Handmade Eco Friendly Gifts to feel good about (updated for 2023)

Looking for household gifts that any woman would be happy to have in her home and kitchen?  Here’s a collection of beautiful, reusable, and handmade environmentally friendly gifts for her that didn’t come from a factory half the world away.

Shopping Etsy for Eco friendly gifts – the kitchen and home edition

All these items have been designed or hand-crafted by small business crafters. 

By shopping on-line with small businesses, you both get to financially support small businesses endeavors as well as make green shopping choices by avoiding the mass marketing and shipping effects of large manufacturers.

But, the best part of shopping online is you won’t have to spend hours hunting in over-crowded craft markets…. and you can browse from the comfort of you comfy couch!

All of the photo below will link to the actual seller’s shop on Etsy.  So, click around!

Various reusable household gift ideas like lunch totes, bamboo cutlery, cotton coffee filters

(This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through my link I receive a small commission at no added cost to you. See my policy page for more information)


Eco friendly household gifts for spills, napkins, and cleaning

The Reusable un-paper towel

Have you seen these before?  These are such a great idea! 

I’ll admit that the ones in my kitchen aren’t nearly as cute as these, but we use them all the time! They sit in a basket right on the counter and I grab them for small spills, messy faces, as napkins, and more.

You’ll notice that some reusable cloths will come with snaps so you can hook them all together and store just like your standard paper towels.  Others can be folded up and tucked in a cute bin.  Either way, they’re trendy, beautiful, practical, and a great gift item for almost anyone who has a kitchen and a washing machine!

Organic Cotton Unpaper Towels by Natural Linens

Reusable Napkins and Wipes

Very similar to the reusable un-paper towels are reusable napkins and cloths.  You’ll love the variety of patterns and materials these can come in.  And really, you can use these for anything: wiping spills, at the table, cleaning dirty faces, tucking in your purse, even as reusable tissues.

I recently purchased a set from Ikea that we’ve been using as table napkins, and here’s a tip for you… consider getting patterned clothes or darker colors to help camouflage stains… or get yourself a good quality stain remover;)… or maybe don’t have kids?

Kitchen Napkins by Fiddling Ferns on Etsy
Reusable table cloths by MamaMade on Etsy
Versatile and reusable cloth wipes by Marley’s Monsters on Etsy
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Kids Cloth Napkins by CheeksAhoyHandmade on Etsy

I actually have a these napkins from Cheeks Ahoy and they’re still such great shape after a few years, that I asked my husband for 2 more sets this Christmas! I love the fun, colourful designs in the kid’s sets.

Handcrafted Washable Washing Sponges (the perfect small eco-friendly gift)

Reusable sponges are another very practical and eco-friendly gift.  I’ll admit, I might be a little disappointed to find cleaning sponges in my stocking or mother’s day basket, but these are so beautiful, they’d be a joy to receive!

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Fun and colorful reusable meshed sponges by Marley’s Monsters on Etsy

Handmade & Sustainable gifts for the lunch room and snack time

Reusable Snack and Sandwich Bags

Instead of plastic bags and containers, how about some trendy and fun reusable snack bags? 

You’ll find that some come with velcro or zippers, some have snaps, and some have an extra fabric fold over to keep the yummies inside. 

We’ve been using some reusable bags with Velcro and they’re still in great shape. We also have a set of reusable bags with zippers and the kids always fight over who will get them for snacks.

Who wouldn’t be happy to receive these as a gift!  They’re very practical, fun, and come in a huge variety of patterns. These make the perfect gift for anyone who takes a daily lunch to work or school.

Eco friendly gift: Reusable Lunch Bags by Tarrah at Home on Etsy
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Zippered, reusable bags by PlayfulPeanut on Etys

Handmade Trendy Lunch Sacks

If you’re looking for a gift with a little more style (and less of a mommy-chore type gift), try a handmade lunch bag or tote below.

 

Recycled cotton screen printed lunch bag by OhLittleRabbit on Etsy

Here’s a beautiful handmade and customizable complete zero-waste lunch set. The fabric choices available in this are so lovely! This is a lovely eco gift for her.

a handmade eco friendly lunch bag and reusable snack bags in matching greys and blacks
Zero waste lunch set by No Trace Shop on Etsy

The reusable straw and cutlery set

With this timely push to decrease plastic waste, more and more restaurants and cafes are going straw-free. 

