4 Fair Trade Gift Ideas Using Recycled Materials

Article Written By: Gecko

For me the appealing thing is that a large proportion of fair trade giftware is made from recycled materials such as tin, shells, glass, material off cuts and even animal dung ! The very notion of taking these kinds of materials and hand crafting something that is well made as well as functional is both creative and admirable.

I would like to share some of my own fair trade gift ideas illustrating the ingenuity of fair trade co-operatives putting to good use recycled materials helping to earn a living in an otherwise impoverished community.

1. Tin Tealight Holder: You may have come across these already but if you have not, I would recommend them for their originality factor. Made entirely from recycled tin, there is a broad design range to cover all tastes from animals to flowers. Examples of the unique designs include hedgehogs, geckos, elephants, witches on broomsticks, dragons, cats, cockerels, frogs and dolphins. Leading up to Christmas, angels and stars are also brought into production. Each piece is individually cut out around a template of the design, hand soldered then carefully hand painted in bright colours bringing to life the once useless tin. These make fantastic gifts for anyone that likes candles or something a little more out of the ordinary.

2. Mussel Shell Tealight Holder: Although glass tealight holders are common in the high street, but those made from recycled mussel shells are certainly not and are far more unique. Discarded mussel shells are collected from the village fisherman and then recycled to make things like tealight holders as well as picture frames and vases. The shells are cut into shapes such as triangles or squares and then inlaid in resin which is then crafted when set. These make superb feminine gifts where the lit tealight makes the shell pieces transparent and gives off a warm glow.

3. Sari Covered Notebook: Notebooks come in all shapes and sizes but this gift idea is very special because the cover is finished with off cuts of sari material and this kind of fabric tends to be quite opulent in colour and texture. The notebook covers are normally embellished with sequins and embroidery just to add to the dimension giving a really rich and beautiful book prized by its owner for special notes. Perfect gift for someone special or someone who appreciates creativity or likes writing.

4. Writing Paper Set: We can easily buy writing paper sets from the high street shops without a problem. However, for something with a little twist, writing paper made from animal dung is a brilliant idea for animal lovers, elephant lovers or someone who appreciates eco-friendly products. The paper sets come in a range of gorgeous pastel colours with a unique texture and finish never found in standard paper sets brought in retail chains. A lovely feminine gift idea showing the art of making something functional or gorgeous even out of animal dung!

About the Author

Belinda Bryant - Hand made fair trade gifts by can be found at Indigo Ocean Trading.

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