Nothing beats the festive feeling of walking around a Christmas market. Sadly, that can’t happen this year so we’ve put together our very own virtual midwinter market instead. You can take your time browsing with a mulled wine and mince pie, plus support small businesses and ethical producers while shopping online. Made with care, these sustainably sourced presents can be loved and used for a long time. Look out for our ethical gift wrap guide too, coming soon. 

Comforting treats 

ARTHOUSEUnlimited sell deliciously-flavoured chocolate and gorgeous self-care packages you can custom build. Adorned with beautiful imagery, each purchase helps support this arts charity.   

Homegrown berries and foraged wild botanicals are some of the special ingredients in Green Heart Kitchen’s handmade raw chocolate truffles. Send a gift box direct, with a personalised message. 

Perfect for frosty days, cosy up with a sheepskin hot water bottle or toasty mittens from The Dartmoor Shepherd. For an heirloom item, Melin Tregwynt woollen blankets are a real treasure, designed and woven in Wales using traditional skills. 

Another fireside treat and winter warmer, The Craft Whisky Club is a great subscription to receive – a full size, bi-monthly bottle of craft whisky together with expertly tailored food pairings. 

For relaxing 

For indulgent beauty and grooming products Wolf&Badger are an easy one-stop website for ethical shoppers with a keen eye for contemporary design.  

Hammam towels are luxurious to use at home, or great for outdoor swimming as they are light and dry quickly. Kin&Kloth stock a great range of organic cotton ones. 

Christmas means candles, but ditch synthetic scents and paraffin wax. Try a soya candle instead, with a warm glow and natural fragrances, like these from The Kind Store.  

If they love a good read, bookshop.org supports local bookshops and small sellers with every purchase. Magazine subscriptions are also a lovely idea (and can supplement your weekly dose of Wicked Leeks!). The Happy Newspaper, Positive News, Idler, and Ethical Consumer are our favourites. 

For some green wellbeing, send a lush houseplant or terrarium to their door. Beards&Daisies do gorgeous gifts including the intriguing Norfolk island pine, a tropical houseplant that looks like a mini Christmas tree 

For the kitchen 

Labour & Wait kitchenware is utilitarian, chic, and designed to last. They also have everything from storm kettles to a sourdough kit including a chunk of sourdough starter called Mildred.  

Another popular ferment is kefir –  for those keen to give something new a go, this organic kefir starter kit has all the instructions to make your own zero waste organic healthy probiotic drink.  

Lunchboxes, thermos flasks and water bottles are good options as we’ll be doing a lot more outdoor meetups with friends. Try Peace with the wild, an ethical store with all the kit for winter picnics.  

If you prefer a more decorative look, artist Lou Tonkin makes exquisite homewares including traditional tin mugs, printed with nature and hedgerow inspired designs.  

For nature enthusiasts 

Wonderful veg inspired prints adorn this beautiful calendar 'Growing Through the Seasons', made by Sharpham Trust head gardener Bryony Middleton along with her artist sister Isla. Each month offers advice and practical growing tips help you plan the year from seed to harvest. 

Meadow in my garden specialise in wildflowers, and purchases from their online shop help make your garden a nature haven while supporting the creation of UK wide wildlife friendly planting schemes. 

For bird-lovers, a robin care pack provides our favourite winter bird with a cosy nesting space and food, whilst an RSPB swallow nesting cup will encourage this elegant summer visitor to make a home under your eaves. 

Give endangered hedgehogs a helping hand too by gifting a hedgehog home – Ark Wildlife have starter sets to get a ‘hogitat’ up and running straight away.  

For crafty folks 

Spoon carving is a satisfying skill; a tool roll containing all you need to get started is the perfect present for someone crafty. Try Beavercraft and The Bushcraft Store for great kits. 

For some textile based DIY boho chic, Wool Couture stock a wide range of contemporary macramé kits from beginner to advanced.  

Merchant & Mills have a wide range of sewing kits, books and fabrics – their oilskin bag kit would be great for a confident crafter.  

For the more ambitious, this build your own dome kit from the Eden Project requires some materials gathering and design flair, but can become anything from a den to a chicken run, sun room, planetarium or even greenhouse!  

For little ones  

Myriad are a treasure trove of natural toys for early childhood which encourage imaginative play. Good Things and Conscious Crafts also handily show gifts by age category from babies to teens.  

Inspire a love of nature with a Mud and bloom subscription box, full of things to grow and do. Outdoor games improve confidence and coordination; Soren’s house has modern, natural design toys from play tents to wooden balance boards.  

For clothes to cherish, Small Folk have beautifully soft organic garments in earth tones. Little drop in the ocean  are based in Yorkshire and use 100 per cent organic cotton handprinted with planet friendly inks for their handmade baby clothes. 

Finished shopping? Read our guide to ethical gift wrap for the full package.