It would be great to give each of your loved ones something homemade for the holidays, but if DIY is not in your DNA, the next best thing is to give is something crafted by the skilled hands of a true (and increasingly rare) artisan. From adorable Peruvian piggy banks to cool wall planters to elegant tableware made from old wine bottles, there are tons of great green gifts out there to fit everyone on your list. Here are a few of our top picks for handcrafted gifts this season.

HANDCRAFTED GIFTS >

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Post tags: eco christmas, eco friendly presents, eco holiday, eco xmas, eco-friendly gifts, environmentally friendly gifts, environmentally friendly presents, green christmas, green gift guide, green holiday, green holiday gift guide, green presents, green xmas, Inhabitat Green Holiday Gift Guide: Handcrafted Gifts

Stains — they’re one of life’s most annoying little mishaps. If only there was a way to easily get rid of stains without harming your clothes and the environment. While we can’t give you a silver bullet solution for stains, we can offer you some smart advice that will make stain removal much easier, cleaner, and greener — it all comes down to basic chemistry!

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Post tags: eco-friendly stain removal, green cleaning, green design, green laundry, green laundry 101, green laundry product, method laundry competition, natural laundry detergent, natural stain removal methods, sustainable design

Sunny southern California is synonymous with transportation by car, but today as the auto industry struggles, there are large swaths of fallow concrete-covered expanses where car dealerships once thrived. In Glendale, California, a mile-long corridor known as the Brand Boulevard of Cars takes up over 33 acres for the exhibition, storage, and maintenance of new and used cars. Envisioning a better use for this prime real estate, Osborn Architects has a put forth a novel idea that would re-skin and re-purpose this area, essentially creating an urban forest out what is now a desolate wasteland.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", conceptual architecture, conceptual design, eco desing, green architecture, green transit corridor, gren design, piezoelectric skins, sustainable design, sustainable urban design, Urban design, urban design competition, urban forest

Want to green your laundry routine but don’t have the budget to switch out your old dinosaur top-loader for a new high-efficiency purring machine? Fear not – there’s tons of green tips and tricks that you can take advantage of today to save water, conserve energy, and make your clothes last longer. We’ve already brought you the latest machines and technologies that stand to transform your laundry room into an eco-friendly epicenter of green cleaning — now read on for our favorite eco-friendly laundry techniques that will save you a bit of green!

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Post tags: eco friendly laundry, energy efficient laundry, green design, green home tips and tricks, green laundry, laundry techniques, sustainable design, sustainable laundry tips, tips and techniques, water conservation

There really is nothing like the fresh scent of newly washed laundry, so it’s too bad that some of the products we use to get our clothes clean are downright scary. Many detergents are petroleum-based and can contain a whole slew of potentially toxic chemicals and most dryer sheets are made with tallow (or animal fat). While some companies can voluntarily tell consumers what’s in their products, technically they’re not required to do so even if consumers ask. So how do you choose the best eco-friendly laundry products off a shelf that is becoming increasingly laden with new, eco-friendly products? That’s why we’re here to help – check out a few of our favorites!

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Post tags: eco laundry, eco-friendly detergents, eco-friendly fabric care, green laundry, green laundry product, green products, method, mrs. meyers, seventh generation, soap nuts, sustainable laundry

Student-run, student-founded non-profit, the Green Youth Movement (GYM), got in on the LA Fashion Week action by hosting their first fashion show — “The Green Initiative Humanitarian Fashion Show” — at Sunset Gower Studios. The show featured the tantalizing Fall/Winter ’10 collections of three eco-designers; Emily Factor, Lizzie Parker and Puridee. Right before curtain, guest of honor Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa strolled in just in time to make an appearance on stage with GYM founder Ally Maize. Inhabitat was there, along with the Mayor, to admire the new eco-collections that fall has in store for us.

