GREEN CHRISTMAS FAIR
Monday 17th December, 6 – 8:30pm
The Christmas Fair was well attended and enjoyed by all. There were a lots of good ideas were shared so here are a few gems.
Christmas Presents
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» Flavour oil with chillies and garlic and put in a nice reused bottle- voila Xmas gift
- » Don't buy more that you can get in your reusable bag!
- » Buy presents from charity shops- ultimate resuse.
- » Buy rechargable batteries
- » Buy something a bit different vouchers for a massage, cinema, theatre, facial, cookery course, membership to a gallery etc. Or make your own. (Although do not make them too real like I did and my friend nearly presented it to the comedy club she thought she had two tickets to!)
- » Keep receipts for gifts, pop them in an envelop in the parcel so they can be returned..if needs be!
Decorations
» Rather than having an indoor Christmas tree, have one outdoors for the birds with tinsel made out of monkey nuts. For baubles have fat balls, take apples and pierce skin with sunflower seeds and hang in tree, cut up corn on the cob and wrap with ribbon and put in on the tree.
» Making paperchains is easy, just use old newspapers and magazines. I used old ski magazines which give a christmas colours.
» Wrap matchboxes up as mini presents and hang on the tree
» Hang dried pine cones or seed head and decorate with glitter
Alternative Christmas Presents
See what alternative presents your favourite charity is offering
Give people promises such as "I promise to:
– do all the washing up promptly for 1 week
– babysit one evening
– resolve all your DIY dilemmas (ie fix things!) for one afternoon
– sort out the garden
– give the bearer one hug
– cook dinner, and be fabulous company for the whole evening
Other ideas:
» Don't overcook- plan menus and amounts of food and remember the size of the freezer.
» Also Cook in bulk and freeze in portions for a later "ready meal"
» Make soup from left overs.
» Deliver cards by bicycle and get fit
» Buy cards that are made from recycled card
» Always use jiffy bags when sending presents in the post. The are made from brown paper and padded with shredded newsprint.
The Birmingham Friends of the Earth Christmas Fayre had:
* Green gift ideas and inspiration
* Alternative decorations and creative gift wrapping
* Fairtrade gifts from around the world
* Share YOUR green Christmas ideas
* Freecycle swop shop – bring along second hand books and unwanted gifts for others to take away.
