It’s easy to get caught up in the commercialism that goes hand-in-hand with the giving season. Spending money—or worse going into debt—just to give someone a present isn’t the point of Christmas, or any holiday.
Spoiler: it’s about hanging out with friends and family, indulging in good food, and making memories (not accumulating stuff). Still, if you’re compelled to give someone a little something there are ways to do it that won’t break the bank, or create additional waste.
We’ve come up with five recycled and upcycled gifts for the cannabis lover in your life that are easy, don’t cost a lot, and are sure to put a little jingle in their step.
Homegrown gingerbread cookies
Are you someone with a green thumb who’s managed to harvest a bounty of bud from your outdoor plant? You’re proud of your stuff and wouldn’t mind showing it off.
Sure, you could just put a bunch of your hand-picked green into a jar, stick a shiny red bow on top and call it a day. But you’ve got the opportunity to turn it into something even more special.
Our suggestion: use your flower to make cannabis-infused butter and whip up a batch of simple yet festive gingerbread cookies.
Here’s how you’ll do it:
First, read our easy-to-follow guide on making cannabutter. It’s not as daunting as you might think, but does require patience.
Basically, you’ll decarb your bud by drying it out in the oven, then you’ll grind and add it into melted butter, let it simmer together for a few hours, then strain it, refrigerate it, and boom! Weed butter.
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Showing you dispensaries nearOnce you’ve got your cannabutter ready to go, follow this infused gingerbread cookie recipe from the Wellness Soldier. If you don’t have any cookie cutters, a juice glass will make perfect circle-shaped cookies every time.
Remember: accurately dosing homemade edibles can be tricky, so you’ll want to sample your sweets before you give them out. As with all edibles, start with a low dose and go slow to see how you feel.
Mason jar flower storage
Help that special someone finally organize their stash this holiday season with a set of DIY storage jars. Guaranteed there’s a thrift store not far from you that has a surplus of mason or canning jars—just ask.
Collect a handful of these jars with lids (maybe four or five) and give them a new lease on life. They can be uniform, so they have a consistent look, or you can get a variety of heights for a more eclectic vibe.
To make them unique, consider painting each of the lids in a different shade of their favourite colour for an ombre effect when all of the jars are lined up.
Don’t forget labelling, too. Design and print labels for each jar using an online resource like Canva, which offers hundreds of free options that can be printed off at home.
Alternatively, you can use an erasable marker to decorate or write on each one. If you’re feeling extra generous, pre-stock a few different strains into a few of the jars. Our recommendation: anything Dosido, which is our 2021 Strain of the Year.
Personalized stash box
On the best of days, my husband keeps his stash stuffed inside of a draw-string bag that my mom made in the 90s to hold my Barbie dolls’ clothes. On the worst of days, there are several plastic zip-lock pouches from the dispensary scattered haphazardly on our kitchen table.
If you know someone like him, a personalized stash box might be in order. Plus, you can get creative making one that suits your style.
To start, you need a vessel about the size of a shoebox. You might have a suitable one kicking around your house. Something cardboard could work if it’s sturdy, or maybe there’s a perfectly-sized plastic, metal, or wood box in a drawer or closet going unused. If not, the thrift store is sure to have an option.
After you’ve sourced your box comes the fun part, and the options for decorating are endless.
Some ideas: take the minimalist route and paint the whole thing all black or all tan with a top coat of Mod Podge for a shiny finish, or go the maximalist route and cover the whole thing in electric orange glitter glue.
You can also use a patterned contact paper, that self-adhesive paper that’s sold at most dollar stores and usually used to line drawers and shelves.
If you’re artistic, you could take this as an opportunity to hand draw or paint something personal on the sides or top of the box, or channel your inner angsty teen self and make a collage from magazine cut-outs.
Whatever you decide, once you’ve got the exterior design settled, you’ll need to make dividers to pop inside of the box. This will help keep the various weed paraphernalia in place.
You can buy box dividers online or at a dollar store, but there are lots of ways to make them yourself, too, including cardboard ones like this. Measure twice, cut once, and you’ll have a slick layout for the interior of your DIY stash box in no time.
Homemade moon rocks
A lot of people will go months without unscrewing the bottom of their grinder, but there’s gold in there!
Well, kief, anyway, which is like gold to some people. For the experienced cannabis consumer on your list, who appreciates something that’ll send them to outer space, a package of homemade moon rocks will do the trick.
Moon rocks are essentially any bud of your liking dipped in a concentrate of your choice, then coated in a dusting of kief. Be warned, moon rock can get you super stoned, but the flavours can be next level.
To make your own moon rocks, you’ll need the following:
- Kief (check your grinder to see what you’ve accumulated)
- Tasty bud of your choosing
- Concentrate or oil
- A dropper
- A pair of tongs
For step-by-step instructions on how to make moon rocks, follow our guide here.
Plant-your-own weed kit
Have a cannabis plant that’s been growing well for you? If you’ve harvested the seeds, you can put together a plant-your-own weed kit for someone on your list.
What you’ll need is minimal:
- A pot
- An envelope for seeds
- Some soil
If you’re feeling extra, you could go as far as sourcing a watering can or some plant steaks for when the baby starts to grow.
Stop by a second-hand store and head to the section stocked with gardening accessories to find a used planter. You might find soil here, too, but craft stores often carry small bags, if you’re in a pinch.
Put your homegrown seeds into a small envelope and label it with the strain, year, and any growing notes, then package everything up in a box and wrap it with some newspaper or another recyclable material you have on hand.
