Wood Everything: Eco-Chick’s Holiday, 2015 Gift Guide #1

Our beloved and well-used (judging from the numbers of views and shares from past years) gift guide is BACK! As you know, we like our gifts to bring a smile to the faces of friends and families—and help small-business owners, local makers, and people who live and work in places who have a lot less than we do.

All the products below are fair-trade, ethical, locally made, eco-friendly, low-impact, or (most likely) some combination of the previous.

And if you are still looking for that perfect (ethical) thing for that special someone, our recent list of 8 great ethical boutiques is a great place to start—and so is our Resources page. Happy shopping!

Our first guide: For the Lover of All Things Made From Wood

Tense Watches are the original—the company has been around since 1971! They are beautiful (as you can see above!) and are made by a family owned company from sustainable wood. Both men’s and women’s watches would make a seriously lovely gift.

Read more about Tense here (and enter our current giveaway!)

Woodzee sunglasses are just about the sweetest shades out there. Not only are they made from sustainably sourced wood (like recycled whiskey barrels!), but the company gives back for each pair sold: “Through Our World Program, we team up with various organizations to plant trees, protect watersheds, save animals, and support people on every continent.”

You can read our full review of Woodzee here!

We have long been fans of Pelcor’s bags (and other stuff—they even have a rad umbrella) made from cork. Harvested by skilled laborers from the cork tree—which isn’t killed, but keeps producing more cork over time—it’s a soft, leather-like material that’s beautiful and durable. The Poppy tote (pictured here) is a gorgeous gift, with a pop of color and a cork panel.

Our editor Starre carries the sunshine tote, which would also make an awesome gift. You can read our full coverage of Pelcor here!

Wood Thumb makes wood ties for both men and women—which look remarkably fab (as you can see above). They make other stuff from wood too—including some very cool stuff for the bar. And everything is sustainable and made in San Francisco.

See our full review here!

Carved Cases are handmade by a small company in Indiana—I love that each one comes with a postcard signed by all the employees.

I’ve had a Carved Wood Case (they make all the same designs as skins too) on my iPhone for over a year now, so I can attest to the toughness of this product (they make all-wood cases too).