Finding new and fun ways to recycle old things is a hobby of mine, and I have just discovered some great new books that would make terrific gifts for any creative recycler on your Christmas list. Or don’t wait, buy them for yourself.

This book is so much fun, even the cover is interesting:

Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin

Here are 40 innovative book-making ideas using recycled and green materials! More than just earth-friendly, they’re also beautiful, clever, and witty, stitched with traditional binding techniques. Egg cartons, wood, beer cans, and cassette tapes morph into covers, while brown bags, coffee filters, and discarded newspapers are transformed into pages. Create a boxed set of cereal box books, an exposed stitch sketchbook out of cardboard and remnants, and even a faux leather journal made from teabags.

In addition to how-to drawings, close-up detail photographs, and simple stitch diagrams, a gallery of eco-books from an international roster of artists provides inspiration.

Re-Bound: Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials
Re-Bound is a beautiful book on bookbinding with a fun green twist-all the projects use recycled and upcycled materials. This book shows you how to take everyday materials from around the house, flea markets, thrift stores, and hardware stores and turn them into clever and eye-catching hand-made books.

Rejuvenated Jewels: New Designs from Vintage Treasures
In this book, readers learn where to find fabulous vintage jewelry, beads, and artifacts, and how to create stunning one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces using these amazing finds. Rhinestone beads and clasps, mercury glass beads, oxidized metal chains, rosary beads, tiny book charms and more are retooled into fabulous statement pieces that can be worn every day.

Semiprecious Salvage: Creating Found Art Jewelry
Semiprecious Salvage shows readers how to think beyond the techniques taught in traditional beading and jewelry books in order to create found art jewelry. Mixed-media applications like sewing, plasterwork and altering found objects tie together to create jewelry pieces such as brooches, pendants, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and belts. In addition to thought-provoking stories on the origination of some of the found items, Stephanie provides the reader with practical jewelry-making techniques that they can incorporate into their own inspired pieces. A simple, organic approach gives the reader limitless ideas for crafting their own jewelry as well as ideas for locating found items whether it be on a nature walk, one’s travels or in the comforts of home.

Each one of these books would be a terrific gift for someone creative on your list.  And there are more similar books.  If you click through the links for each book you will find more books listed underneath each main title on Amazon.

The Body Shop® offers a full assortment of naturally-inspired products, including bath & body, men’s and women’s skincare, and creative gift ideas for a variety of occasions.  They also offer classic and unique fragrances, home fragrances, makeup, and accessories.

Right now in anticipation of the winter holidays, The Body Shop is offering the following specials (click on any of the following links):

• All Body Butters are 2 for $30 at The Body Shop.> – Oct. 19 – Nov. 8
• Free shipping on all orders over $60 at The Body Shop.> – Oct. 19 – Nov. 8
• Free Shipping on all Love Etc… purchases at The Body Shop.> – Oct. 19 – Nov. 8

For those of you who love The Body Shop products, this is a great time to pick some up. This way you can check one thing off your list, and save money on shipping.

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Body Shop Nutmeg and Vanilla Bath & Shower Gel
Best if you want to: Pamper your skin and indulge your senses with fragrant skin cleansing shower gel that gently lathers on application to leave skin feeling cleansed, soft and cared for. Best for: normal skin How it works: Nutmeg extract adds a warm, nostalgic fragrance. Community Trade organic honey moisturizes and conditions skin

The Body Shop Nutmeg and Vanilla Soap
Best if you want to: Cleanse and moisturize your skin with a beautifully embossed soap that contains particles of ground nutmeg to gently exfoliate the skin as you cleanse. Best for: normal skin How it works: Nutmeg extract adds a warm, nostalgic fragrance. Community Trade organically grown soya oil, rich in essential fatty acids, helps to restore the skin’s natural moisture barrier. Derivatives of sustainable palm oil and glycerin cleanse and condition skin.

The Body Shop Mango Foaming Bath
Best if you want to: Soak in a moisture-rich bath filled with a creamy lather and fresh mango fragrance that leaves your skin soft and lightly scented. Best for: very dry skin How it works: Mango extract moisturizes the skin. An ingredient derived from Community Trade cocoa beans creates foaming, cleansing bubbles.

