Having a hard time coming up with gift ideas this holiday season? If you are like me you have no idea what you want for Christmas much less what to get for the rest of your family members. Well, I figured it was a good time to take a look at eBay's World of Good for some inspirational Fair Trade items. World of Good specializes in inspiration with their huge selection of hand crafted Fair Trade gifts from all over the world.

So this year why not give a gift twice over by supporting the fine crafters around the world who contribute their skills and find a unique ethical gift for those hard to shop for family members.

Fair Trade items for Holiday Dinners: Hand Carved Bowls

First off is a lovely Olive wood with inlaid bone bowl made in Africa by Jedando Modern Handicrafts which is a collaborative of more than 100 carvers in Machakos, Kenya. I love wood grain items and this hand carved bowl is a beauty with a rich grain set off with the black and white batiked inlaid bone.

The traditional mud cloth designs of the batiked bone is created by placing wax on the white bone and dipping the bone in a dark brown/black dye, resulting in these striking patterns.

These Fair Trade Olive wood bowls are being sold by Fair World Partners founded by Christina Stimson. Take a look at the rest of their more than 180 Fair Trade items for sale including Fair Trade jewelry, purses and bags, kids toys, Christmas ornaments and more.

Fair Trade items for your tree: Hand Carved Fair Trade Christmas Ornaments

The second Fair Trade holiday gift that caught my eye were the many hand made Christmas ornaments - these here by master carver Luz Laureano are something special. Luz from the village of Cochas Peru hand tools these Christmas tree ornaments from gourds and creates the fantastic designs by burning into the gourd with eucalyptus embers. They look hand painted but are actually dyed with natural vegetable dyes that will hold their color much better than paint. Each bell shaped ornament is about 3 inches tall by 3 inches wide. For $24.95 (with free shipping) you get not one but six of these beautiful bell shaped Christmas ornaments. Compared to some of the other hand made Christmas tree ornaments this is quite the deal.

These fine Fair Trade Christmas ornaments are being sold by Sanyork Fair Trade fouded in 2001 and based out of the small town of San Juan De Lurigancho on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. A community of 63 artisans create wool woven home decor, carved gourds, pottery, musical instruments, metal wall decor, sterling jewelry, knit Alpaca apparel, cotton apparel, and bags and accessories all while passing down the tradition of hand crafted goods to the next generation.

Fair Trade items for gifts: Recycled Gift Wrap

You can't have a holly jolly Christmas without some fun gift wrap and this eco-friendly recycled gift wrap is a perfect holiday gift for yourself or anyone you know. Besides who says Fair Trade artisans have to live thousands of miles across the globe? These fun, creative and as I mentioned eco-friendly gift wrap designs are sold right here in the US by a family owned business called Sweet Organics and Naturals. Sweet Organics sells products from local artists who care about the environment and create unusual, recycled, sustainable, handmade, natural or otherwise eco-friendly goods. A few of the many items you'll enjoy are eco-jewelry, tree free & recycled greeting cards, tree free & recycled gift wrap, bags, gift tissue & biodegradable ribbon.

For example this fun eco-friendly reindeer gift wrap is produced by Earth Love’n Paper who is committed to saving trees by making their gift wrap out of 100% recycled post-consumer waste. Made from chlorine free paper with no harmful nasty bleaches these fun recycled gift wrap designs make even the trees smile (well at least the ones still growing in the forests). To top off the eco-coolness Earth Love’n Paper plants a tree for every 10 packs of recycled gift wrap sold - so buy ten and give the planet a breath of fresh air.

In looking for these 3 Fair Trade items to Feel Good About I discovered many beautiful unique creative Fair Trade gifts that I'm sure you'll enjoy too - please visit any of these fine sellers and see what they have to offer, a word of warning since these Fair Trade items are hand crafted they are in limited quantities. Have a mighty fine Fair Trade holiday from Earth Friendly Goodies.

3 Fair Trade Items That Make Unique Ethical Gifts is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Fortunately for me I didn't end up with a thimble sized winter hat - but unfortunately it did shrink and now no longer covers my ears without stretching it as far as I can and wrapping my head with duct tape. Since I don't particularly like the fashion statement of a duct tape wrapped head, I need a new winter hat.

I was looking at some of the latest fair trade goodies on eBay's World of Good and I came across a couple super warm looking hand woven winter hats made from African sheep wool. These wool hats are woven by Kenyan women looking to improve their lives and share their excellent weaving skills with the world by making knit hats and scarves.

Working with the Village Markets of Africa (or VMA) Cooperative these women are able to sell their hand made wares to those of us looking to replace our dryer mistakes, or just support the fair trade movement.

These fair trade wool winter hats are selling for a very reasonable $10.95 plus shipping.

Below you'll find these winter hats
as well as other fair trade offerings from VMA.

