If your newsfeed looks like mine, there are a whole lot of families announcing pregnancies lately! I heard some people predicting there would be a baby boom after this quarantine, and I think they were right! Since I know there are going to be a lot of upcoming baby shower invitations for many of us, I thought I would put together a roundup of my top 20 favorite Fair Trade & Ethical non-clothing gift ideas for baby showers! I wanted to include clothing items as well, but my list was getting too long, so I will be doing a follow-up post in the future.
I don’t have any babies of my own, but I have 2 nieces, and would have LOVED to grab all of these cute things for them back when they were born! Maybe my sister will have some more babies and I’ll get another chance. 😉 As someone who is fascinated by and loves learning about other cultures, I think kids should start being exposed to things from other countries as soon as possible! Toys and other things that are authentic or even inspired are a great way to have natural teaching moments! My nieces are half-Honduran, so I’m always trying to talk to them about Honduras when I’m video chatting with them. Although I think hand-me-downs are a great idea to reduce waste, not everyone is into that, so why not gift a brand new, Fair Trade product that helps mamas provide for their babies all over the world!
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My Top 20 Fair Trade & Ethical Baby Shower Gift Finds for 2020
Trades of Hope
Safari Friends
This stuffed animal set of 3 is made in India, and it’s one of our top sellers! I LOVE the designs on each of them, and you could for sure break the set up and gift them individually to multiple babies!
Shop Here
Tulum The Dragon & Tula the Unicorn
These two would look great in a Fantasy/princess themed Nursery! I’ve seen a lot of Rainbow Baby mamas swooning over them as well!
Tula the Unicorn and Tulum the Dragon are fair-trade fun at its best! Handcrafted by Artisans in Mexico, these whimsical creatures are bringing hope to families in areas of extreme poverty. Named after one of Mexico’s ancient cities where many of their Artisan techniques originated, Tula & Tulum are the perfect blend of Artisan tradition and eco-friendly design with hand-stitched multi-color cotton yarn and upcycled wool.
Trades of Hope Website
Grab Tulum Here & Tula Here
Naupaka
Organic Cloud & Rainbow Teethers
I love the look of these teethers! They’re so natural & bohemian. The wood is super smooth organic beechwood, and the cord is also 100% organic cotton! They’re made by moms in California that have been through the teething trenches!
Use the code TAWNYAUSTIN for 10% off your order!
Grab the Cloud Teether here & the Rainbow Teether here.
Made Trade
Pebble Organic Knitted Dino & Snake Rattle, Stripey Bunny
Each Pebble baby rattle, hat, blanket, and children’s toy is ethically and sustainably produced in Bangladesh with natural materials like organic cotton. The organic cotton is spun by Pebble’s women artisans into yarn and then hand-knitted and crocheted into everything from a friendly plush bunny to a smiling cupcake. All Pebble products are made without the use of electricity reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Pebble provides dignified work in safe working conditions and fair living wages to the more than 12,000 women artisans employed across 120 rural villages in Bangladesh. Pebble is a woman-owned company, is Fair Trade certified by the World Fair Trade Organization and is a member of Fair Trade Federation.
Made Trade Website
Shop the Dino here, Snake here, and Bunny here.
Ekobo Recycled Bamboo Feeding Set
Ekobo’s exceptionally durable, eco-friendly bamboo fiber tableware is a pretty incredible feat of engineering. Each piece of Ekobo’s tableware is made from raw organic bamboo sawdust — a bi-product of China’s chopstick and flooring industry. The sawdust is collected and finely ground into a powder which, when mixed with a food-safe and non-toxic melamine binding resin, is transformed into Ekobo’s super strong BIOBU bamboo material. Each piece is made responsibly in China where workers receive fair, living wages and work in safe conditions that adhere to fair trade standards.
Made Trade Website
Shop the Bamboo Set Here.
Papillon Marketplace
Haitian Mother Daughter Dolls & Anne Marie Doll
I saw these dolls while I was visiting Haiti, and thought they would be the perfect gift for little girls! Since they’re soft they’ll work for a baby to start snuggling and playing with! These dolls are hand-sewn with love by artisans in Haiti, and provide jobs for 4-5 artisans. There are other dolls on the site, but these 2 stuck out to me! It’s so sweet that the Anne Marie Doll has her story on the website:
I live on Haiti’s largest island, La Gonave. My favorite thing to do is watch the dolphins while I wait for my dad to finish his day of work snorkeling for crab and conch in the clear blue sea. Before sunset, we walk home to our house on the beach that my family built with wood and palms for the roof. I am happy you are my new friend!
