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As the holiday season approaches, gift lists are starting to be made and handed out by moms, girlfriends, wives, best friends, and daughters alike. Now you might be thinking, buying gifts in this economy?
We hear you—so here is a list of 10 items under $50 dollars that you can purchase right from your home. They are sure to appease the women in your life while also being better for the planet and for the people who made them.
Top 10 Affordable Sustainable Holiday Gifts
Sustainability Pick: Merino Wool Beanie | Colorful Standard
Know a woman who loves to wear a beanie? Colorful Standard’s beanie is ethically made in Portugal with certified non-toxic dyes and 100% recycled extra-fine merino wool. It also makes a great unisex gift for anyone on your list.
Available in 40+ different colors.
Shop | $40
Circular Jewelry: Silver Star Stud Earrings | Astor & Orion
Astor & Orion jewelry makes a great gift because it is beautiful, high quality, and comes with a great story. All Astor & Orion jewelry is made from recycled metals and designed to be 100% recyclable so it never goes to waste!
The star stud earrings are also available in gold and rose gold. For more jewelry under $50 check out their gift options!
Shop | $50
Organic Gift Set: Premium Crew Socks | Pact
These bold patterned crew socks are perfect to wear with a pair of jeans or for a fun pop of color with your business attire. They are made with a cushioned heel and arch support for maximum comfort throughout the day.
Not only are these socks perfect for keeping your feet warm, they are also made of 100% organic cotton and save about 15 gallons of water during the production process.
Shop | $24
The Fun Gift: Natural Dye Kit + Unisex Tee | The Good Tee
Looking to give a gift that’s more experiential? The Natural Dye Kit is perfect for you DIY friend, arts and crafters, or people who like to be creative.
Not only is this gift more fun, but the t-shirt is Fair Trade certified and GOTS certified organic cotton. Plus the dyes are natural and eco-friendly. This kit includes pink + orange colors but they also offer indigo and purple + yellow, if you prefer one of those.
Shop | $45
Fair Trade Gift: Desert Sands Candleholder | Ten Thousand Villages
Warm up any room with this beautiful candle holder. This piece is handcrafted in the West Bank from recycled glass. As with any gift from Ten Thousand Villages, your purchase supports fair wages and opportunities for artisans around the world.
Shop | $34.99
Gift with a Story: Patricia Scarf | Known Supply
This versatile style can double as your typical scarf or as a shawl! It is the perfect addition to your accessory collection. The scarf is handcrafted in India and is both GOTS and Fair Trade certified!
Fun fact: Known Supply encourages customers to “meet their artisan” by signing the name of the maker on the tag, allowing you to look them up on their website.
Shop | $44
Ethically Made Gift: Tigi Card Wallet | Parker Clay
This wallet is the perfect size for stashing a few cards, business cards, or a few necessities. Carry it on its own or stash in a purse or tote bag and go.
The Tigi Card Wallet is handmade in an ethical factory in Ethiopia that pays living wages.
Shop | $32
Eco Friendly Gift: Recycled Scrunchies | Girlfriend Collective
These colorful scrunchies from Girlfriend are really popular and it’s not hard to see why. Besides being great scrunchies these are also sustainably made from recycled plastic bottles.
At $6 each this is our most affordable gift option so go ahead, buy a few in different colors for the women on your list – they make great stocking stuffers too!
Shop | $30 for 5
Gifts that Give Back: Socks that Protect Animals Gift Box | Conscious Step
This sock box doesn’t just keep your toes warm! It also helps save ocean animals by giving back to non-profit Oceana. Conscious Step partners with non-profit organizations that help support humanitarian and environmental causes around the world. Their socks are Fair Trade, made with GOTS organic cotton, and vegan friendly. Check out their selection of sock gift boxes.
Shop | $44.95
Gift for Sustainable Friends: Organic Canvas Tote Bag | Known Supply
This tote is perfect for carrying all of your everyday essentials! From laptops to books to face masks, this bag can fit it all! It is also made of 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, and is Fair Trade certified.
Shop | $24
What Makes These Gifts Sustainable and Ethical?
“Ethical” gets tossed around a lot these days but when we say it we really mean it.
Eco-Stylist uses our sustainable brand criteria to research and certify all clothing and shoe brands on our platform. This comprehensive framework focuses on both the human and environmental sides of sustainability.
Since our criteria is fashion-specific, we occasionally recommend value aligned accessary brands (non-fashion). In practice what this means is all of the brands in this article are Eco-Stylist Certified.
Socially Responsible Christmas Gifts for Women Over $50
Looking to splurge on the women in your life? Here’s a few Christmas gift ideas that are over $50:
- We all know women love their shoes, consider some comfy moccasins from Adelante Made-to-Order.
- Looking for something fancier? Try the Dreamer Gold Hoop Earrings from Astor & Orion.
- Want something a little more outdoorsy? Head over to Patagonia for a cozy jacket or fleece!
Sustainable Holiday Gifts for Men
For gifts for him and unisex gift ideas, check out our other gift guides.
More Ethical Gift Ideas
Looking for more ethical and sustainable holiday gift ideas for everyone? Check out our curated shop.
For anything else leave a comment.
Editor’s Note: It’s not as fun to talk about, but gift giving can be wasteful when the recipient doesn’t love what they received. For this reason we didn’t pick things like dresses and shirts that are hard to gift for someone else. Instead, we carefully selected useful gifts that your recipient is more likely to love! If for some reason they don’t love it, these gifts could easily be re-gifted, or in the case of the earrings, even recycled.
*Article last updated 10/16/23.
Catherine McCourt is a content writer at Eco-Stylist. She studies English, Creative Writing, and Philosophy at the University of Iowa. When she’s not writing about sustainability in fashion, Catherine enjoys painting, journaling, and much needed downtime.
