A Do-It-Yourself Holiday

With environmental consciousness rising nationwide, it's not surprising that one bone of contention this holiday season is how December has become a hotbed of consumerism and consumption. Green-minded bloggers and organizations are stepping up in hopes of convincing people that a meaningful holiday can't be bought, and shouldn't harm the planet.

Hardly anyone is suggesting that gift-giving and celebrating be eschewed altogether, but green, earthy ideas abound. The blog Sew, Mama, Sew is featuring a number of ideas for handmade holiday gifts, at least 2,000 people participated in "Buy Nothing Day" on the day after Thanksgiving, the VictoriaE blog offers "eco links" for environmentally-friendly gift options, and the blog Care2 offers ideas for handmade wrapping paper, as does DIY Network.