For Christmas this year, Cedar and I were going to make homemade wool felt play food kits for the kids in our family, as holiday gifts. However, we’re not the best sewers. We made some and did okay, but we need more practice before our sewing crafts are gift-ready. Still, since we wanted to make homemade gifts vs. buy toys or something else, we had some brainstorming sessions and settled on homemade recycled chunky crayons and homemade memory games.

Homemade memory game

If you’re looking for a fun homemade gift project that your child can help with (my ten-year-old easily helped to make these) then this game is a great fit. Memory is fun and educational for young children. This game can help teach shapes, colors and words. You could even make a game with matching numbers or letters to help teach other early childhood comprehension skills.

This homemade memory game is also quick (so last minute if necessary) and allows you to use up excess paper scraps and stickers you have laying around the house. Plus it’s very inexpensive and nice if you’re aiming for a low-cost, non-commercial holiday.

Time taken: About two evenings of concentrated work – all-in-all we made games for three kids in about 6 hours. Not bad. It would have been faster had we used wooden squares vs. stars because there would have been no tracing and exact cutting involved, but the stars are soooo darn cute.

Cost – about $15 for three kids: We looked for a sale and found some wooden stars for about $15 in bulk packs. We had paper, glue and the other stuff laying around the house.

Odds and ends to make your game

Here’s what you’ll need

• Wooden shapes. These are easily found at most craft stores. If you’re super crafty and have some sort of wood shop, you could make your own, but alas, that’s not us. Most people go with squares or circle, but for fun, we decided to go with stars. You can also find thick recycled cardboard squares or make some, but after making some game pieces with both wood and cardboard, we felt the wood looked a lot better and felt more sturdy.

• Water based glue and sealer. 

• Scrap paper and some large sheets of matching paper for the backs of the game pieces.

• Design items – Stickers, paint or more scrap paper for the design side. I.e. the side with the two matching objects.

• Little bags (which you could make with reuse fabric) or small recycled boxes.

• Pencil, scissors and a bit of sandpaper.

Be sure to mark odd sized wooden shapes so you can match the shape to the paper

Making your game

• If using star shapes trace the stars onto your paper then cut the stars out. Note – because wooden stars vary in size, be sure to mark a little arrow on your star and on the back of your paper so you know how the paper fits onto the wood. If using a uniform shape, it’s a lot easier. Simply trace one piece, then cut the rest of your paper to the same size.

• Coat your wood with the water based glue/sealer, then press the paper on firmly. Repeat until all your wood pieces have one side that match (i.e. the side you lay out to start the game).

• Then choose matching scraps of paper or stickers or even paint matching designs on the other sides of your wood.

• Coat your wood pieces, front and back with two or three coats of sealer – this will make the paper much less likely to come off in little hands.

• Sand any rough edges with a bit of sandpaper. This is a good job for a kid helper.

• You can put the finished game in a little reusable fabric drawstring bag or small recycled box.

A sweet pink version!

Tips

• You can make a memory game like this with real photos of people your child knows. The sealer works on photos.

• We’re making our games for kids who are two through four, so we picked easily recognizable designs for young children – i.e. strawberries, flowers, bees, ants and so on.

Fun to stack

• Consider making theme games such as holiday, birthday, Easter, Valentine’s day or so on.

Use lots of different matching images

• Experiment with different shapes of wood, plenty of color and even different sizes – all of which help young children learn new things. Fun shapes can be used for stacking fun too.

Great for homemade labels

• Be sure to add a little label about how to play the game. I found some adorable wooden labels (shown above) stockpiled in my craft drawer which would work great – but you could print out a label on the computer too.

With all the late fall and winter holidays coming up, many families worry about cost. Eco-friendly ideals can seem out of reach this time of year, but only if you spend as if you’re celebrating a typical holiday. Real eco-minded holidays focus on less stuff and more togetherness and the celebration aspect.

In my opinion, you can probably afford an eco-friendly holiday season, much more so than you can afford a typical holiday season. That said, I figured we’d look at the flowchart method again, plus some past money saving tips so you can kick of the holiday season with fun, not debt.

First the flowchart: I know I’ve mentioned this before here, (can’t find it) but I always try to think like a flowchart. I used to actually carry one around, literally on paper, but now it’s in my head. One great example of a typical money saving flowchart, is the Should You Buy It Flowchart by the good folks at Get Rich Slowly…

I use an in my head version, that’s much like this chart, but with some additional green criteria. My flowchart questions include stuff like:

1. Do I need it?
2. How will this make my life better – more fun – easier – etc?
3. Do I already have something like this? Can I use something else? (Example: owning a teapot is overrated for me. I don’t drink much tea and can use a pot to boil water).
4. Can I borrow one instead?
5. How long it its lifespan? Is it recyclable? Can it be used for something else?
6. Is it toxic for my family or the planet?
7. Can I afford it? REALLY can I afford it?
8. Do I need it?

