By Delana in Art & Design, Home & Garden, Tricks & Hacks

(image via: wockerjabby)

If you’ve waited a bit too long to take care of the people on your holiday gift list, worry not. Our friends at Treehugger and Planet Green have put together a wealth of information for eco-friendly gifts you can find in stores or make yourself. No matter who you’re shopping or making for, you’ll find the perfect something here.

The Ultimate 2009 Gift Guide

(image via: greenlagirl)

Treehugger’s annual holiday gift guide is always chock full of the most impressive green gifts, and this year is no exception. The 2009 Gift Guide has recommendations for kids, animal lovers, cooks, geeks, and everyone else in your life. Bonus green points if you wrap them in recycled paper, like the one above that’s wrapped in an old bus map.

DIY Gift Guides

(image via: ex.libris)

If you’d prefer to make your own holiday gifts, or if your budget doesn’t allow a lot of wiggle room, Planet Green has an amazing series on DIY gifts that are easy on the environment. Pore through their guides for Music Lovers/Musicians, Gardeners, Pets, Artists, Bartenders (or drinkers), Kids, and more. The entire series of green DIY Holiday Workshops can be found here.

Charities

(image via: Tattooed JJ)

If you’re tired of the rampant consumerism that threatens to take over the holiday season, do something different this year and donate to a charity in your loved one’s name instead of buying yet another knick-knack that will just collect dust. These seven charities let you give a gift that you can feel truly good about.

DIY Ornaments/Decorations

(image via: Artful Danni)

Holiday ornaments and decorations are gifts that keep giving year after year. Every year your loved ones will pull out the handmade ornaments you gave them and think of you. What better way to show your eternal love? These three projects show you how to turn discarded outdoor lights, kids’ toys, and even walnut shells into pretty decorations. You can recycle two wool sweaters into a gorgeous felted holiday stocking with these instructions. For all those catalogs and ads you’re likely to have lying around this time of year, here’s a great project that will show you how to make lovely paper ornaments. Whether you have kids or not, these DIY dough decorations are super-fun to make. Can’t get enough of the DIY ornament craziness? Head over to DIY Life and About.com for even more ornaments you can make yourself.

Living Gifts

(image via: Ava Babili)

Poinsettias are the fall-back gift for a lot of people, but a shocking number of them are thrown away right after the holidays. Here are six plants that are just as festive and beautiful, but that will last much longer.