Green Monday: 2012 gift guide

Now that Black Friday has passed and you've retired your chainmail coif for the year, it's time to flex your consumerist muscle in a more civilized manner with the aid of this year's Green Monday gift guide.

Mon, Nov 26 2012 at 8:00 AM

Related Topics:

Green Design, Gift Ideas

Photo: Francine Clouden/Flickr

Feeling somewhat antsy after dutifully observing Buy Nothing Day? Ready to practice consumerism that doesn't involve being manhandled over a bath towel by hundreds of unhinged strangers at 5 am? Want to support small businesses and shop responsibly for well-made and meaningful gifts from the comfort of your own home?

Welcome to the 2012 edition of my Green Monday holiday gift guide, a thoughtfully curated selection of useful gifts for the home and garden. Like in years past, you’ll find a motley assortment of over 20 items — some have made past appearances on my blog and some are making their debut — that are durable, handmade, domestically designed/manufactured, and/or made from recycled/recyclable/sustainable materials. Also, there's a smoke detector in the shape of the bird.

That said, I hope you'll find something for just about everyone on your holiday shopping list: Tool snobs, tree house enthusiasts, urban gardeners, seed bombers, people who appreciate a well-made duster, et al. And since this is Cyber Monday, it's only fitting that you’ll find these items at a handful of my favorite online retailers. Rejoice! No getting shot at in a Walmart parking lot or trampled in a Toys "R" Us!

Let’s get shopping shall we? But hold up just a moment — before you place anything in your virtual shopping basket take a moment to head on over to the Nature Conservancy and pledge to gift responsibly (and non-violently) this year.

Ceramic Tinware Mugs by Canvas @ Region General Store ($9)

Grace USA Screwdrivers @ West Elm Market ($6 - $8)

NYCIB (New York City Industries for the Blind) Duster @ West Elm Market ($14)

Wild Harvested Room Spray by Juniper Ridge @ Poketo ($22 - Steep Ravine, Cascade Glacier, Big Sur)

Homestead Candlestick by Ladies & Gentlemen @ American Design Club ($48)

Hive Honey Set @ Biodidactic Designs ($85)

Buffalo Print Fringe Throw Blanket @ Faribault Woolen Mills ($99.50)

The Garden Deck @ Terrain ($18)

Everyday Furniture Spritzer in Australian White Grapefruit- 17 oz by Murchison-Hume @ The Future Perfect ($10)

Linen Tea Towel - Vegetable by Kate Bingaman-Burt @ Poketo ($20)

Seed Bomb Slingshot @ Terrain ($48)

Rewined Wine-Scented Soy Candles @ Kaufmann Mercantile ($28)

Self-Watering Planter by Joey Roth @ Uncommon Goods ($50)

Driftwood Wall Hook By Kiel Mead @ Areaware ($25)

Ceramic Fruit Basket @ The Curiosity Shop ($22)

Chick-a-Dee Smoke Detector by Louise van der Veld @ A+R Store ($75)

Hudson Valley Seed Library Art Packs @ Hudson Valley Seed Library ($3.75 each - Tiny Tim Tomato, pictured)

Flat Life Clock by Finn McGee @ Areaware ($150)

"Tree Houses: Fairy Tale Castles in the Air" by Philip Jodidio (Taschen) @ Amazon (Ships Jan. 31)

Urbio "Happy Family" Vertical Gardening System @ Urbio ($75)

Portable Solar Lamp - Lantern by Sunnyside Up Solar @ Supermarket ($38)

Plantini Miniature Hothouse by Another Studio For Design @ Postcarden.com (£24.95)

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