I always ask the first question twice. Once at first and once later. It’s the most important question on the list. If I’m using this flowchart for gifts, I’d ask as the person. For example, “Does Cedar really need this; will he use it; etc.” All year long a good in your head, or on paper flowchart, will save you cash, but it’s especially important during the holiday season when people are prone to overspend.

THE BIGGIE WAYS TO SAVE!

Buy less stuff! One awesome and meaningful present makes a bigger impact than 20 small ones, or in fact it should. If it doesn’t at your house, you may need to sit down and have a big talk with your family.

Learn to avoid commercialism. We’re all targeted, but you don’t have to give in.

Live green all year round – you’ll save money for the holidays by doing so. Part of this challenge is believing that eco-friendly can be affordable. If you’re having doubts read the following:

• Is Green Living Worth the Cost?
• Why green living is worth the cost
• False: It’s impossible to afford green living

OTHER WAYS TO SAVE:

• Use LED holiday lights on your tree and around your home. LED lights last longer and save you a lot more in the long run than traditional holiday lights.
• Consider a reusable tree – not a fake Christmas tree, but a cool eco-Christmas tree that can be used year after year.
• Reuse your gift wrap for other crafts or gifts after the holidays.
• Send free green e-cards for the holidays vs. paper cards. E-cards cost both you and the planet less.
• Come up with a secure green holiday plan early on.
• Make your own eco-friendly holiday gifts.
• Learn how to save money on organic holiday food.
• Read I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas for more eco-holiday tips that may help you save money as well.

What are some ways you save money and keep it green during the holiday season?

I know, it’s just October, but we have major Christmas issues around here. Each year I think to myself, “Hey, this is the year I’ll figure out the perfect Christmas holiday traditions for my family.“  A Christmas that’s not only eco-friendly, but also fun and most importantly, something that everyone can swallow.

EVERY YEAR I say this.

Christmas Headache

I’m pretty eco-friendly, not perfect, but pretty good. Except when it comes to Christmas. Celebrating an eco-friendly Christmas is probably my least developed green living skill. It’s not like we go nuts and buy plastic crap or switch from organic food to conventional, but we just don’t have Christmas under control. Basically, no one knows what to expect.

For example…

• No matter how hard I try, someone (usually most) family members still buy Cedar WAY too many gifts and most of those gifts aren’t my idea of non-toxic or green. I can literally beg people to cut back or even say flat out, “NO gifts” and no one listens. People love to give gifts.

• If we celebrate at another family member’s house (not mine) I have to deal with paper plates and other disposable holiday meal items, paper towels and lots of non-organic foods – all of which everyone but me is seemingly down with.

• We can’t decide on the tree issue. We haven’t had a Christmas tree in years. I actually like Christmas trees. I like the smell, the pretty lights and the tradition of having one, but I can’t justify cutting one down. We’ve had a living tree before, and that was okay, but overall, I’m not too on board with a tree. The kids however do want a tree. They wanted one last year, I said no, but I’m not sure it was the best solution.

• Now, just to complicate the issue further, my boyfriend Dave, who is pretty religious, doesn’t want to celebrate Christmas at all, because he considers it some sort of affront to God, yet he’s semi-hypocritical about this because his kids do celebrate thus so does he. In my mind, if you’re not for something, and it doesn’t agree you, you shouldn’t celebrate. Cedar and I have never celebrated any holiday in conjunction with religion.

Yup it’s a big fat mess.

Basically we don’t have a winter holiday plan. As a kid, my family celebrated a fairly typical American Christmas – trees, cookies, gifts and so fourth.  As a kid, I liked it and thought it was mostly fun, but I never loved how hectic it was.  By the time I was in my early 20s I was sick of the whole planning perfect gifts mess and sort of quit. Also by my early 20s I was jumping more into green living and the typical Christmas didn’t fit my ideals at all.

It’s very hard to find balance. You could be super eco and avoid the winter holiday season altogether but that’s extreme and doesn’t really build any sort of tradition for kids. You could say screw green ethics and have a big ol’ celebration with lots of bling – the other extreme. OR you can find balance. The problem is trying to find balance everyone agrees on. It’s not just your household; it’s extended family, friends, co-workers and more.

What’s the solution?

I have no clue. Ideally, here’s what I want…

• Much fewer gifts. I hate that family and friends don’t listen to me about this. The kids sort of get it. Last year in fact we had some big talks about it. But every year they’re given so much crap that it defeats any discussions we’ve had with them about living with less.

