Happy Holidays everyone! Now that Christmas has come and gone, we trust that many of you are relaxing and tidying up all those boxes, ribbons and bits of wrapping paper from yesterday’s gift exchanges. Despite many of our best intentions in our gift wrapping (using silk scarves, brown-bags or socks), most of us will still be left with piles of wrapping paper to clean up. So what to do with all that wrapping paper that can’t be salvage for next year’s presents? We’ve got some ideas for you over at Inhabitots >

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Post tags: can i recycle wrapping paper, how to recycle wrapping paper, how to recycle wrapping paper and packaging, recycle wrapping paper, wrapping paper crafts, wrapping paper recycling how to, wrapping paper reuses

Christmas trees are one of the most enjoyable traditions of the holiday season, and there are lots of easy ways to go green with your Christmas tree: from using living potted Christmas trees, to recycled cardboard trees, to buying LED Xmas lights. After weighing the choices every December for years, and going on my own personal quest to have the greenest Christmas tree ever, here are the most eco-friendly tips I can offer on greening your holiday tree:

Read the rest of HOW TO: Green Your Christmas Tree

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Post tags: Cardboard Christmas Tree, Cardboard Xmas Tree, jill fehrenbacher, Living Xmas Tree, Potted Xmas Tree, Rosemary Christmas Tree, Rosemary Tree

We’ve shown you lots of inspired eco takes on the traditional Christmas tree this holiday season, but this one takes the cake! This gorgeous “Ice Tree” sculpture is made from 300 recycled water bottles suspended in the air. Created by graphic design studio Paprika, the provocative installation is hanging in the window of Montreal’s furniture store Domison throughout the holidays. We love how the inspired sculpture casts and reflects beams of light, creating an eye-catching display that raises awareness of the possibilities of recycling.

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Post tags: Domison, eco-art, green design, green holiday, ice tree, paprika design studio, recycled bottle Xmas tree, recycled christmas tree, recycled mineral water bottles, recycled water bottle christmas tree, sustainable design

If you’ve been reading Inhabitat at all recently you may have noticed that we just launched a fabulous online boutique to help all you online shoppers find the best of the best in terms of green design. Now we want to remind you that while the Inhabitat Shop is a great place to find Xmas gifts – you need to place orders by TODAY (and you need to get 2nd day or overnight shipping!), in order to receive items before Christmas. So if you’ve been eyeing something in our shop for a Christmas gift and have been putting off purchasing it – now is your last chance!

INHABITAT SHOP >

INHABITAT GREEN HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE >

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Post tags: eco design, green design, green furnishings, green gifts, green products, inhabitat marketplace, inhabitat shop, inhabitat shop announcement, inhabitatshop, sustainable design, sustainable style

Eco-savvy ladies should be able to enjoy the finer things in life without having to compromise their environmental ethics. There are plenty of places out there to find glamorous green gifts for that special lady in your life, if you know where to look. Read on for our top picks for green goodies sure to please any discerning eco-chick.

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Post tags: eco-friendly gifts for women, Green gifts for girls, green gifts for women, green girl gifts, Green Holiday Gifts for Girls, Inhabitat Green Holiday Gift Guide, INHABITAT GREEN HOLIDAY GUIDE, sustainable style

While it makes a fun tradition, gift-wrapping packages with paper and tape is an inherently unsustainable practice: think of all the paper and ribbon that goes into the trash each holiday season for the sake of making presents pretty. Here’s a lovely green gift-wrap idea: wrap your present in a silk scarf this year! Not only do scarves make beautiful, easy gift wrap that requires no tape or scissors – but the durability and multiple uses of scarves mean that the gift-wrap itself becomes part of the present that can be worn and reused again and again. BOBO wrapping scarves are silk scarves that are designed for the express purpose of wrapping presents. They can mold into a variety of shapes and the cloth material can be re-used over and over again!

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Post tags: bobo wrap, bobowrap, eco chic wrapping, eco christmas, eco friendly christmas, eco friendly wrapping, eco wrapping, Future Present, patricia lee bobo, represent design agency, scarf gift wrap, scarf wrapping present

We spoil our pets and it’s ok. For many of us they are our children, our confidants and our friends – of course we love making them comfortable and happy as well as safe and healthy. Fortunately, a new wave of eco-friendly and healthy pet products have come along so we can be sure that we’re providing the best for our furry loved ones.

Read the rest of GREEN GIFT GUIDE: For Pets

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Post tags: eco design, eco friendly pet care, green design, holiday gift guide for pets, inhabitat green pet gift guide, inhabitat holiday gift guide, sustainable petcare

Looking to get crafty and save money with your Christmas gifts this year? If you are looking for presents for small kids, here’s a crafty idea that is sure to please the little guys in your life! Applique shirts are all the rage in children’s boutiques, and you can easily make your own cute and unique one by salvaging a couple old stained items of clothing that might otherwise be headed to the junk heap.

