If you have an established artist or a budding artiste on your holiday gift-giving list this year, here are some wonderfully sustainable ideas for you.
The handles of these scissors are made of 100% recycled plastic and cost around $4 a pair.
Dick Blick carries a large selection of eco-friendly art supplies, including the Fiskars recycled scissors. Find them online, or go to dickblick.com to find a store in your area.
Lokta paper is handmade from the inner bark of the Daphne bush in a centuries-old process. This sustainable product supports hundreds of rural Nepalese villages that also use the waste from the Daphne bush as fuel. These papers are perfect for many artistic purposes, including dry media drawing, screen printing, calligraphy, pastels and paper crafts such as scrapbooking, collage, mixed media and bookbinding.
Lokta paper is available in packs of 10 20×30 sheets in six color collections for around $20 and can be found online at jerrysartarama.com.
Lyptus wood easel from Jack Richeson
Lyptus hardwood comes from fast-growing eucalyptus trees grown on well-managed plantations in South America. One-third of the plantations are preserved for native vegetation, and indigenous trees are interspersed within the eucalyptus to preserve natural habitats. Rex Art carries a wide variety of lyptus wood easels and print racks from Jack Richeson ranging in price from under $100 to more than $800. Find them online at rexart.com.
Cedar pencils
These triangular-shaped #2 pencils are made from recycled cedar wood scraps. The price, less than $5 for a set of 10, makes these perfect stocking stuffers for your artist or writer. Stubby Pencil Studios carries a wide range of eco-friendly and creative products. Find them online at stubbypencilstudio.com.
Sketchbooks
Also at Stubby Pencil Studios, a line of eco-friendly sketchbooks made from 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper. The paper is also acid-free and processed chlorine-free, with fully biodegradable glue and vegetable-based inks. The sketchbooks range in price from $5 to $14. Find them online at stubbypencilstudio.com.
Fiskars recycled scissors
The handles of these scissors are made of 100% recycled plastic and cost around $4 a pair.
Dick Blick carries a large selection of eco-friendly art supplies, including the Fiskars recycled scissors. Find them online, or go to dickblick.com to find a store in your area.
Mountain Peak handmade Lokta paper
Lokta paper is handmade from the inner bark of the Daphne bush in a centuries-old process. This sustainable product supports hundreds of rural Nepalese villages that also use the waste from the Daphne bush as fuel. These papers are perfect for many artistic purposes, including dry media drawing, screen printing, calligraphy, pastels and paper crafts such as scrapbooking, collage, mixed media and bookbinding.
Lokta paper is available in packs of 10 20×30 sheets in six color collections for around $20 and can be found online at jerrysartarama.com.
Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.— Peg Bracken
