(Hey, pssst! Mention the secret password listed on the Facebook invite to get 20% off everything in the store during the party!)

Corinne at the GX SF fair trade store snuggling with one her faves; handstitched floral pillows from India.

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store Staff Picks
To help our socially responsible guests shop the party, I asked the San Francisco store staff to share some of their gift suggestions. Here’s what Anna, Corinne, Jocelyn and the rest of the SF Store folks came up with:

DAD: A new wallet for his back pocket, handmade to last from recycled big rig tires in El Salvador. Slip in a picture of yourself for that personal touch.
MOM: Wrap her up in a 100% cotton handloom scarf from Guatemala or colorful cruelty free silk scarf handmade in India….all artisan-made by women for women.

BROTHER: O brother where art though messenger bag? Right here, our recycled tire messenger bags from El Salvador and alpaca knit hat & gloves handmade in Bolivia are perfect for city street cruising or outdoor adventuring!

SISTER: Alpaca knit fingerless gloves are practical and high fashion. Match them with some cotton threaded bangle bracelets in your sister’s favorite colors.

BABY/KIDS: Alpaca knit ponchos and glittens (not a misspelling, glittens is just a fancy way to describe those hip glove/mitten combos.) They come in a wide range of sizes (including baby sizes!) to keep younguns toasty warm and ready for winter.

HOST/HOSTESS: Fair Trade Organic Olive Oil from Palestine. Tasty & practical, this gift will delight any party thrower this season. Paired with a set of Olivewood salad servers hand carved in Kenya, even better!

CO-WORKER: Fair Trade coffee & tea paired with a beautiful mug hand painted in Tunisia is a practical gift for the home or office. Tie it up with an ornament made from recycled magazine paper for that extra special touch.

BOSS: Let’s build her or him a gift basket! Lavender eye pillows handmade by a women’s cooperative in San Francisco, a beeswax candle hand dipped in Washington State, soap and soothing vetiver root sachets from Bali make a wonderful combination.

BOYFRIEND/HUSBAND/PARTNER: Picture frames handmade from tightly wound recycled magazine paper in Vietnam make for a thoughtful and unique gift.  Our frames made from sustainably harvested wood in India are also a good bet. Include a personal photo and you’ve got a smile inducing gift on your hands.

GIRLFRIEND/WIFE/PARTNER: Jewelry! Jewelry! Jewelry! Earrings made from found butterfly wings in Peru, traditional gemstones from Bali, and innovation in upcycled plastics turned into fine modern jewelry designs meet any woman’s style needs!

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Let’s Party!!!

Anna modeling one of her staff picks, an alpaca wrap handmade in the highlands of Bolivia

Hope to see you at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store Holiday Party on December 15th in Berkeley, DC or San Francisco. Remember to check out the Facebook invite to RSVP and find out the secret password so you can get your 20% OFF!

For that special woman in your life…

Butterfly jewelry! Real butterfly wings are encased in sterling silver to make this eye-catching, unique jewelry. Made in Peru, the butterfly wings are collected from naturally deceased butterflies, which are raised in a species rehabilitation center.

Scarves! We have cotton scarves, organic cotton scarves, 100% silk scarves, cotton-silk blended scarves, alpaca wool scarves, scarves with hoods… the list goes on! Whether you’re shopping for someone 16 or 65, a scarf is a  gift that’s both practical and beautiful!

More Ideas:

Le Souk Dishware

Tablecloth/Napkin Sets

For that special man in your life…

Recycled Inner Tube Wallet! We all know someone with a wallet issue. Credit cards and cash constantly falling out, maybe a rubber band or two holding it all together. Making someone’s wallet woes a bit easier with a new (recycled) wallet! Made out of recycled truck inner tubes tires in El Salvador, this wallet is vegan and functional!

Hand Made Scissors! Hand made by a family India who has been making scissors for generations, these scissors are actually used by the Indian tailors who make some of Global Exchange’s Fair Trade tablecloths! The hand-forged carbonized steel blades and brass handles are durable, and each pair is even signed by its maker!

More Ideas:

Recycled Magazine Frames

For your teen daughter/son/niece/nephew…

Alpaca Winterwear! Fingerless gloves, beanies, scarves, berets! All 100% alpaca wool! And, when you buy 3 of any alpaca wool gift item, you’ll get one free gift!

Tagua Jewelry! Lightweight, affordable, colorful and eco-friendly, jewelry made out of Tagua Seeds are an excellent choice for any teenage girl.

For your co-worker…

Tea Infuser Mug with Rishi Tea! Made in Vietnam, these tea mugs have their own tea infuser for loose-leaf tea! You no longer need tea strainers or bags with this dishwasher and microwave-safe mug! Complete the gift with loose-leaf tea, also available at Global Exchange Stores.

Palestinian Olive Oil! Made from hand-picked, tree-ripened organic olives, this olive oil has a rich taste traditional to Palestinian olive oil, and comes in a variety of flavors. Choose between Rumi Tree or Nabali Tree Olive Oils if you’re looking for something more conventional, or try the garlic, pepper, or chili-infused olive oil!