HERE’S HOW >

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Post tags: babies, clothing, crafts, creativity, cute clothes, DIY, diy appliqued shirts, DIY kids’ clothes, holiday gifts, how-to, kids, recycled clothing, sewing

It’s easy to get “wrapped up” in the holiday giving spirit, but why not think bigger than just your immediate family, and consider giving back to humanity and the planet. It’s a big world out there and there are plenty of people and environments in need. Whether you’re supporting global development by purchasing artisan crafts or restoring damaged habitats by planting trees or saving endangered species, these gifts that give back will make the world a better place.

Read the rest of GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Gifts That Give Back

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Post tags: Gifts That Give Back, humanitarian gift guide, inhabitat gift guide eco humanitarian, Inhabitat green gift guide

The handmade movement is taking the country by storm. Make this holiday memorable by choosing to give something one-of-a-kind, made with skill and craftsmanship not found at the mall. And just think of the sustainable benefits: reduced carbon footprint, recycled/recyclable materials and the satisfaction that comes from knowing you’re helping sustain local artisans. Strike a blow for sustainability and give handmade this season!

Read the rest of GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Handmade Christmas Gifts

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Post tags: christmas presents ideas, crafty christmas, eco etsy, green gift guide, green holiday gift guide, inhabitat holiday gift guide, suggestions green design, sustainable recycled handcrafted

We are huge fans of the One Laptop Per Child project and computer design, and we’ve written extensively about the OLPC laptop on Inhabitat (here, here and here). So we were thrilled to discover that the Buy-One-Give-One program that was launched last year during the holiday season is back and better than ever this year – this time in partnership with Amazon.com

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Post tags: Green Laptop, low energy laptop, One Laptop Per Child, solar charged laptop, xo laptop

We love the holiday season and definitely love scouring the web for fabulous eco-friendly gifts, but sometimes we get overwhelmed. With the economy in its lousy state and the fact that we’re trying to be good environmental stewards, we aren’t buying quite as much anymore. There are days when we wish we could forgo the whole gift-buying frenzy and just have a lovely holiday with our family and friends. And who really has time to buy so many gifts and then wrap them? For those of you out there feeling stressed out from having to buy too many presents, maybe it’s time to cut back completely and buy nothing.

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Post tags: adbusters buy nothing day, alternative gift giving, anti-consumerism christmas, buy nothing christmas, buy nothing holiday season, holiday gift guide

Whether you’re looking to stuff a stocking full of something other than candy and useless do-dads, or just looking to pass on a bit of green fun, we’ve selected an assortment of our favorite pint-sized green finds for you this year. From miniature marvels of modern technology to things that grow and tasteful doses of home decor, read on for a list of eco-gifts that prove great things do come in small packages.

Read the rest of GREEN GIFT GUIDE 2008: Stocking Stuffers

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Post tags: cheap gifts, eco-friendly gifts, gift ideas, green gifts, holiday gift guide, Inhabitat green gift guide, stocking stuffers, sustainable gifts

Does it get any cuter than these felted Sting Ray toys from Branch? We think not! Designed originally as chew-toys for dogs, these 100% natural and fair-trade toys are so adorable that they seem better suited to be a tot’s trusty little companion than to get chewed up in a doggy mouth. However, we’re pretty certain that whomever you are shopping for (canine or human)- your recipient will love this little guy’s sturdy wool body and delightful little face hidden on the underside. Felted Sting Rays are 100% organic boiled wool and handcrafted in Nepal under fair-trade practices.

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Post tags: branch home, eco stingray, eco toy, felted sting ray, felted stingray, green toy, natural plush toy, Nepali craftswomen, sting ray plush toy

Homemade gifts are always cherished and add a personal touch to the season of giving. They’re also easy on the pocketbook, and we know that will appeal to lots of you out there in these tough economic times. Since we all have different levels of craftiness, we’ve listed our DIY gift ideas here in order of complexity: simpler DIY ideas for the novice are at the top and projects for seasoned crafters at the bottom. Many of these projects require buying fabric or other raw materials. Keep it green by choosing organic, local, pre-loved or sustainably sourced goods.

Read the rest of GREEN GIFT GUIDE: Make Your Own DIY Gifts

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Post tags: crafted gifts, gift DIY, green gift DIY, green gift how-tos, green homemade gifts, handmade gifts, holiday gift giving, homemade gifts, how to make your own gifts, Inhabitat green gift guide, presents, sustainable diy gifts