Papillon Website
Shop the Mother Daughter Dolls Here & Anne Marie Doll Here
Globein
Giraffe Bank
This would be a great thing to keep a savings fund in for the baby! Would look cute in a safari-themed nursery. Made in India.
Rainbow Pillow
I thought this pillow would be perfect for rainbow babies, and the neutral colors would look great in the crib or on the rocking chair. Made in Kenya.
Tununi Seed Rattle
This little rattle is made in Peru and caught my eye! Based on the reviews on the site, the noise from the seeds isn’t annoying.
Make a Wish Box
This box is more for new years or birthdays, but I thought a box where the baby shower guests can leave wishes for mama and baby would be a cute idea! It’s small & simple enough that it could sit in the nursery year round. It would be sweet if mama opened it around their first birthday & then brought it out for every upcoming birthday party. Just my thoughts. 🙂 Made in India.
Grab the Giraffe here, Rainbow Pillow here, Tununi Seed Rattle here, and Make a Wish Box here.
Ten Thousand Villages
Recycled Sari Bandana Bibs & Blanket
I swoon over anything recycled Sari. You’ll get different designs every time you order, which makes it like a fun surprise! The designs look like they could be unisex for the most part.
All saris are lovingly laundered, then hand-stitched by the women makers of Prokritee, creating bright futures for moms and babies in villages across Bangladesh. These bibs feature adjustable snaps and a terry cloth backing for absorbency.
Ten Thousand Villages Website
Market Fruit Finger Puppets
Although baby won’t be able to use these for a while, they would be great for playing with Baby! I also loved learning about how eco-friendly these are made :
The Market Fruit Finger Puppets make for a sweet handcrafted toy. These finger puppets are handmade by artisans working with the Association for Craft Producers in Kathmandu, at the foot of the Himalayas. The felt used to make this finger puppet is dyed using AZO–free dyes. The workshop is incorporating innovative processes to protect the environment. Their office runs partially off solar power, and they have reduced their fuel consumption by fifty percent. Their office has a rainwater catchment system. The rainwater is reused in the felting process.
Ten Thousand Villages Website
Woven Palm Leaf Moses Basket
You know I couldn’t leave out a Moses Basket. Made in Bangladesh, they even have some of that upcycled Sari on the inside. These baskets are all over Instagram and Pinterest, they’re a bohemian mama’s dream. It’s the priciest item on my list, but what mama doesn’t want one of these?! She’ll LOVE it!
Elephant Puzzle Box
I thought this puzzle box was super cute because it looks like a pregnant Elephant mama and her baby! It’ll look great in the nursery as a decor item, and then when baby is older he/she can play with the puzzle! There is space on the inside to hide small treasures as well. Made in India.
The Elephant Puzzle Box makes sure you won’t forget where you hid your secret treasures. Mother and baby elephants, hand-carved from shesham wood, cuddle together to conceal a compartment for your precious possessions. Meaning “hope” in Sanskrit, Asha Handicrafts is an Indian fair trade organization that has been working to promote the social and economic development of artisans throughout India for more than 40 years. Asha works with more than 50 producer groups and more than 1,200 makers across India, including skilled artisans in Sarahanpur, the center of traditional woodworking in India.
Ten Thousand Villages Website
Shop the Bandana Bibs here, Blanket here, Moses Basket here, Fruit Puppets here and Elephant Puzzle Box here.
Symbology
Zeki Learning Small Dinosaur
Last but not least, this little dinosaur would be perfect for baby as he/she is learning about different textiles! It’s only $10 as well! Made in India.
Grab the Dinosaur here.
There you have it! Those are all of my top picks! Now I’m looking forward to my next Baby Shower invite! I hope this post helps make your shopping easier, and of course more ethical!
Which pieces are your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
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Pin this for later, and if you’re a pregnant (or soon to be pregnant) mama, share it with your friends & family so they know what you would like at your Baby Shower!
Awesome article and well written . I appreciate your article. will share it on my social pages.