:: Children’s gift guide

Posted by Joelle on December 14, 2007 | Permalink

Well, last ordering and posting dates for Christmas are rushing up on us, so without further ado, here is another gift guide for you from Four Good Corners. This one is all about lovely gifts for children, though I have to say that one or two of them look good for grown ups too!

If you missed the ethical gift guide posted here earlier this month you can read it here.

Click on product names for links to shops.
Alexander Girard woodblocks, $100, are the most charming and stylish around, for the retro modern tot.
Giraffe wall decal made from vintage wallpaper by Inke Heiland, €58.50
Lion cushion by Zid Zid Kids, £24 at Luxeville
Found paper collage, personalised with initial, $160 from Petit Collage
Junior Panton chair by Vitra, £89.25-£105

Handknitted cardigans from Cooking Apple, £35-£38 (on my list is the adult tank top they started making due to popular demand)
Katvig bodysuit, £13.99 from Olive Loves Alfie, one of my favourite local shops now has a new online shop, so all of you not near Stoke Newington can buy their lovely things.
Paint your own t shirt kit from Creative Charlie, £14.99
Making Stuff for Kids, £14.95 - I’ve had the Making Stuff book for a while, and it has loads of great projects in it. This new version, full of crafty projects for children to do, is bound to be good I reckon.

Children’s hamper, £30 from purveyors of excellent old fashioned sweets Hope and Greenwood. Naughty. But nice.
Alphabet Folk ABC chart, $18 from The Small Object
Aeroplane baby spoon, £6.75. Zoom zoom! The mashed carrot is coming!
Lego mould for making the most brilliant Lego shaped cakes and jellies, £9.99
Vintage Blue Peter annual - Inflict your childhood nostalgia on the next generation! From 50p on Ebay.

Categories: christmas, shopping
Tags: children, christmas, gift guides 2007

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:: Ethical gift guide

Posted by Joelle on December 4, 2007 | Permalink

The annual frenzy of consumption that is Christmas is almost upon us, billions spent on unwanted gifts, credit cards maxed out, cheap plastic toys made by exploited workers in far eastern factories, acres of trees made into bright wrapping paper only to be discarded. It’s rather depressing when you start to count the cost of Christmas like this.

Perhaps the most ethical thing to do would be to opt out of buying gifts altogether. But for someone who gets as excited about Christmas as I do, and who truly loves choosing and wrapping presents, that bah humbug attitude just won’t do at all.

So, I’ve put together a guilt-free guide to some of the loveliest presents out there that are all ethically and sustainably produced.

This is the first of a few gift guides we will be posting over the next week or so. Guides coming up include handmade gifts, and present ideas for children. Keep a look out soon for plenty of good ideas.

Click on product names for links through to shops where you can buy them. I’ve tried to include mostly things than can be delivered anywhere.

Bamboo container £12: Bamboo, growing up to 1m per day, is one of the most sustainable crops available. These bright stylish jars are made in Vietnam under strictly controlled ecological and ethical standards.
Hottie cover £15 / $36 AUSD: Snuggle up with one of these adorable hot water bottle covers, handsewn to order using vintage children’s fabric.
Candlestick £16: These gorgeous candlesticks are made from vintage saucers with handturned candle holders made from sustainable wood.
Gladys slippers £65: These luxurious slippers are lovingly made by ’slow fashion’ label Keep & Share.
Burt’s Bees hand creme £9: All natural beeswax and banana hand cream from lush ethical beauty store How on Earth
Bird pillow $98: Handmade from hemp and organic cotton, and decorated with cute drawings by Shelly Klein.
Sun Jar £19.99: Solar panels charge up during the day so LED lights can glow by night in these gorgeous jam jars designed by Tobias Wong. An eco design classic already I reckon.
Seat belt pillows From £40: Woven from end-of-line seat belt webbing that would otherwise be destined for landfill, these smart cushions come in a surprisingly wide array of colours.

Tree decorations made from recycled circuit boards £2.99 and recycled CDs £3.99
Heart cardholder £8.95: This fair trade wire cardholder is a fine way to display your cards, and could double up as a noticeboard at other times of year.
Wooden blocks £11: Made from sustainable wood painted with non-toxic child safe paints, these beautiful old fashioned blocks would look just dandy on a mantlepiece.
Peace on earth card $3.75: If like me you can’t bear not to send Christmas cards, but feel bad for wasting paper that will only see one use, look for recycled cards. Especially those recycled in their raw state like these handmade from old maps and salvaged paper.
Fair trade chocolate coins around £2: by Divine, various stockists.

Bird seed star £6 for 3: Why should all the tree decorations be for us to enjoy? Let the birds in your garden join in the feast with these lovely bird seed stars.
Bird watching kit $20: with everything a wannabe twitcher could need from bird identification charts to binoculars.
Goat £25: For a truly unusual and ethical gift, why not buy a goat? The Oxfam Unwrapped scheme will deliver your goat to someone who’ll really benefit - a nomadic farmer in the developing world.
Oslo hat £25: Cosy lambswool hat from Howies, a lovely company who care about the planet, and care about making really good quality stuff that lasts.
Instant herb garden From £24.99: Why not buy a voucher for a ready-to-go organic vegetable or herb garden from Rocket Gardens in Cornwall? They will send a box of baby plants ready to plant out in your garden or window box. Easy peasy: instant garden.

I hope that has given you plenty of ideas. If you have any more suggestions for ethical or eco-friendly gifts, please share them in the comments section as I’d love to hear about them.

Check back soon for more gift ideas.

Categories: christmas, green, shopping
Tags: bamboo, candlesticks, chocolate, christmas, christmas gift guides, cosy nights in, cosy woollens, days in the garden, decorations, gift guide 2007, gift guides 2007, giving presents, green, maps, nature, recycling things, vintage fabric

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