It’s notoriously difficult to shop for greens, but we've got you covered. Behold, 18 practical—yet nonetheless delightful—holiday presents.     

Got gardening and/or bee enthusiasts on your list? Flow Hive’s newly launched 2021 Flow Pollinator House project ($80) was designed to make harvesting honey super accessible for beginning and urban gardeners. These inviting and good-looking pollinator houses were designed using salvaged timber and sustainably sourced bamboo and specifically designed to help create pollinator corridors between wild spaces in urbanized areas. Each bee abode is flat-packed and comes with assembly tools as well as bamboo inserts that’ll help giftees personalize their new garden structures. And, recipients will be all abuzz to learn that 100 percent of profits go toward pollinator advocacy, protection, and education.

Warning: These are not the candles your great-aunts used to gift you. A female-founded, Black-owned outfit, Spoken Flames creates sustainable and immersive candle experiences—with help from augmented reality (AR) to engage and stimulate recipients’ senses. The multisensory candles from the new Tech-nically Chill collection ($34 each) are hand-poured from natural coconut wax, offer curated scents (to complement the message emblazoned on candles’ sides), and include a special Instagram-hosted AR experience that treats giftees to spoken-word artist performances and audible affirmations. For instance, “Sea Sea Me” is designed to transport giftees to dreamy sandy shorelines (with help from nautical sounds and scents of salt, melon, musk, and chamomile). The “LOL” candle, which harnesses therapeutic sounds of laughter, features jollity-enhancing notes of mango, lavender, and fresh linen. Lots of good stuff to ignite here!   

You’re likely familiar with Rumpl’s packable, take-anywhere indoor/outdoor blankets. This year, the certified B Corporation and Climate Neutral Certified brand brought its material expertise and commitment to sustainability into a classy new space—the elegant living room accent market—and absolutely nailed it. The Merino SoftWool Blanket ($379) is Rumpl’s first blanket made with 100 percent natural fibers (half are sourced from Australian merino wool and the other half, organic cotton). Three years in the making, this gorgeous and reversible piece sheds new meaning into “wool blanket.” Unlike more-classic itchy throws, this blanket is soft as fleece, and thanks to wool’s natural temperature regulation properties, giftees will be using it year-round. Available in four varieties, this blanket fits any bed and adds a subtle pop of color to any living space.

Don’t forget to keep Fido cozy this winter too! Perfect for your favorite dog or dog-lover, the insulated, waterproof pet blanket from VOITED ($90) is made with recycled ripstop and micro-fleece. Durable, cozy, easy-to-clean, highly totable, and striking in appearance, it can be used to keep pups toasty while camping, to protect humans’ furniture, and to keep cars safe from wet, muddy paws after outdoor adventures. It’s highly likely to become giftees’ go-to outdoor and indoor pet accessory.

A play on the Norwegian expression heimatt, which means “to return home,” the Heymat brings Scandinavian design and functionality to the doormat and entryway rug. Their rugs (starting at $150) are all made from 100 percent recycled plastics and are designed to be washed, reused, and endure years of hard wear. The Heymat makes for a perfect gift for lovers of simple, thoughtful Scandinavian design.

For unique and nature-inspired wall art, you’ve got to check out the Tugboat Printshop. These creations started as hand-crafted drawings, which were then transcribed directly onto hand-carved woodblocks, using oil-based inks. Tugboat prints small-batch pieces (starting around $175) of flora, fauna, landscapes, skies, and much more—and makes it all singularly magical. Talk about a surprising and lovely gift. 

In the 1700s, European sailors would set off for the Caribbean Islands, returning with tales of white sands and sapphire seas, plus casks of Caribbean rum. To this day, when we think of sailing and spirits, only one libation comes to mind—which is exactly why the upcycled sailcloth mavens behind Sea Bags teamed up with the distillers behind Mount Gay Rum to create the Ocean Currents Collection. Created in partnership with actor and environmentalist Adrian Grenier, this gifty collab includes a tote ($230) and beverage bucket ($100) that features the ocean currents that carried olden days’ hearty sailors to their treasures. Made from Sea Bags’ signature recycled sailcloth, these tough vessels boast hemp handles and a Mount Gay Rum logo. Plus, each purchase of a tote funds the removal of two pound of trash from the briny deep, and the tote, one pound. Aye aye!

We’ve long been fans of the glam, kimono-style La Sirena robes from California Cowboy, which come with soft terry lining and champagne-bottle-size back pockets. This year, the brand extended sizes—offering the same great style and features to poolside loungers/apres-skiers/WFH movers and shakers of all shapes and sizes—and also came out with some full-length varieties, like this fetching Fireside Fair Isle Ember number ($168). It’s the perfect gift for ladies who’d prefer to lounge the winter away.

How 'bout some slippers to go with that robe? A pioneer in repurposing materials for fashion, Sanuk recently launched the Cozy Vibe Wool Slipper ($80) for men and women. Bring cabin-core to loved ones’ tootsies with these kicks’ buttery soft wool blend, which’ll keep feet cozy in cold weather and moisture-wicked once wearers warm up. Featuring a backless silhouette, bio-based sugarcane EVA foam, responsibly sourced leather, Tencel, and hemp, this is a gift that puts its best foot forward.

