Dish cloths are also always BOGO 1/2 off! Shop them here.

6. Dish scrubbies

These little dish scrubbies are even more highly textured than the above dish cloths! The smaller size makes them ideal for really going to town against those caked-on food bits.

Once again, dish scrubbies are always BOGO 1/2 off! Shop here.

7. Swiffer mop covers

These handmade Swiffer Sweeper dry mop covers are a reusable, environmentally friendly alternative to the disposable pads. They can be used over and over again - rinse between uses until it's dirty enough to be thrown in the washing machine, let air dry, and repeat! Never throw your money in the garbage again.

Shop Swiffer covers here.

8. Reusable produce bags

Keep your produce organized at the grocery store or farmer’s market with this reusable, flexible, and durable drawstring bag! Say goodbye to the flimsy plastic bags that can’t be reused and often rip from heavier produce or from getting snagged. And say hello to this environmentally friendly plastic alternative!

These bags weigh only 21 grams (about 0.74 ounces) so they won’t lead to overcharge when weighing groceries on the scale at checkout. And the drawstring closure is much easier to tie and untie than the typical provided plastic bags! The net-like design makes them very stretchy, so they can fit as much produce as you need. Just be careful with smaller items like berries as they may fall through!

Shop produce bags here.

9. Farmer's market bags

Carry your groceries and other fun farmer’s market finds with ease in this super-flexible cotton tote! The sturdy net-like design of this bag makes it super stretchy so it can accommodate whatever you’re buying. The handles are long enough to drape over your arm if you need two free hands while you shop. Bring this bag - or several of them! - to the grocery store for an environmentally friendly option to plastic bags.

Shop farmer's market bags here.

10. A multipurpose drawstring pouch

I have an entire blog post with 7 uses for my drawstring pouches, which you can read here for more inspiration. The two most holiday-centric uses are slightly more on the gift wrapping side than the actual gift, but since it would be a gift wrap that your loved one can repurpose for whatever they'd like, I thought I'd include it in this list!

Number one is the small size as a gift card holder. Rather than buying a paper card that will be on display for a while and then end up in the trash, consider tucking a gift card into one of these little pouches.

Number two is as gift wrapping for those awkwardly-shaped gifts. Think candles, jewelry that didn't come with a box, shot glasses, *ahem* a set of face scrubbies, a pair of socks, etc. I've made a gift bag out of wrapping paper in the past and while it felt very Crafty of me, it was still single-use disposable paper that wound up in a landfill. Gifting any of those awkward items in a reusable drawstring pouch would have been a much more sustainable idea, if I'd been making these back then!

Drawstring pouches come in three sizes and can be found here.

Almost everything on this list, except for the small dish scrubbies and the produce bags, is made from a yarn that is 85% recycled cotton and 15% polyester. The recycled cotton saves 1,500 liters of water per 75 gram ball! (For reference, the farmer's market bag uses 91 grams of yarn.) The textile industry is one of the biggest users of water in the world, so it is important to me that I use recycled cotton whenever I can. Unfortunately, I haven't found a recycled cotton yarn thin enough to use for the produce bags yet, so I make them with an acrylic yarn. And since the recycled cotton yarn is soft enough to wash your face with, it simply won't do for the dish scrubbies - that yarn is 100% polyester. 

Also on my list of sustainability promises - I don't buy new packaging for shipping my orders. I save the plastic mailers from my own online shopping and reuse them. This saves me money so that I don't have to pass the packaging costs on to you, and it saves the environment one plastic bag at a time! So while your packaging may look kind of funny, rest assured that the look is a win-win for both of us AND for the planet. Even if it comes to you in an Amazon bag, I can guarantee that everything purchased from my Etsy shop is 100% handmade by me!

And, of course, when you shop on Etsy, they offset the carbon emissions from the shipping process. You can read more about Etsy's commitment to sustainability here.