Sustainable Christmas Day 5 - Experience Gifts for Crafty People & Ecosia

Vlogmas with a twist - looking at some sustainable ways to use sewing over the festive season.
We're on day 5 & letter E- Experience gifts or gifts that aren't more stuff. I look at some of the lovely experience gifts I've had over the years & some ideas to share with your loved ones as a an idea of what to get the crafty people in your life.
My EventBrite Page: www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/stitch...
Details of Donna's Retreat in France: sizemesewing.co.uk/frenchsewin...
Details of the Knitting & Stitching Show in Leipzig: www.messen.de/de/17293/leipzi...
Felted Landscape Workshop - Helen Riddle: hepworthwakefield.org/whats-o...
Ecosia: www.ecosia.org/
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If you'd like to support this channel my KoFI account is: ko-fi.com/frugalisama
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I'm wearing Tessuti Mandy Boat Tee
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I blog at: frugalisama.com/
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[@barbarawarner4645]

My daughter, who lives in Chiang Mai Thailand, bought me a 3 day “Indigo” class. We harvested the plant, processed it into indigo dye, and finally tie dyed fabric. The instructor is a fabric expert who teaches at the local university. Amazingly fun.

[@Frugalisama]

Wow, that does sound fantastic, I'd love to do that 👍

[@annettecowburn1096]

My sister and I usually do a shared experience to celebrate our birthdays. Hence our Harrogate trip recently, 2 nights in a hotel near the convention centre and the day at the knitting and stitching show. Lovely memories for both of us. Great ideas again Sam.

[@Frugalisama]

What a lovely way to celebrate your birthdays Annette 🤗

[@blueoctopus6]

I bought my neice a silver ring making course. We spent the day together, crafting, having tea and a bit of shopping thrown in. Lovely 😍 👌

[@Frugalisama]

That sounds like a lovely way to spend the afternoon 🤗

[@blueoctopus6]

You have your son and husband well trained!

[@Frugalisama]

I do indeed 🤣

[@elisa4620]

I have been using Ecosia for years and I am satisfied with it. Skills swaps is such a good idea!

[@Frugalisama]

Yes I'm still using it & find that it's really good 🤗

[@nancyhilborn885]

Got my husband drum lessons one year... Forgot he'd have to practice in our small house 🤣. The gift that keeps on giving 🙄.

[@Frugalisama]

🤣🤣🤣

[@kathiefish6577]

We were given National Trust membership for an anniversary present, but due to Covid we couldn't get much use out of it. For a birthday I was given a voucher for a dolphin watch in Cornwall. The first trip was cancelled due to bad weather. The second attempt was really enjoyable, sailing in a catamaran (on a calm sea) with a pod of dolphins bow waving, and the best bit was there was a baby amongst them. In the past I have given my husband flying experiences in different aircraft and a driving experience.

[@Frugalisama]

Ah that's such a shame about the NT membership but the dolphins must have been really something to behold, especially with the baby there 🤗

[@evasaker2476]

Thanks for sharing all your sustainable Christmas tips! I’ve been watching them all ☺️ I have five grandkids (two plus three) and the other year we where so fed up with buying more toys for them and decided to give them ”tokens” for a surprise experience together with us instead. It was really appreciated! And it gave us a really nice moment as well which the toys doesn’t. Fortunatley they all love getting clothes made by me as well. Regarding present for us grownups we stopped giving that many years ago! Sometimes we play the ”Christmas present game” though, just for fun. I certainly use my old decor, I love to take it out year after year. And we pick pintree branches in the forest and bring indoors as well. I live in Sweden and we can do that as long as we don’t destroy anything.

[@Frugalisama]

That sounds like a lovely gift & something to look forward to after Christmas too. 👍

[@magsohara7908]

Thanks Sam. Lots more inspiration for us. I’m about 35 miles away from the V&A in Dundee and it has some fabulous exhibitions throughout the year. Last night a friend and I went to a live stream of The Nutcracker ballet (my Christmas to her) at a local cinema. Darcey Bussell introduced the programme from the Royal Opera House Covent gardens and during the break spoke the the wardrobe mistress about all of the costumes- it’s was just amazing ( last time we did that it was the Russian State ballet from Moscow ). 🤓🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Frugalisama]

Oh wow, that sounds amazing Mags - also I had no idea there was a V&A in Dundee 😉

[@Lorij83]

You are very lucky to be able to have taken so many classes. I always try to take a class if there is one local.