Changing any habit is difficult. When you want to change an entire family’s habits, it is even harder. Well, here is a guide to help you:

Green Made Easy: The Everyday Guide for Transitioning to a Green Lifestyle

Review

“When I read Green Made Easy, it changed the way I look at the planet, and I hope it does the same for you. As we work our way through today’s economic challenges, Chris can also show you how going green is both good for our planet and good for your pocketbook. His book is packed with information that makes going green simple, inexpensive, and meaningful. Chris sprinkles ‘Green Bites’ throughout that are both inspiring and enjoyable.

“Remember, this comes from a man who receives a credit from his utility company every month instead of a bill!”

— Christiane Northrup, M.D.

Product Description

In Green Made Easy, author and green pioneer Chris Prelitz shares how to be both environmental and economical at the same time. Going green is not only good for our planet, it’s good for your pocketbook. For over 20 years, Chris has been helping businesses, home owners, and corporations lower their monthly expenses by going green. Chris and his wife, Becky, share a green solar-powered home in Laguna Beach, California, which Chris designed and built. Most months they produce more power than they use and receive a credit from their power company instead of a bill!

In this book, Chris shares personal experiences, lessons learned, and reflections that humorously touch the heart and inspire the spirit. The chapter “Busting Green Myths” will sway even the most cynical person toward better eco-choices that will also save money. Chris says, “We’re rediscovering that it’s so much healthier, more lucrative, and better for every living thing to transition away from wasteful, polluting technologies and make choices that work in harmony with nature.”

Green Made Easy is written in a friend-to-friend, conversational style and examines our daily lives from personal care and cosmetics to solar-energy systems. This book will delight and inspire any and all who dream of making a difference and wish to create a thriving, healthy future for generations to come.

Everyone needs a calendar for next year. And why not a calendar that reminds them to live a greener, cleaner, and healthier lifestyle. Changing habits is so hard, and we often slip back to our old habits. But with a daily reminder to live green right in front of us, that is just one more nudge to remind us to put the paper plate back on the shelf in the grocery store, because we can wash our regular dishes.

My favorite green calendar is the Audubon’s Green World Calendar 2010: A Year of Eco-Travel Wall Calendar which focuses on eco-travel or green travel-one of the newer ways of going green.

But for an entire list of green calendars, follow this link.

I am having the best time shopping on eBay’s World of Good site. This is what I found on there today.

Recycled jewelry–earrings in the shape of coffee cups. My favorite drink.

You may laugh, but if you follow this recycled jewelry link, you will see that World of Good has loads of fun and funky recycled jewelry that is made with cast away metal, fabric, and other materials into some very cool stuff. A lot of it is under $20 so we can put it in our Eco-Chic Green Gifts Under $25 category.

Winter time is the best time to try new bath and body washes. Skin dries out, becomes more sensitive, and needs to be pampered. One of the best green body shampoos on the market is Blooming Lotus Body Shampoo.

Blooming Lotus Body Shampoo
Organic vegetable oils, glycerin and pure essential oils provide a super gentle shower gel with luxurious lather. This organic castile base is a truly natural alternative to the SLS, DEA, Cocobetaine and other detergents used in most shower gel formulas. Organic vegetable oils, glycerin and pure essential oils provide a super gentle shower gel with luxurious lather.

Comes in a 9 ounce bottle and is available in four varieties:

Fairy Fresh – Uplifting and intoxicating with notes of neroli, frankincense, lime and gem essence of carnelian and amethyst. Ingredients: distilled water, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic jojoba, potassium hydroxide, essential oils, glycerin, xanthum gum, rosemary extract, gem essence & love.

Groundation – Centering with notes of sustainable sandalwood, cedarwood, bergamot and gem essence of smoky quartz. Ingredients: distilled water, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic jojoba, potassium hydroxide, essential oils, glycerin, xanthum gum, rosemary extract, gem essence & love.

Soulshine – Inspirational and bright with with notes of mandarin, tangerine, neroli, spearmint and gem essence of citrine. Ingredients: distilled water, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic jojoba, potassium hydroxide, essential oils, glycerin, xanthum gum, rosemary extract, gem essence & love.