For someone who has everything…

Recycled Bike Chain Coat Hooks! (Pictured at top) Hand crafted in Moradabad, India, these post-industrial bike chains have been recycled into creative coat hooks! Be sure to also check out the Recycled Bike Chain Picture Frames, available at San Francisco’s Global Exchange Store in Noe Valley (map).

Pumice Feet! Carved out of volcanic rock in Indonesia, these Pumice Feet are a perfect gift for everyone who loves pampering themselves! Lightweight and affordable, mix and match Pumice Feet with soaps, vetiver sachets or fleece-lined booties for a thoughtfully put-together gift!

Need more ideas?

Come into your local Global Exchange Fair Trade Store and we will help you find the perfect Fair Trade gift for everyone on your holiday gift list!

The value of shopping Fair Trade extends beyond supporting artisans – every recipient of a Fair Trade gift must ask the question, what is Fair Trade?  By educating others about Fair Trade, you are extending a message of conscientious consumption. Giving a gift that is hand-made, sustainably-produced, and socially-empowering  (instead of mass-produced, environmentally-degrading, and socially-destructive) will allow others to learn why Fair Trade is important.

Stop in your local Global Exchange Fair Trade Store and check out the Online Store for hundreds of beautifully crafted gifts for everyone on your holiday list!

A few ideas…

Fair Trade Ornaments!

These recycled magazine ornaments are a perfect touch of color to any Christmas Tree! Fashioned out of long strips of recycled magazines, the ornaments are soaked in glue, dried, and then assembled piece by piece into the desired shape. Made in Vietnam, these recycled magazine ornaments are part of a social program in Ho Chi Minh City, aimed at helping street children, generating income for the poor, and promoting self-reliance for disadvantaged families and people of ethnic minorities.

Fair Trade Hats, Scarves, and Gloves!

Warm winter wear is surely the classic holiday gift. Perfect for everyone on your holiday list, you can’t go wrong with Alpaca wool, knit into beanies, fingerless gloves, earwarmers, berets, scarves, mittens, … the list goes on! Andes Gifts, a Fair Trade Federation Member, represents over 20 knitting cooperatives and 40 family-based knitting groups in the highlands of Bolivia and Peru. With limited employment opportunities in the area, Andes Gifts provides Aymara and Quechua women with free knitting instruction, computer and bookkeeping skills, and product design and development within their own communities!

Tagua Seed Jewelry!

Tagua seeds come from the Tagua Palm Tree, which grows in the rain forests between Colombia and Ecuador. Also known as eco “ivory” because of it’s strength, beauty, and adaptable qualities, the tagua seed is a renewable resource that is harvested sustainably. The seeds are dyed with natural dyes and crafted into necklaces, braces, and rings, or sliced into thin, flat pieces for earrings. The Vermont-based mother-daughter company Belart produces incredible Fair Trade tagua seed jewelry from Colombia while aiding many grassroots efforts in the region; for example, Belart supports the preservation of elephants, tropical rain forests, and indigenous cultures, as well as supporting groups who have been displaced by Colombia’s civil war.

As consumers, we must consider the impact of our purchases, which is especially relevant during the holidays. This holiday season, make the choice to consume ethically and give Fair Trade gifts.

Be sure to check out the Fair Trade Federation’s holiday gift guide, with a different Fair Trade gift idea every day!

Well, this year we’ve taken it a few steps further and have partnered with some incredible Fair Trade advocates nationwide to make it easier to shop Fair Trade while helping you save money along the way by offering exclusive Fair Trade discounts.

Announcing the Give Fair Trade Campaign!

Step one. Take the Fair Trade Holiday Gift Pledge and make your commitment to increase awareness about Fair Trade to your community and shop Fair Trade this holiday season.

Step two. Register your pledge, so we can keep track of how many people are taking the challenge.

Step three. Head over to the Give Fair Trade campaign blog and find out about the daily featured Fair Trade gift and special offers, as well as moving stories behind the item’s producers. These features will run from November 15th to December 20th and are available exclusively to Fair Traders like yourself.

And why should you take the Give Fair Trade pledge? Well…

• Each gift empowers farmers and artisans with dignified work, and adequate incomes to access nutrition, health care, education, etc for their families
• If all of us Give Fair Trade this year, our collective purchasing power will have an enormous impact on lifting families out of poverty
• Great Fair Trade gifts are available for everyone on your list, both kids and adults (even coworker/corporate gifts, like bags of Fair Trade coffee)
• Giving Fair Trade gifts is an easy way to shift some of your purchasing to Fair Trade.
• You will educate the person receiving the gift about Fair Trade.
• Make holiday shopping a breeze…walk into a Fair Trade shop (or online store) with your holiday shopping list and walk out with your holiday shopping complete (and maybe wrapped)!

Take the pledge and get involved with the Give Fair Trade campaign this year! For an easy way to get those daily deal doses, follow @GiveFairTrade on twitter. Also, spread the word of the campaign to your friends, colleagues and community by passing out flyers.

A special thanks to the Give Fair Trade campaign organizers, Equal Exchange, Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade LA, Fair Trade Resource Network, Fair Trade Towns, Fair Trade USA, Global Exchange, Green America, NY State Labor-Religion Coalition, Oasis, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church-General Board on Church and Society, United Methodist Committee on Relief and additional partners, DC Fair Trade Network & Milwaukee Fair Trade Coalition.