5 DIY Gifts from the Garden

Want to give the gift of handmade, but not so handy with a needle and thread? Here are five DIY gifts for green thumbs to make.

We bring you five ideas for ethical gifting this silly seasons. And they are all easy to throw together if you’re all (green) thumbs.

DIY gifts sometimes get a bad wrap (think icey-pole sculptures from kindergarten), but these are all 100% useful ethical gifts that everyone will be thrilled to receive.

Fruit tree

Ok, well… maybe you needed to start planning this one six months ago when winter grafting was in full swing. But, if you’re an avid plant propagator like me chances are you may have a few spare baby trees potted up and ready to go.

This really is the gift that keeps on giving. For decades. So, as the old saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 10 years ago. The second best time is now!

Pumping pot of basil

Basil is the king of summer herbs, and who on earth doesn’t want a pumping pot of it for their kitchen counter? You still have time to mollycoddle a few weeny seedlings into a robust pot of basil before Christmas.

Just ensure you keep them on a warm sunny windowsill, provide ample water and plenty of rich soil. Bonus points if you upcycle something awesome into a basil pot.

Jar of goodness

Does your garden produce tomato chutney, berry jam or delicious honey? Well, I’m pretty sure most people would be happy to get a jar of it come Christmas time. And it’s not too late to start jarring up your excess produce now.

Clue: mulberries and raspberries are really hitting their straps right about now!

Garden scrap stock powder

While it might sound scrappy, this is a really nice and fancy gift if you write “homegrown artisanal organic broth powder” on the label.

To make your own, dig up woody carrots, stalky leeks and garlic, shooting celery and fennel, plus lots of herbs. Chop into small pieces and dehydrate until hard. Grind in a spice mill or morter and pestle. Add tumeric and salt to taste. Then jar it up and stick on fancy labels. Ta-dah! (Probably our favourite of the DIY gifts.)

Wildflower seed bombs

Seed bombs are the perfect gift for lazy gardeners (or those who really can’t garden at all).

Harvest mature seeds from your favourite wildflowers (at our place this includes cosmos, borage, calendula, poppies, cornflowers and nasturtiums). Mix with compost and a small amount of clay soil.

Next add enough water that you end up with a sludgey dough. Roll into balls and allow to dry under cover. You can pop them in pretty bags or decorate with petals and they will be ready to gift.

The recipient really only needs to toss them into their garden and wait for them to grow. You can also try this with hardy herb seeds.

So, if you’ve got the time and the inclination there’s plenty of DIY gifts to be had from the bountiful summer garden. And all of these ideas are 100% good for the world, and good for your recipients.

Okay, maybe not the jar of jam, but it’s Christmas! And, don’t feel bad if you don’t have time to pull any of these off this year. If you’re stuck for time and gifts, check out our ethical gift giving guide instead.

Looking for an ethical and sustainable Christmas gift? A subscription to Pip Magazine will do the trick! As will Pip’s 2021 Kitchen Garden Calendar, our fair trade organic cotton market totes, or beautiful prints of our stunning cover art.

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