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Post tags: eco friendly fashion, eco sustainable fashion, eco sustainable style, green clothing, green design, green youth movement, LA Fashion Week, sustainable design, Sustainable Fashion, sustainable style

Most people would love it if their laundry rooms could be more efficient and frankly, more attractive – we hate spending time in there, but when we do, we might as well enjoy it, right? Luckily, the world of laundry is evolving and there are an increasing number of options out there to help people create smarter laundry rooms. Read on as we showcase the state of the art in green clothes cleaning!

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Post tags: eco laundry, energy efficient laundering, Green Appliances, green laundry, high efficiency home, high-efficiency appliances, home appliances, new technology for the laundry room, smarter laundry, smarter laundry room, sustainable appliances, sustainable laundry

Inhabitat has long followed the innovative work of prefab pioneer Jennifer Siegal; from country schools to mod beach houses. This time, the Office of Mobile Design has ventured inland to install its latest design, the Prefab Showhouse. Formerly located in Venice, CA where it served as OMD’s showroom for inquisitive clients, the diminutive modular maison was just recently moved from its coastal location to be installed in the desert community of Joshua Tree where it will be the new home to Hollywood film producer Chris Hanley.

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Post tags: mobile mini house, Office of Mobile Design, Prefab Housing, sustainable design

Just in time for spring, Hom, purveyor of stylish, modern, prefab double-wides, furniture, accessories, and lighting, has teamed with eco-friendly LA-based furniture manufacturer Cisco Brothers to announce a new line of sustainable outdoor furniture. Crafted with sustainable materials and environmentally responsible manufacturing techniques, the new line offers up a mix of tables, dining and lounging chairs for California-inspired indoor-outdoor living.

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Post tags: "green furniture", cisco brothers, green design, green furnishings, green industrial design, hom, sustainable design, Sustainable Interiors, Sustainable Materials, Sustainable Outdoor Furniture

For global travelers who can’t survive without their personal electronics, there is now an eco-friendly and convenient solution to minimizing their energy consumption while on the go. iGo, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based company known for their innovative and supremely efficient power management devices, has recently unveiled a new portable eco-friendly charger that literally brings the outlet directly to the traveler. This is just one of a wide range of products that iGo provides to offer conscious consumers smarter, more efficient power management solutions.

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Post tags: eco-charger, green design, green gadget, green gadgets, Greener Gadgets, iGo, power management, power management solutions, smart technology, sustainable design, travel charger

A crowd that included actor/activist Don Cheadle gathered last week to celebrate the completion of the Upward Bound House Family Shelter in Culver City, Los Angeles, what is undeniably one of the prettiest and most cheerful homeless shelters we’ve ever seen. Once the site of a rundown motel with transient tenants, this 18-unit complex received a complete make over by an all-star cast of Los Angeles interior designers. With no budget at all, designers used their creative muscle to transform dark and dreary motel rooms into bright and uplifting spaces for homeless families in need.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", charity design, design for the homeless, green design, green interiors, green renovation, Los Angeles, recycled furniture, social design, social responsibility, sustainable design, Sustainable Homeless Shelter, upward bound house

In a charming Southern lilt, Interface founder and chairman Ray Anderson addressed a private gathering last night in Los Angeles, hosted at the LEED Platinum rated home of LivingHomes founder, Steve Glenn. Known widely as the grandfather of corporate sustainability, Anderson basically gave his rapt audience a progress report on how the proverbial climb up the mountain is going. The overall prognosis? There is still a long way to go.

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Post tags: climate neutral, corporate responsibility, eco design, interface

It’s 2010; the beginning of a new decade of great, green design. Rather than counting the days of their lives like sand through the hourglass, eco-minded inhabitants of today’s urban jungle could soon be watching time pass with these gorgeous, artfully laser-printed time pieces. Each one is hewn on re-born pieces of wood by Los Angeles-based design studio se_earch+resQ.

