Tips, Tricks & Guides
Sustainable Stocking Filler Gifts
Everyone loves those extra stocking gifts on Christmas morning. Thoughtful little bonus presents that make such an exciting day even more exciting. But here’s something a lot of people forget… stocking filler gifts don’t have to be plastic tat that they don’t need and will never use.
Why do we have Christmas stockings?
No one is quite sure why we have stockings, but most like to think it comes from a popular story about Saint Nick himself. One Christmas, struggling to make ends meet, a father couldn’t buy presents for his three daughters. Saint Nicholas heard of his trouble, and dropped gold coins down the family’s chimney to fill the girls stockings they’d left out to dry.
We might not fill stocking with gold coins anymore, but you can still choose presents that are useful, exciting to open, and created with sustainable materials. Here are just a few of our favourite sustainable stocking filler gifts to give you some inspiration.
Sustainable stocking fillers gift guide
Woollen Fairisle Handwarmer Gloves
Our colourful knitted fingerless gloves are lovingly handmade by our Fair Trade producers. Lined with a super soft fleece, the design is knitted from 100% wool. Wool is a super sustainable fibre as it’s produced naturally, renews rapidly, and biodegrades. It holds heat and moisture better than cotton, for ultimate comfort on chilly winter days. And if you really like them, why not treat them to the matching socks?
Four Assorted Design Wooden Printing Blocks
Our wooden printing blocks are the perfect tools for a rainy-day craft project – and this winter has had plenty of rainy days! The set contains 4 different blocks each with a beautifully detailed design, to create unique patterns on paper, card, or even fabric. Each one is carved by hand from mango wood. One of the most sustainable woods, mango trees grow to maturity quickly and eventually stop producing fruit. As India produces the most mangos in the world by far, this results in a huge industry of trees to be repurposed at the end of their natural lives.
Personalised Elephant Dung Notebook
Our elephant dung notebooks are perfect for doodles. Each one has a cover crafted from recycled paper and elephant dung (yes, it’s exactly what you think…) by the wonderful people at the Maximus Elephant Conservation Trust. Dedicated to improving the outlook for the majestic elephants of Sri Lanka, you can read more about their incredible work in our ‘How is Elephant Dung Paper Made’ blog post. Each notebook is filled with 50 pages of smooth paddy husk paper, and can be personalised with your own message for an extra special touch.
Our pencils are super sustainable – they’re handmade from 100% recycled newspaper! There’s no need to waste wood as these pencils are crafted from the abundant waste paper that would otherwise go to landfill. Each pencil is rolled and painted in vibrant colours by hand, but the lead is grey so they can be used for any writing whether at work or school. Choose from a pack of 5 or 10 pencils.
One of our newest lines, our felt ball coasters have been an instant hit. Each individual felt ball is handmade from 100% wool. Even better, traditional methods are used to create the shapes. Rather than weaving, heat, moisture, and pressure are applied to entangle the fibres by hand and create the beautiful material. The vibrant colours are created using only natural, colourfast dyes. Choose from the bright multicoloured set, or the grey set for more neutral homes.
Our sari writing sets are an ideal stocking filler for those who love to send and keep special letters from their loved ones. Each set contains 20 sheets of unlined khadda paper – paper handcrafted from recycled cotton salvaged from the waste of India’s garment industry – and 10 envelopes. The pages are presented in a beautiful sari covered box in one of 6 vibrant jewel tones, which double as the perfect keepsake box for their replies.
Round Recycled Newspaper Pencil Holder
Need somewhere to keep those pencils? The perfect pair, these pencil pots are another great creation of our Fair Trade recycled newspaper producers. Based in Sri Lanka, the organisation is committed to helping their community, reducing the migration of women into labour jobs in far reaching towns and even overseas. By employing homeworking artisans, they allow mothers, those with disabilities, and the elderly to provide for themselves and their families. Choose from 8 different colourful options.
Our alpine fairies aren’t just for Christmas! Crafted from colourful felt by our Fair Trade producers, each one is dressed in an adorable outfit complete with winter boots, hats and mittens. Each one has a long string to hang from their tree for the festive period and watch over them in their bedroom or home for the rest of the year. Choose from 5 different dress colours.
Personalised Brown Buffalo Leather Heart Cable Tidy
The perfect stocking filler for those who are always getting their cables tangled up in their bag, this cute, personalised cable tidy will come to the rescue. Simply coil the cable, tuck it into the holder and secure it with the popper. Our cable tidies are crafted by Fair Trade artisans, who create our leather bags from a range of recycled leathers. Rather than let the scraps go to waste, they create these little gifts to give every last piece a purpose.
Another new felt favourite, our sheep ornaments are an adorable addition to any home. Each one is crafted from felt and finished with a cute little gold bell. They have a nice weight that makes them perfect for use as paperweights, or just as a decoration to liven up their home or office. Choose from the white, grey, or lively multicoloured sheep – or start their own little flock!
If you’re filling a stocking with Paper High gifts this year, make sure to tag us in your photos on Instagram and Facebook. For even more gift inspiration, take a look at our Ultimate Fair Trade Gift Guide, or explore our gift ideas on Pinterest.