Gift the gift of never being staw-less again!  And, make sure they have a cute baggie to carry it in or when they actually pull it out of their purse it will be crusted with cheerios crumbs and tissue lint! Yuck!

Or, go ahead and get them the entire reusable cutlery set!

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Set of 2 reusable straw with pouch and cleaning tools by ForTheLoveOfApronsCo on Etsy
reusable bamboo cutlery and reusable straw, cactus zippered pouch
Cactus Cutlery Pouch and reusable utensils by SaidoniaEco on Etsy

Handmade Beauty for the Breadmaker

Linen Bread Bags

Do you know a bread baker who would love a handmade linen bread bag to help keep their loaves fresh and crispy?  These bags can also be used to store nuts, fruits, and vegetables too.  Or you could use them for purchasing produce from the grocery store or for a trendy lunch sack.

Handmade linen bread bag for storing and gifting foods by LovelyCraftsHome on Etsy

Eco-Friendly Gifts for Coffee Drinkers

Cotton Coffee Filters

Save money and reduce waste with cotton coffee filters.  You’ll find them in a variety of sizes for different coffee models. You can even find ones with unbleached, organic cotton for the ultimate green choice.

reusable coffee filter sitting in a coffee drip
Reusable Organic Coffee Filters by lunitouti on Etsy
Reusable unbleached cotton coffee filters by Remiusables on Etsy

And don’t forget those that like to make cold brews at home!

the reusable bags used for making cold brew coffee
Reusable Organic Cotton Cold Brew Filter by The Mill Factor on Etsy

Zero waste and plastic-free food storage gift ideas

Zero-waste Beeswax Food Wraps

These are so cool!  A small, lightweight, reusable, and colorful alternative to plastic wrap.  Beeswax wraps are gaining in popularity, but they’re still a new and trendy idea that are sure to wow the gift opener. 

A few years ago when I first compiled this list I had not seen these in any stores. However, over the past years, I’ve started seeing them in many small kitchen supply shops, gift shops, and houseware boutiques.

If you’re wondering how to use and care for beeswax wraps, check out this article here.

These wraps below from Suzysbeeswraps come in a beautiful gift-worthy package too!

Beeswax food wrappers by Suzysbeeswraps on Etsy
 
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Beeswax food wraps by EastVanBees

Reusable Bowl Covers

If you’re hesitant to gift or use the beeswax wraps, these bowl covers might be the better option. These covers use a draw string to hold the fabric tight around the bowl and come in 3 sizes and fun fun fun patterns!


The perfect reusable gifts – Shopping Bags

Don’t let your friends and family be caught without a bag again.  The colors, patterns, and styles are endless when it comes to handmade totes!  Making this green choice is super easy these days.

A quick look around and you’ll find one to suit every person on your list, I’m sure!

Like, this one for example? Who doesn’t love a good pun!

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Canvas Shopping Tote by the PepperMill Shop on Etsy
a woman holding an eco friendly reusable jute tote bag
Eco friendly tote bag by Sand and Love on Etsy
Organic Linen Totes by EcoconLinen on Etys
reusable shopping bag with a whale on it
Reusable Shopping Bag by Savon Diligences Soap on Etsy

Hopefully a few items on this list caught your attention. 

Personally, I love gift giving.  I love shopping for things, I love wrapping them, giving them, and watching the receiver’s reactions on opening their gift… But, on the other hand, I hate having lots of stuff and I hate feeling like my gifts might be contributing to their having ‘lots of stuff’…. 

This is why I think these practical, handmade, practical, and reusable eco friendly gifts are fantastic ideas for anyone!  I hope you agree!


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7 thoughts on “Handmade Eco Friendly Gifts to feel good about (updated for 2023)”

  1. Thanks so much for featuring my snack bags! This was such a happy surprise to see! I’m so glad you’ve been loving yours so far!
    (Beego Handmade is my shop 🙂 )

  2. I’ve heard about people using old rags instead of paper towel, but that Reusable un-paper towel would be cost efficient and easy on the eyes! Definitely now on my wishlist.

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