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Post tags: eco clock, green design, green products, housewares, Los Angeles, S+R_Hummingbird Clock, sustainable design

While the holidays are definitely filled with great joy, year-end festivities can also have a slightly grimmer side. According to the Clean Air Council, an additional 5 million tons of waste is generated during the holidays in the US, four million tons of which is attributable to wrapping paper and shopping bags. If you’re looking for alternatives to tinsel, foil paper, and double-wrapping this year, TapeSwell‘s new holiday tapes offer both a practical and very pretty solution.

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Post tags: green design, green holiday present wrapping, sustainable design, sustainable wrapping paper alternative, TapeSwell, xmas presents

If you like the idea of giving something truly unique this holiday season, then why not choose a handcrafted present made or re-made by the hands of an individual? Etsy and other similar sites like Coriandr and Dawanda in the UK offer an incredible variety of beautifully handcrafted gifts that are sure to please. Admittedly, sifting through all the virtual shops can become an addiction or even an affliction (we know!), but with a bit of luck and patience, you’re sure to find something perfect for everyone on your list. Read on for a few of our top eco-picks!

+ HANDCRAFTED GIFTS

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Post tags: green design, hand made products, handcrafted gifts, handmade presents, holiday shopping, inhabitat green gift guide 2009, sustainable design

The Architectural Foundation of Los Angeles recently announced the winners of the Design Green awards at a recent ceremony hosted by the AIA/LA to recognize outstanding work built or conceived by Los Angeles architects. Citation, Merit, and Honor Awards were given to six projects that ranged in size from residential to corporate, non-profit to civic and educational, with Honor being the highest award. From the diversity of the projects, it’s clear to see that California architects do more than just design green. With each year and innovation, they elevate green, exceeding our expectations of what a green project should be.

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Post tags: "sustainable architecture", architectural foundation of los angeles, design green awards, Green Building, lost angeles

As summer hits its stride many might be opting for the stay-cation this year, but for those adventurous green travelers headed out into the world to do some eco-exploring, we’ve rounded up our top picks for the best eco-hotels and hostels around the world! From high-flying airplane hostels to tranquil eco-lodges to stunning hotels made from reclaimed industrial materials, there’s a world of incredible eco-accomodations out there – read on for our top 5 picks. Happy Travels!

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Post tags: eco hotel, Green Building, green design, hostel, sustainable design, sustainable tourism, sustainable travel

Did you know you can power a clock with dirt? Dutch designer Marieke Staps has figured out a way to grow time, instead of killing it. Her soil-powered bio-clock (is that like a biological clock?), showcased at Dutch Design Week in 2008 and most recently at Dwell on Design‘s Kitchen Ecology Show last week, keeps time by plugging into mud!

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Post tags: dwell on design 2009, eco-friendly kitchen products, Green Home decor, green kitchen design, home goods, kitchen design, kitchen ecology, marieke staps, potted herbs, potted plants, soil clock, soil-powered clock

Pre-built homemakers extraordinaire, Marmol Radziner Prefab were in the news this week once again introducing their newest custom prefab home. High up in the hills above Los Angeles sits the new Hollywood Hybrid, a 2576 sq. ft. sustainable, modern prefab home with killer views and a minimal carbon footprint. Inhabitat went up to the site where the home was being built for a peek.

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Post tags: "prefabricated housing", dwell home collection, hollywood, hollywood hybrid, Los Angeles, marmol radziner, Prefab Housing

Inhabitat is happy to report that Dwell on Design, the west coast’s largest modern design event, featured more smart green design than ever before this year. When we walked the floor yesterday with Dwell Publisher and President Michela O’Connor Abrams (and the carpenter and designer from HGTV’s Carter Can show), it was clear to see that the majority of the companies showcasing their products and services at the three-day festival are paying a great deal more attention to sustainability than in the past. We guestimate that about 80% of the companies there were promoting some kind of green story – in a varying shades, of course. Read on for our highlights from the show!

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Post tags: dwell on design, green design, hgtv, modern design, sustainable design