If there’s a holiday or an occasion coming up that you need to buy a gift for, how about some green ideas? From gift giving to wrapping paper, there are lots of ways to make it green. You can even have a green party or get-together … and that is much more fun than it sounds. In fact, unless you tell them, no-one will even realize that you are being environmentally conscious.

Ditch the invitations. Save paper and either invite by email or over the telephone, or in person, of course. You can have a fun evening out by going from place to place inviting your friends to your upcoming party. If they live close and the weather is pretty, walk from house to house. Make it a pre-party. I’ve done this before, and it was just as much fun as the actual party.

Make your own wrapping paper. Most wrapping paper is not recyclable and instead ends up in a landfill somewhere. You can get creative with this, and everyone will be touched that you went to so much trouble. Start with recycled paper and use stencils, glue on pictures cut from old magazines, add recycled ribbons or make your own from old cloth. Paint it with watercolors if you desire; you can use practically anything to decorate your wrapping paper and make it pretty. Or you can wrap with newspaper – the comics section always looks great. Alternatively, give your gift in an attractive basket. It gives a wonderful presentation and becomes part of the gift.

Serve local produce at your dinner. It actually tastes better than produce that is shipped from other parts of the country. They’ll rave about your food, and you’ll be doing your part to save the Earth, as well.

Give an eco-conscious gift. Support the Sierra Club and Sponsor a Wild Place. Sponsorships start at $20 and come with a special gift, such as a photo, stuffed animal, sponsorship certificate, or a backpack.

After the party, recycle your decorations or use items that can be re-used. Use fruit as a centerpiece or potted plants; both of these can be just as beautiful as cut flowers that you’re going to throw away.

Being eco-conscious doesn’t mean you have to be dull and boring. We at StocknGo want to encourage you in your efforts to save the planet. Making our Earth a better place should be a priority for us all.