My family was ahead of the eco-friendly trend when it came to wrapping paper. In the 80s, we wrapped the lids and bottoms of boxes separately with our favorite paper, allowing us to re-use year after year with just a fresh ribbon (and sometimes even a reused one!) In the 90s, we made or purchased fabric gift bags with drawstring ribbons that allow for easy access. Not only are these ideas simple and reduce wrapping waste and stress, but they have also become beloved holiday memories themselves: who will receive the Snoopy box or the snowman bag this year? You can even hold a craft-party with friends and family to make your boxes and bags out of scraps from your other projects!

Here's another great holiday idea that holds up year-round:

Imagine Christmas without having to locate, haul, water, clean up after and dispose of an evergreen tree, but still bringing a bit of nature into your home for the holidays. Architect Richard Babcock designed a gorgeous handmade wooden tree with these features in mind.

Richard was tired of dropping needles and sticky sap, so he used his skills to design natural wood trees that make a beautiful, modern backdrop for ornaments that can be used year after year. The Babcock family displayed a possibiliTree in their home for years, and after Richard passed in 2006, the family honored his legacy by forming a business, headed by his daughter Pat Babcock Sorenson.

Each unique, handmade possibiliTree has variations in wood grain and color. It's easy to set up and store, though imagine the décor options if you leave it up year round as a backdrop to a crystal pendant collection, birdhouses, or outdoor seasonal finds. The trees, available in birch, walnut and wild cherry wood, are made in Minnesota and use reclaimed or deadfall materials whenever possible. They come in 2 and 3-ft tabletop sizes starting at $160, and the 6-ft suspended version is already sold-out for 2009 through their online site www.possibilitree.com, although you might be able to find one at Eclectic Goat if you get to a store in Minnesota quick.

It's time to put sustainability at the heart of the holidays.