^{We love Christmas, it’s a magical time.  Christmas is a time when we can produce a lot of waste. This is why we wanted to share 3 ideas to look out for a sustainable Christmas, on how to take care of people and the planet. Feel free to play a Christmas song while reading this article…} 

It all starts with the preparations

^{The list to make sure you buy the right gifts}

^{We like to keep a few surprises. But when we run out of ideas, the list can really be our best friend.}

^{Gift wrapping: have you ever felt overwhelmed by the amount of paper on the floor after everyone has opened their presents? Why not try wrapping presents in fabric this year? You certainly have fabrics at home, if not maybe an old tablecloth or bed sheets that you could easily transform. Check out our latest video on Instagram showing how it works. Plus it’s a very personal touch. The person can keep the fabric and use it next time.}

^{The zero waste Christmas tree?}

^{There are different options available.}

^{Buying a plastic tree that we could reuse the following year seems like a good option. However, it is made of plastic and other polluting materials and we can’t really recycle it. It is usually produced far away, so quite a big carbon footprint. So we would not recommend this option even if you use it for several years.}

^{Why not buy a Christmas tree that has been cut down? It is usually cut locally where you live (this is the case in France or Switzerland). Moreover, it can be recycled later or you can use it as compost. The other good option is to buy a potted tree that you can reuse the following year.}

^{Alternatives to buying a Christmas tree are: decorating plants you have at home or DIY with pallet wood.  We hope you have more information to decide what is the best option for you.}

^{Now let’s talk about gifts.}

Our top gift selection

^{In the spirit of zero waste, why not “experiences” instead of material gifts}

^{For example a massage or a workshop.  How to repair like the “Relove workshop” of the Pink Sheep in Zurich. In France, the Good Gang Paris also offers such workshops. To continue with the workshops, last year we attended a workshop to make our own pair of sandals. We loved it, it is available on the French platform  “WECANDOO”. You will find a nice offer of different workshops and the good news is that you can do some of them online if you don’t live in France.}

^{And in Switzerland, there is a new platform:  “Matières brutes” to discover if you live in the French speaking part of Switzerland.}

^{In the spirit of DIY, there are DIY kits available at the moment: we love Maison Jomi’s DIY kit, an embroidery kit to easily make your own visible mending.}

^{In terms of experience and taking care of ourselves, why not a personal development session? Nadia Style Strategy offers various ateliers to help women and men reveal their full potential through their wardrobe, to understand what is their signature style. There is an account we recently discovered in France called “Soyons élégantes” with the same approach of giving more Sens to Fashion and build a sustainable wardrobe.}

^{If you are looking for sustainable brands, here is our selection:}

^{–For Jewellery: Juste juliette in France, a collection of upcycled vintage jewellery, Vdesignlab in Switzerland (they have a website and are available in some places in Zurich), jem jewellery for the more precious pieces in France and Céline Lareynie.}

^{– For Bags we discovered Atelier Bagatelle in Geneve, all pieces are unique and handmade}

^{And why not offering a Vintage Item? We totally understand if you feel like you don’t have time to thrift. So here is a selection of Brands that curate pieces with a soul: petitepuce.ch or Bintage Brocante (only on Instagram), we love Chic.et.Chine in Switzerland.}

^{– A book is always a good idea: from pocket books to beautiful coffee table books. You can find very nice books about Design, Art and Fashion in Brocki.}

^{For Clothes you can find some addresses in our Vintage guide: The top 9 Trending Vintage Pieces – AtelierFH.}

^{If you are looking for shoes, you know where to find us online. And the good news is that we have Gift Cards now available online (with different amounts).}

^{Feel free to share other tips with us. If you would like to get more addresses, let us know, we couldn’t write about all the brands we love all in one article.}

 ^{We wish you a happy holiday season.}