A watch always makes for an, ahem, timeless gift. But for a novel experience, you’ll want to gift a time piece that truly reflects the recipient’s identity. Trained engineer and artist Celeste Wong operates one of the few female-owned watch companies in the US. Offering tons of unique collections—many of which feature specific floral specimens, as well as celestial phenomena, wildlife, and other sources of natural inspiration—these intricately designed, eye-catching watches ($250 to $350) are made to singularly suit your loved ones. Wong can even custom-design pieces based on pet portraits!

Each sartorial creation from designer BLUE COBALT has been reincarnated from existing garments and upgraded with antique laces and trims, with help from biodegradable, nontoxic, and plant-based dyes (sourced from flower petals, leaves, spices, and berries). Each item in this sustainable, nonbinary fashion brand is designed to be worn by shes, hes, and theys and was personally hand-sewn and altered by designer Blue Cobalt, using skills passed down from his mother and grandmother. Cobalt makes a full range of casual and dress wear; we’re partial to his dreamy and somewhat trippy collection of T-shirts ($50 each).

Fact: Zero outdoorsy dudes couldn’t use another soft, toasty flannel. May we suggest the Glover Park Lined Flannel ($99) from Prana? Crafted from 82 percent organic cotton, it boasts bold, standout colors and waffle thermal lining, plus double chest patch pockets and a bonus interior stash pocket. Whether he decides to wear it on its own or layer under a favorite sweater, your recipient will be warm and respectable-looking, whether working outside, or hobnobbing about town.

The Anishinabe (Native Americans of Northern Minnesota) have crafted all manner of art, posters, clothing, calendars, books, coffee, and other gifts, and if you order through Honor the Earth Merchandise, all proceeds benefit Honor the Earth, the environmental organization founded 28 years ago by activist and author Winona LaDuke and musicians the Indigo Girls. We can’t get enough of the Water Is Life collection—created in honor of LaDuke’s latest book, To Be A Water Protector—featuring tees, onesies, flannels, hoodies, and more, hand-crafted and starting at $20. Perfect for all the water protectors and eco-activists on your list!

Each Hults Bruk Agdor Montreal 28 axe ($129) from Helle is hand-forged from premium Swedish carbon steel and expertly tempered for strength and edge retention. This 2.5-pound tool features a wide cutting blade and a curved, 28-inch American hickory handle. It comes sharpened, with a leather sheath, and was designed to be passed down through generations. 

Got a space fanatic on your list who occasionally indulges in earthly travel? Created from fabrics woven from upcycled ocean plastic, the new “Outta This World” astro-themed luggage collection from Solgaard, crafted in collaboration with the creators of the Neil deGrasse Tyson–hosted TV show and podcast Star Talk, is made from upcycled ocean-bound plastic. Each piece is crafted out of the equivalent of 229 plastic bottles, and you can choose carry-on bags ($264) with a design reminiscent of Mars, the moon, or Earth (the latter comes with NASA logos!). Talk about a stellar present.

Among the most surefire ways to shrink your carbon footprint? Consuming as plant-based a diet as possible. Help a friend who’s flirting with veganism make the plunge with the gift of the new ChefWave MilkMade Non-Dairy Milk Maker ($170). In just 15 minutes, they’ll have 20 ounces of delicious milk made from rice, almonds, oats, soybeans, cashews, macadamias, or coconut. And don’t get us started on all the dairy-free ice cream, smoothies, cookies, and lattes in their future!

Did you know that giant prehistoric sloths are why avocados exist today? Or that if you find yourself in Dawson City, Canada’s Downtown Hotel, you can order the Sourtoe; i.e., an alcoholic beverage that happens to be spiked with a severed, and pickled, human toe? For the many Atlas Obscura fans on your list, as well as foodies and lovers of big beautiful coffee-table books, look no further than the gift of Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide ($43). Described by chef Alice Waters as a “captivating book that celebrates the incredible global diversity of food, ingredients, and cooking practices,” it’s a deep dive into culinary curiosities spanning all seven continents and 50 states. It’s an ode to the many fascinating ways that humanity has figured out how to feed itself. And to preservation—with insights detailing how modern food and plant enthusiasts are preserving ingredients, foodways, and cultural traditions in the face of biodiversity loss and climate change.   

You probably know Polywood as the geniuses who upcycle plastic milk jugs into adorable adirondacks and porch swings. Twenty twenty-one saw the US-born company and its 99-percent-landfill-free facility branch into new territory: the luxury outdoor furniture sector. For someone who deserves a splurgey holiday, check out the PW Designer Series. The first in this series is the Latitude collection, which features al fresco lounging and dining pieces (starting around $595) featuring clean lines and crisp, stylish angles. As chic as it is comfortable, Polywood furniture is also proven to withstand hot suns, snowy winters, and strong coastal winds, and to clean easily with soap and water.