This is a post by Amy Tan, a Media Team journalist and student at Whitney Young High School.

The holiday season is coming up, which means gift-giving time! You might not be looking forward to standing in long lines at department stores or spending a bunch of money for that present. Well, I’m not particularly excited about that, either.

So for all those people out there who want to give a creative AND environmentally friendly present, here are some quick ideas that you adjust according to your preferences.

Happy Gift-Giving!

1. Cute penguin friends made out of 2 bottom halves of plastic bottles:

Simply tape the two components together and then paint over it however you’d like.

Accessorize with any scarfs, hats, or pom-poms! The sky’s the limit to your imagination! Anyone would love these adorable friends!

2. Grassheads

This gift idea is personally my favorite one because it is so easy and fun to make! All you need is a plastic cup, soil (can be acquired from anywhere), grass seeds (very cheap), and a marker! First, fill the cup with soil and then sprinkle grass seeds into the cup. Make sure to press them gently into the soil. Then, draw a silly face or anything you’d like on the front of the cup. When you give it to your friend, it just looks like a cup of soil, but soon it will grow into a grassy head of hair!

3. Eggshell mosaics

This craft is great for little kids. Have them paint over fragments of eggshells and then paste them on construction or heavy weight paper for an instant masterpiece. You can then give those mosaics to a friend or relative!