Gifts for Mothers and Mother Earth

CEBU, Philippines - This Mother’s Day, show your mom how special she is at the same time give something back to Mother Earth.

From do-it-yourself terrariums to eco-friendly products, below are nifty eco-friendly Mother’s Day gift ideas for the eco-conscious mom.

DIY Terrariums

Terrariums are great to have in the house.

Essentially mini gardens contained in glass containers, they add a sense of nature’s beauty into any living or working space, requiring the least amount of maintenance and care.

A simple DIY terrarium can be made with peat moss soil, pebbles, a glass container and a small spider plant/spider fern. Other types of plants can also be grown in terrariums, specifically plants which are tolerant of high humidity conditions and prefer more shade.

While you can opt to use a new goldfish bowl, a bell jar or a cloche as the glass container for your DIY terrarium, the option of using used glass jars (particularly larger sized jars) proves to be more eco-friendly, one which fits well with eco-friendly sensibilities and views.

Eco-Friendly Products

With eco-friendly specialty venues like the Fair Trade Shop Cebu, finding true-to-form eco-friendly products is not as challenging as it used to be.

From organic goods to fashion accessories, Cebu’s Fair Trade Shop is part of the Philippines’ network of Fair Trade Shop locations, showcasing products which are made under Fair Trade, organic and sustainable certification standards.

Showcasing a diverse range of organic goods, the venue also carries products made from upcycled and recycled materials, making the Fair Trade Shop more than a venue where recycled bags, fashion accessories made under sustainable standards, and organic consumption products can be found, but also one where you can find a meaningful and thoughtful eco-friendly Mother’s Day gift for your mom.

Another venue that showcases accessories and fashion jewelry pieces made from recycled products is the Anthill Fabric Gallery.

As a creative social enterprise and lifestyle store, Anthill celebrates a communal spirit among Filipino artists and artisans, standing out as a unique entity that combines fashion, culture, ingenuity, advocacy and art.

Produce Seed

Packets/Quality Time

Giving your mom produce seed packets as a Mother’s Day gift may seem off, but matching it with a sincere commitment to help her grow a produce patch is something she’s bound to love.

With produce seed packets available in leading groceries in Cebu, you won’t have any trouble finding them, nor have any trouble finding seeds for different produce varieties.

Paired with you committing to help her grow a produce patch, this sustainable Mother’s Day gift is far better than just giving your mom a long phone call on Mother’s Day this year.

Handmade Greeting Cards

As a complement to your eco-friendly Mother’s Day gift, a handmade greeting card – with a sincerely written message – will surely be treasured by your mom.

A good example of handmade greeting cards would be those made of cogon grass, paper products which the Salay Handmade Paper Industries, Inc (SHAPII) is known for.

Initially founded as the People’s Economic Council in 1987, SHAPII is based in Salay, Misamis Oriental, where it produces quality handmade paper products which are distributed to different parts of the country.

SHAPII’s handmade cards are available in leading venues where greeting cards are available, and are also available in the Fair Trade Shop. (FREEMAN)