Sublime – Sensuous and alluring with notes of sweet orange, rosewood, cocoa, ylang ylang and gem essence of lapis lazuli. Ingredients: distilled water, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic jojoba, potassium hydroxide, essential oils, glycerin, xanthum gum, rosemary extract, gem essence & love. (9 ounces)

About Blooming Lotus Products: all organic, pure positive energy. These products begin as organic or wildcrafted herbs growing in healthy soil and warm sunshine. Their essence is artfully distilled into the finest essential oils available, which become key ingredients in the resulting soaps, lotions, and aromatherapy products. Blooming Lotus blends small batches to ensure quality and then packages the final products in ways to preserve their healing properties.

Those cobalt bottles aren’t just pretty, they protect the oils from the damaging effects of light. All Blooming Lotus products contain no synthetic ingredients.

For more information on green bath and body wash, follow this link.

Socktopus – $ 22.50
From: BuyGreen.com
The long lost cousin of the famous Sock Monkey. The eight-legged creatures are made from traditional red heel socks and button eyes. This Socktopus is handmade by Friends of Socktopus. These delightful cephalopods are made from recycled wool sweaters. Their wooly covering allows them to live comfortably on land, especially indoors. They are excellent companions for children of all ages, and add a splash of color to any room.

One of the best places to shop for green gifts is BuyGreen.com. BuyGreen.com is essentially a Eco-Chic Green Shopping Mall. All of the products on their site are green, eco-friendly and healthy products. They have products in several different types of product lines including skin care, household cleaners, clothing, and accessories. I am just going to highlight a few items here that are under $25 and would make great green gifts, but if you click through the links you will find loads more to explore. I love the Socktopus above. Here are some more:

Affirmatif
With DMAE and pearl powder to tighten, tone and nourish your skin.

This is part of Marie-Veronique’s therapeutic line of skin care, designed to care for your skin through all stages of life. These products protect, nourish and repair in an age-appropriate manner. The Therapy line is for everyone who wants healthy and radiant skin. You can also supplement the basic skin care routine with products that address special concerns such as aging and rosacea.

UV Natural Baby Sunscreen

UV Natural has just been ranked #1 by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). UV Natural ranked as the safest and most effective sunscreen sold in the US and the World! Beating nearly 800 other brands, UV natural is recognized as offering uncompromising safety and efficacy in sun protection. The entire range of UV Natural sunscreens protect against the full spectrum of UV light – UV A1, A2, B and C.

For the most precious members of your family, UV Natural Baby is gentle in its action so you can reduce the risk of sunburn to your baby’s soft and sensitive skin. In addition to its SPF 30 block-out properties, UV Natural Baby formulation strengthens and maintains healthy skin cell growth. Apply UV Natural Baby daily for a skin routine that nurtures healthy glowing skin for life as sun damage is cumulative and must be taken seriously from the earliest age. UV Natural Baby comes in two perfect sizes – small (1.76 oz)- for the diaper bag, purse, handbag or glove box in the car, and the large (5.29 oz) for the home, the diaper bag or to share with friends. UV Natural Baby provides a nourishing, health conscious sunscreen solution.

Sweater Owl

These charming creatures are made from recycled sweaters. They are soft and squeezable, and have child-safe eyes. They are 12″ tall. They come in the following colors: Green-Blue, Red-Yellow-Orange, or Pink-Purple.

Solar Hybrid Flashlight

This flashlight offers innovative Hybrid Solar Technology – it generates renewable power from sunlight or room light and stores it for later use. No shaking, no cranking – it’s ready to go when you need it! This flashlight can hold a single charge for over 3 years with 1-Watt 2X Super Bright LED.

Comes in three colors: Black, Camouflage and Yellow

Environmentally friendly – Solar technology generates renewable power from sun or room light. 8 hours charge in sunlight or room light will provide up to 16 hours of continuous light – can be charged over and over again. Holds a single charge for over 3 years and comes fully charged.

Does not need to be stored in the sun – throw it in your glove box or drawer and three years later, just turn it on! Back up battery has a 7 year shelf life.

For more green gift ideas under $25, follow this link