It's officially December and the Christmas season is upon us.  I really do love Christmas and giving and getting gifts.  But as I've tried to embrace simplicity of heart and home these past few years, my gift-giving and wishes have changed a bit.  I want to give and get more intentional presents that are well-made and practical.  So I thought I would share with you all how to make a gift basket for the homesteader, gardener, farmer or even zero-waster in your life.

1. Basket

The first thing you need is a basket.  I personally love shopping at thrift stores for little baskets.  You can find them pretty cheap.  The one I have here was 99 cents!  Plus, I love the idea of reusing an item so that it isn't thrown away.

2. Glass jars

I love glass jars!  And while I know many low-waste families like them because they're better for the environment than plastic, my reasoning is a bit more selfish....They're dishwasher safe!!!  Ain't nobody got time to handwash a bunch of plastic containers. LOL!  I personally love Weck brand jars.  They are beautiful and functional.

3. Wine Glass Writers

If you are someone that makes a lot of your own foods or cleaners and then puts them in those beautiful glass jars, you need labeling to know what and when you made whatever it is in those jars.  I LOVE Wine Glass Writers for this for several reasons.  I can change labels on jars whenever I change the contents.  No need to make new plastic or sticker labels.  I can easily wipe off the label from the old contents with a warm wet towel.  Wine Glass Writers are the only certified non-toxic wine glass writers on the market today, so they're safe to use around food.  AND they pay the people making their product a living wage and make sure they are provided safe working conditions.  You know that this is near and dear to my heart!

3. Bees Wraps

Most homesteaders try to be low-waste in general, so giving products that help them live low-waste is always welcomed.  Not to mention that you are helping them relieve a financial burden as many reusable products are pricier upfront to purchase than their disposable counterparts.  We love Bees Wraps and have been using our first pack for over a year!

4. Beeswax Candles

With all of the talk of Hygge, I think that candles have become even more of a must for the winter.  I've always been a "flowers in the spring/summer and candles in the fall/winter" kind of gal anyway, but I didn't really pay attention to what is in my candles until recently.  True beeswax candles are all natural and non-toxic, which means they emit little smoke.  And not only do they not add to pollutants in the air, but they actually purify the air as they burn!  Try to find a local beekeeper or candle maker to truly make an impact.  I also love Honey+Fern on Etsy.  She is pretty local to us, and I love that all of her wax comes from beekeepers local to her.

4. Cloth Napkins

Again, homesteaders generally like to live low-waste.  We have switched to cloth napkins most of the time.  However, I'll admit that there are days we still use paper towels because life happened and we didn't get the napkins washed.  I don't have just a ton either since they are more expensive to buy at first then a roll of paper towel.  And if you think that cloth napkins are something that you intended receiver would like, think about un-paper towels or some other reusable item.  Even wooden dish brushes would be nice.

5. Something from You

You may be thinking, "This whole basket is from me!"  But what I mean is, add something you grew or made yourself.  I'm so proud of our garlic harvest this year that I am adding heads of garlic to many presents.  And we plan to make homemade cocoa mixes and marshmallows for some people on our lists.  I think this just adds an extra special touch.

6. Make it Pretty

Once you have all of your items, add some filler to the basket.  I like this natural filler since it is made with recycled paper in the U.S. and can be added to compost or reused by the receiver.

Arrange your items so that they all are seen.

Last, add a pretty bow and name tag.

You're done!  And now you have a gift that the receiver knows you put thought and love into.  Plus, you've given them something that won't sit and collect dust.  You've given a purposeful and intentional gift.

And TODAY only (December 1, 2017) you can enter to win Wine Glass Writers for yourself and to add to a gift basket.  Simply head over to my Instagram account to find out more!

Erika Bault is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com