[@Frugalisama]

I am, you’re right, this is over a number of years & many are incorporated into trios away & holidays, so hubby benefits too.

[@kristymcmillan7481]

Me and my partner went on a stained glass day course, and we both came out with a complete panel each. It was such an enjoyable day and I’d love to do that again. One birthday weekend, we visited Charleston House (home of the Bloomsbury set) and Monk’s House (home of Virginia and Leonard Woolf), both in East Sussex. It was the perfect weekend, not just because it was glorious weather, but because both houses were filled with art and home decorated home furnishings which gave us ideas for our home. Far more memorable than a random gift.

[@Frugalisama]

Those sound like lovely experiences Kristy - I'd love to try stained glass too 👍

[@janetwilliams7705]

These are great suggestions.

[@Frugalisama]

Glad you like them Janet 🤗

[@myrtlecatchpole8089]

I buy tickets for things a lot because they are clutter free. Last year, I bought my husband tickets to see Divine Comedy and a few years ago, I took my mum to see her first live ballet. As for me, as much as I love sewing, I would like someone to buy me a plastering course for Christmas. 😁

[@Frugalisama]

Well plastering is definitely very practical. Loved Divine Comedy back in the day 👍

[@elizabethsawyer5906]

All great ideas Sam💕

[@Frugalisama]

thank you 🤗

[@sewciology22]

Oh I love Betty’s. Too far away now for a visit 😢.

[@Frugalisama]

It's definitely a lovely treat to visit there 👍

[@jennetthamilton7942]

I gave my husband the choice of an experience. We ended up going to Niagara Falls with friends for 2 days. We did a tour of the old hydro plant tunnels, and of course enjoyed seeing the Falls and also checked out some wineries. My daughters have taken me to two different ballets and taken their dad to the theatre. If money is an issue just picking a day to go on a hike and have a picnic. There are so many ideas going through my head!

[@Frugalisama]

Niagara falls is on my bucket list Jennett - a bit further for me to travel there though but hopefully some day 👍

[@lynnshepard7485]

Last year I gave theatre tickets to my son’s family to The Lion King. My daughter’s family got tickets to a Green Bay Packer’s game. Both were well received and within driving distance of the families. 💗

[@Frugalisama]

Lovely gifts & ones to remember too - I often get my hubby tickets to the football or concerts/gigs as a gift - he doesn't ask for much but tickets are so expensive aren't they, so a good gift idea I think 👍

[@lynnshepard7485]

@@Frugalisama Yes, ticket prices have really risen. An experience is so much nicer than unwanted/unneeded stuff though. Now that my grands are growing up, I want to give them something they’ll remember, especially if I get to partake with them. Making memories together can have lasting effects. 💗 I also made dresses for the girls to wear to the theatre!

[@IndigoSew]

Great ideas, ta. I especially like the skill swap and monthly craft-with-friend suggestions. I gave open-dated whale watching tour tickets to family one year. Very exciting and $$$. Found out a few years later that they never used them 😢😭 Friend and I are taking each other out for ice cream this year. 🍦

[@Frugalisama]

Oh that's so sad that they didn't use your voucher, I wonder if putting a date on the experience makes a difference - I'd definitely have gone to that 🤗 Enjoy your ice creams - hopefull when it's a bit warmer, although I did have some last night 😋

[@IndigoSew]

@@Frugalisama Ta. It was valid for 2 years (maybe too far away to feel urgent/remember to book in?). I’d like to have gone too. 🐋 We’re in Australia so summer Christmas = ice cream season 😋

[@katehampshire8410]

My husband just got me tickets for Chelsea flower show. A few years ago I got him rhs membership, but national trust is also a good idea. Not heard of ecosia but I’ll check it out.

[@Frugalisama]

Yes National Trust & RHS are great gifts & come with lots of extra benefits as members too - a love a flower show, only been to Chelsea once but go to 2 or 3 a year - you wouldn't be able to tell looking at my garden mind 🤣