The Dryer Ate My SmartWool: Thank Goodness for Fair Trade Goodies is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Includes organic fair trade coffee, three organic fair trade chocolate bars and is rounded off with a box of fair trade chocolate-covered Brazil nuts - well on second thought maybe you'd rather just keep this one for yourself - I won't tell...

I stumbled upon this fun handmade gift basket while looking over the fine selection of eco goodies on eBay's World of Good - if you aren't familiar with it stop by and take a peek. There are plenty of fun eco-friendly gift ideas.

This particular fair trade coffee and chocolate gift basket is sold by EcoExpress Gifts which has the Green America Goodprint verification on World of Good. Which means this business adopts principles, policies, and practices that improve the quality of life for their customers, their employees, communities, and the environment.

At the time of this post this fair trade coffee and chocolate gift basket is on sale for $47.05 with only 4 remaining.

Find more fair trade and organic gifts from EcoExpress Gifts for sale below.

This Post Shared on Real Food Wednesday

Fair Trade Handmade Gift Basket with Organic Coffee and Chocolates is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Each set includes a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks all snug as a bug in a rug in a nice durable utensil holder made from RPET, recycled PET plastic (often called RePEat) which is made from recycled plastic bottles.

• These Bamboo utensils are heat and stain resistant and won't absorb flavors so you don't have to worry about chocolate pudding flavored pasta.
• They are sealed with a natural, vegan, food-safe sealant that has been tested and contains NO heavy metals that could leach into food.
• They are strong too, much stronger than those pesky plastic forks that always break and you end up trying to eat with a one or two tined fork by the end of the meal.

The RePEat utensil holders are available in a number of colors and styles so you can pick up a different one for each member of the family. We actually bought them as camping utensils but we have found there are so many more uses, and we can feel good about turning down plastic utensils where ever we go. Yes we are eco-geeky like that. As it turns out so is Oprah as the To-Go Ware was featured on Oprah's Earth Day show. (just a bit of eco-geek trivia for you)

Bamboo To-Go Ware utensil sets are for sale at a number of locations including Amazon (where you can often find them with free shipping), Whole Foods, REI and through the To-Go Ware web site itself.

This Post Shared on Real Food Wednesday

To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensils and Eco-Friendly Utensil Holder is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Teak is such a beautiful wood with such a soft whirling grain and smooth warm feel. These teak window boxes are even better because they are crafted from teak grown from reforested areas throughout Costa Rica by a producer that adheres to the principles of the Forestry Stewardship Council. Diamond Teak has 12 plantations that protect more than 1000 acres of jungle and provide safe haven to diverse flora, fauna and 70 species of trees, including mahogany, purpleheart and cocobolo rosewood. These hardwoods make wonderful furniture but have a bad reputation because these rare forests are being logged to extinction, not to mention logging contributes to habitat destruction, water pollution, and the displacement of indigenous peoples. The Forestry Stewardship Council strives to make sure these forests are maintained in a sustainable and safe way for the environment.

What this all means is by supporting companies who follow these strict guidelines you can feel proud to know you are getting a beautiful product in the most environmentally friendly way. I also love to hear companies going one step further... Goods For The Garden is committed to preserving America's historical gardens, landscapes, green spaces and mother earth! They contribute 5 percent of the purchase price of every product to an organization of your choosing or to their 1 Percent For The Planet Fund.

Now that's an Earth Friendly wood window box that will keep on giving year after year - plus you can get an early start on that Spring planting. As for me, I'm going to go kick some more snow into the driveway and think about what I want to plant first!

Below you'll find teak window boxes for sale from Goods for the Garden

Fair Trade Teak Window Boxes: Beautiful and Sustainable is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Not only are these special Fair Trade chocolate nibs a special treat for the tummy you'll get bonus points for supporting a fair trade company that pays its farmers 200%-300% above the local market price for cacao, uses green energy, and uses non-GMO ingredients.

Yachana Gourmet Jungle Chocolates come in several tasty variations including: Brazil nut and coffee, pineapple, macadamia nut, raisin and coconut, and a mixed batch of all of them. Yum.

These Fair Trade Jungle Chocolates are for sale at eBay's World of Good. (maybe a bit late for a last minute Valentine gift - but it could save you from sleeping on the couch another night)

This Post Shared on Real Food Wednesday

Fair Trade Chocolates Saved Me From the Dog House is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

The FEED Project is a partnership between the United Nations World Food Programme and Lauren Bush (fashion model, designer and granddaughter to former president George H.W. Bush)

This is an amazing chance to get more for your money and to help a child live a better life. Each purchase of the World Food Programme FEED bag feeds one child in school for one school year. You keep the eco-friendly bag perfect for grocery shopping and a child gets food for a year - a pretty amazing program and a certain Earth Friendly Goodies award winner.

Lauren Bush says about the Feed Bag:
"The FEED bag is a sturdy, reversible bag made out of natural burlap and cotton materials. The design of the bag was inspired by the big bags of food that I have seen being distributed to schools around the world. Besides being a cool bag, it is a tangible way to make a difference in the fight against child hunger. Every FEED bag sold will feed a child for a whole year in school! Thank you for your support of the FEED project! With your help we will be making a big difference in children's lives around the world, one child at a time. So wear your bag with pride!"

