For Mother’s Day this year, consider giving a gift that’s good to Mother Earth as well — keep sustainability in mind.
There’s no better place than DC to find these gifts. The Eastern Market, a haven for localites, overflows with colors, produce, and life. Shopping at a local market is inherently sustainable, as the products don’t travel far from producer to consumer. Many of the vendors take sustainability even further, with recycled or used materials. You can find a beautiful, unique gift at the Eastern Market — and be good to the earth too!
Hand-made Artwork
The artwork at Eastern Market is incredibly diverse and beautiful. Some of the bigger pieces might be a bit pricey, but most artists have small, affordable pieces as well that make great gifts.
Tiles and Magnets
Jeannette Landphair makes tiles and magnets from old newspaper clippings. The bathroom tiles have a retro look to them, and could easily be used as coasters. The magnets are signs from San Francisco newspapers, and would make a very entertaining addition to the door of your refrigerator full of produce you just bought from the market.
Mirrors
Antique mirrors that come from the East Coast can be found at the market in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of them are quite old, and some are quite strange. But they are all astoundingly beautiful.
Old magazines, maps, postcards
If you know someone who wants history in their art, you can browse through the multitude of vintage Life magazine covers, posters, maps, and postcards. And as an extra plus, these are much less expensive than the newly made art.
Jewelry
At a stand called “Vintage Bling” you can find boxes upon boxes of old, vintage jewelry. For the treehuggers, there are plenty of butterflies, frogs, and other creatures as pendants and earrings. It doesn’t take a lot of digging here to find some beautiful pieces.
Scarves
“Raices Handcrafts” is a vendor selling hand-made Ecuadorian scarves and jewelry. The owners of this stand travel to Ecuador twice a year to purchase the most beautiful fabric, scarves, and jewelry from local artisans and craftmakers. Take it from a bona fide scarf-lover: these scarves not only warm, they are truly stunning. If you’re preparing for another ‘snowpocalypse’ winter, why not do so with sustainable style?
Household Goods
Handmade pottery, crafted mosaic lanterns, and gorgeous cutting boards from the woods of the Shenandoah. These are just some of the sustainably-made household gifts at the Market.
Homemade Soaps
Handmade just outside of the city, the creator of Peacock Botanicals, Olivia, has been making soaps for over 15 years. The visual beauty of the soap blocks is only surpassed by their aromas. The lavender and oats soap – with real oats in the soap – and the soap called “Remembrance,” with a beautiful color palette, were my favorites. But most intriguing was the “Soup du Jour.” I still don’t know exactly what was in it, but it smelled amazing.
My mother is always happy to receive a simple necklace or flowers, any act of love. But with so many options to choose from at the Eastern Market, you can find something unique and beautiful and still give the gift of meaningful sustainability.
How will you celebrate Mothers’ Day this year?