• I’d like the gifts the kids get at least to be eco-friendly (as in non-toxic, non-plastic). Ideally this would be across the board, but if I could just get people to buy safe stuff for the kids, I’d settle.

• Some fun and nice events that are tradition – meaning year-to-year these events works for us.

• I like having a family meal on Christmas, but I don’t like when we leave the house (to say, go to a family member’s house) because then we have to deal with non-organics and disposable tableware.

• Something Dave can live with. Really, we could just celebrate without him, but how lame is that? Since Dave isn’t on board with Christmas due to the fact that he thinks it’s a God mock, we sort of have to find something that works for him too.

I’ve gleamed ideas from I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas and Celebrate Green!, but so it seems like we need much more help because overall we don’t have a really good plan. I’ll be back with some resources I’ve been gathering that hopefully will help my family out – and maybe yours.

For now though, tell me, what’s your game plan? Does your family have eco-friendly winter holiday traditions or is this the time of year you start floundering with green living?

This year your family can kick off the holidays in super green style with a brand new book that will help you to ease holiday stress, celebrate green, and add more meaning to your holiday celebrations; all while still having fun.

BOOK: I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More by Anna Getty (September, 2009 Chronicle Books).

BASICS: From the publishers…

This holiday season, Anna Getty—environmental advocate, writer, television personality, chef, mother, and organic living expert—helps families reduce their carbon footprint and save money without sacrificing style or tradition. Anna advises how to best choose a tree (real or fake?), mitigate the negative effects of necessary travel, recycle post-holiday, and more. She shares favorite holiday recipes for organic appetizers and homemade craft ideas such as pinecone wreaths and recycled sweater pillows. With inspiring photographs, extensive resources, and advice from the “Lazy Environmentalist” Josh Dorfman, Seventh Generation’s Jeffrey Hollender, and other leading eco-experts, families might just find that these tips help them stay green all year long.

COST: $16.47

ECO-PERKS:

• Book is packed with eco-friendly tips for a green Christmas. Obviously, an eco-perk for families, although, individuals will also find useful tips and ideas.
• The ideas in the book are easy enough that people will actually use them, thus making the book an actual green resource.
• Book is printed on 100% post consumer waste recycled paper.
• The author, Anna Getty has experience in green, having worked with the Organic Center, Global Green, NRDC, and Seventh Generation, among others, and is the author of the upcoming Easy Green Organic.

WHAT I THINK:

I liked the content in this book a lot overall and the style especially won me over. The book kicks off with ten great energy saving tips for the holidays and follows with chapters on…

• Nesting – including decor, basics such as LED lighting and wreaths, and stockings.
• Entertaining – including table setting, little gifts for guests, and wine table know-how.
• Trimming – all about the Christmas tree.
• Giving – including gifts for everyone, easy green wrapping, homemade gifts, and the little things like tags.
• Reflecting – including recycling and an interesting section called composting Christmas.

The book itself is gorgeous with non-glossy classic looking pages full of AMAZING images and pretty little vintage looking flowers and snowflakes scattered throughout. I especially like the various page color choices and how font is printed in a stand out, easy to browse format.

The tips for how to celebrate are great throughout and very easy to follow. Each section (or idea) is broken up into items you’ll need to gather, then the how to create the idea. Tips from all sorts of green experts are included throughout the book. Plenty of the idea offered in the book are completely kid friendly and your family will have fun doing the holiday crafts and decorating ideas together. Lastly, there is a wonderful end resource section packed full of every little thing you need to celebrate a green Christmas.

Most of all I liked Getty’s style. Lately, it seems I’ve read a rush of eco-friendly books that are seemingly trying to be hipper than hip, which works for some people but just comes off as a little pompous to me. Getty’s style is so chill, NOT holier than thou, and really seems genuine. I felt it was a very family friendly style that focused on celebrating with people not things in mind.

NEEDS IMPROVEMENT:

I found very few negatives in this book. There’s no digital version offered which would be an eco-friendly choice. Also, I felt the book was a wee bit heavy on recipes. Each section included quite a few, and I felt that many were more adult than child friendly. My son would maybe try about 1/3 of the recipes in this book – but a less picky child may be more open. As with most green books on the market, this one didn’t offer 100% new tips for people already immersed in green living (i.e if you’ve been living green for a while, there’s less new-to-you content). I did learn some new things though and think this is perfect for a family new to green living.

OVERALL SCORE:

Four and a half out of five little trees. Overall I’d highly suggest this book for green families. The focus is perfect, Getty’s style is personable and friendly, plus the book is seriously beautiful. It loses half a point because there’s no digital version offered and it could be a little better in the kids recipe department. Check it out at your local library or get your own copy – I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes that Use Less and Mean More.

See my review criteria for green products.