Black Friday Sale on FEED Bags an Eco-Friendly Life Saver is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

How to Make Wood Coasters with Simple Supplies and Tools:

What You'll Need to Make Wood Coasters

• A dry tree limb - the best wood for making wood coasters is up for debate, but if you use a wood with a nice grain you can't go wrong. I like Olive or Cedar myself because you can use them unfinished and they have a great smell.

• Miter saw (a hand saw will work but you'll need to do more sanding - or just claim the unique shape of each coaster was intentional)

• Sandpaper or sander

• A natural stain (you could also carve into the wood or use a wood burning tool if you wanted to get real creative)

• Sealer or finish

• Felt or cork for the bottom if desired

• Glue (not to glue your fingernail back on but to hold the felt in place)

• Nice fancy ribbon to tie them all together (or just toss 'em on the table and throw a beer on top depending on your level of refinement and class - there's nothing wrong with the beer method, it's just that you have to use all that ribbon that's taking up room in your closet anyway)

The Process of Making Wood Coasters

So on to the fun part: slice up 5 or 6 pieces of the tree limb about 3/8" thick (I suppose I should add carefully in there, and use safety goggles because you look cool in them trust me)

Sand one side until it's nice and smooth, slap on some natural stain or carve a nice picture or practice wood burning ancient hieroglyphics - polyurethane that baby so she's nice and waterproof, glue on the felt and you are ready to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

If you aren't the Do It Yourself type (why are you searching for How to Make Wood Coasters?) then you can always turn to the fine folks at Amazon - and the hard wood coasters for sale below.

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Naturally Med - Olive Wood Rustic Coaster Set Sale Price: $22.99   Eligible for free shipping!

Set of 4 Olive Wood Coasters Sale Price: $15.75   Eligible for free shipping!

DIY Wood Coasters: How to Make Wood Coasters is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Beautiful Hand Carved Djembe Drums for Sale from Novica

These Djembe drums for sale from Novica are wonderfully hand carved from local tweneboa wood with a drum head made from goat skins. The designs often depict traditional African stories, legends or symbols and range from fairly simple to very elaborate hand carved designs, all are beautifully crafted and have that distinctive rich Djembe drum sound.

You will find some of the wonderful Djembe drums for sale below created by African artisans like Eric Darko, Abubakari Alhassan, Salihu Ibrahim and Khoirul Anam. Amazon also has a very nice selection of Djembe drums for sale from quality drum makers from Remo, Meinl Percussion, Mother Rhythm Drums, and Toca.

Novica in association with National Geographic supports fair trade artists in Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Ghana by offering handmade jewelry, apparel, home and garden décor, musical instruments and original and limited edition fine art, from artisans in these developing nations.

"Every day at Novica, we are inspired by the limitless possibilities of peace and understanding that develop when people from distant nations and diverse cultures come together to learn about, appreciate, and support one another, sharing stories about their lives, hopes, dreams, and cultures. The founders of Novica launched the company with the dream of significantly helping change lives around the world."

Take a look at these Hand Carved Novica Djembe Drums for Sale Below

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NOVICA Wood djembe drum, 'Think Together'

Djembe Bongo Congo African Drum - 11" x 6" List Price: $39.99 Sale Price: $32.99 You save: $7.00 (18%)   Eligible for free shipping!

Hand Carved Fair Trade African Djembe Drums is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies

Going Green has never been so Groovy with these Fair Trade Yoga Clothes

I found a delightfully delicious new ebay seller on ebay’s eco-conscious World of Good today. Iron Lion Imports (consciousclothing is their ebay store name) has a huge selection of handmade fair trade goods made in Nepal. A small family cooperative makes all the products, including clothing, jewelry and bags. They utilize traditional Nepalese techniques with modern styles and designs provided by the founders of Iron Lion Imports.

All of their fair trade products are quite nice but their line of vibrant fair trade Yoga clothes; tank tops, halters, and tunics really caught my eye. These gorgeous hand crafted yoga clothes really have a zen beautiful feel, many even have hand painted designs and yoga symbols wonderfully designed into the fabric, like the tie dyed rainbow colored yoga tank top with unique Om Mani Padme Hum lotus design shown on the left at top.

(Take a peek at their current selection of yoga clothes for sale below)

To up the eco-friendly anti on their line of yoga clothes they are made from organic Non-GMO ingredients (GMO stands for genetically modified organisms), and over 50% is from biodegradable materials.

If you love to show off your bright vibrant inner beauty on the outside you’ll love these hot fair trade yoga clothes. Even if you don’t practice yoga these eye catching yoga tops will go great with a pair of jeans.

Zen Beautiful Fair Trade Organic Yoga Clothes is a post from: Earth Friendly Goodies