Whether you’re planning for an upcoming wedding, prom, gala, or any other special occasion, these ethical and sustainable formal dresses will be just the fit.

A lot of formalwear is made from irresponsibly sourced silk or polyester and is worn just once. It’s time to turn that around!

This guide will share sustainable formal dress options that have frocks you can rock to weddings, dances, galas, concerts, or any other event you have coming up.

How to Find Sustainable Formal Dresses

The most sustainable garment is the one already in your closet!

Do you have a special occasion dress or piece of formalwear that could fit the bill? While wearing an outfit only once to an event has unfortunately become the norm with social media, we can help counteract the culture by normalizing outfit repeating to special occassions again!

Another sustainable option is to make the most of what already exists by borrowing from a friend or family member or swapping with someone you know has a formal dress. This is something my friends and I did for high school dances like homecoming and prom. A friend’s Junior Prom dress became my Senior Prom dress the next year!

If there’s no one with your style and size, you can also expand your search of formalwear by browsing online resale platforms. Vestiaire Collective has a fabulous selection of dresses from designer brands for great prices, as does The RealReal. I’ve used The RealReal site to purchase dresses for weddings and other occassions.

If you just need a special occasion dress for one event, consider rental sites like Rent the Runway that offer affordable ways to get formalwear for a limited time.

If none of these options are available to you or you really feel ready to invest in an extra-special garment that you can wear for years to come, keep scrolling for our list of brands with sustainable and ethical formal dresses.

Brands With Sustainable Formalwear & Special Occasion Dresses

These brands have party-perfect minis, chic cocktail dresses, elegant evening gowns, and even pieces that would make for fabulous sustainable prom dresses!

Note that this guide contains partners and affiliate links. As always, all brands meet rigorous standards for sustainability and are brands we truly love — and that we think you’ll love too!

(You might also want to check out this guide for sustainable wedding dresses or this guide for more causal eco-friendly dresses.)

1. Rare & Fair

With elegant draping and feminine detailing, Rare & Fair’s dreamy dresses are certainly eye-catching — and the story behind each piece makes them all the more beautiful. Rare & Fair partners with artisans in Thailand, working closely with village co-operatives and small family businesses. The conscious UK-based brand sources sustainably-grown cotton from small-scale farmers following ancestral agricultural practices and small-scale silk sourced from communities in Thailand using traditional methods.

Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Traditional Fibers, Local Plant-Based Dyes, Craft Preservation, Ethical Production

Size Range: XS-L

Price Range: £££ / $$$

Browse Rare & Fair

2. Christy Dawn

Christy Dawn’s dresses are vintage-inspired but totally timeless. Their feminine frocks can be worn as house dresses or semi-formal wear to weddings, bridal showers, baptisms, or other not-quite black-tie occasions. Their dresses are either made from reclaimed fabrics ethically in Los Angeles or from regenerative organic cotton that is sourced in partnership with a small collective in India.

You’ll also find sustainable special occasion dresses from Christy Dawn made with regenerative silk, like the dress pictured here!

Conscious Qualities: Reclaimed or Regenerative Fabrics, Ethical Production

Size Range: XS-3XL (extended sizing collection)

Price Range: $$$

Browse Christy Dawn

3. Reformation

Reformation is a leader on sustainability among larger fashion brands, between their climate positive roadmap and better material sourcing (including recycled cotton, TENCEL Lyocell, and regenerative fabrics) to their supply chain transparency, limited production model, and circularity practices.

And the brand is making it easy to shop for sustainable special occasion dresses with their selection features like “Going Out Dresses” and “Wedding Guest Dresses”.

Conscious Qualities: Lower Impact Materials, Responsible Production Practices, Decarbonization Initiatives

Size Range: 0 – 12

Price Range: $$ – $$$

Browse Reformation

4. Bastet Noir

Making each piece to order using upcycled materials, Bastet Noir is a zero-waste fashion label. The brand’s sustainable formal dresses and other elegant apparel — including silk jumpsuits — are made by women in North Macedonia. 100% of Bastet Noir’s profits are reinvested into the women’s businesses and their children’s education.

Conscious Qualities: Repurposed Materials, Made-to-Order, Gives Back

Size Range: 4-10 + custom sizes

Price Range: $

Browse Bastet Noir

5. AMUR

Standing for A Mindful Use of Resources, AMUR uses earth-minded fabrics including hemp, linen, cupro (a silky fiber made from cotton linter, a byproduct of cotton production), modal, and recycled polyester. AMUR has some seriously stunning gowns that would make for great sustainable prom dresses or black tie-dress code outfits. AMUR could use more information on their labor standards and production practices though.

Conscious Qualities: Earth-Minded Fabrics

Size Range: XXS-XL

Price Range: $$$$

Browse AMUR

6. BAACAL

Frustrated that brands often stop their size range at 12 despite the average American woman wearing size 16, BAACAL creates conscious clothing for the “true majority”: women who wear sizes 10-22. The plus-size sustainable fashion brand uses upcycled, vintage, and other existing materials for their collections.

Conscious Qualities: Upcycled Fabrics, Small-Batch Collections, Size-Inclusive

Size Range: 10-22 (unique sizing system of 1-4)

Price Range: $$$

Browse BAACAL

7. Symbology

Symbology partners with women artisans who handcraft beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces. These artisans use traditional techniques such as block printing and hand-embroidery and are all paid living wages. The fair fashion label has striking dresses made with flattering silhouettes and many styles are offered up to size 3XL.

Conscious Qualities: Cultural Preservation, Fair Trade

Size Range: XS-3XL

Price Range: $$

Browse Symbology

8. Lahive

Bold and unique, Lahive’s stand-out dresses and other ethical formal wear will make a statement at cocktail hour or a night out downtown. The LA-based brand produces their luxe, textural pieces in small batches using upcycled materials in a factory run by solar power.

Conscious Qualities: Upcycled Fabrics, Renewable Energy, Local Production

Size Range: XS-XL

Price Range: $$$

Browse Lahive @ ourCommonplace

9. Hope for Flowers

Hope for Flowers was founded on three guiding principles: the health of people, health of the planet, and equity in profit. The brand uses thoughtfully considered materials for their ethical formal dresses and other apparel like organic cotton, organic linen, and Tencel. Hope for Flowers also sources only from factories that pay living wages and ensure safe conditions.

Conscious Qualities: Black Woman-Owned, Organic & Eco Fabrics, Ethically-Made

Size Range: XS-L

Browse Hope for Flowers

10. Cécile de Fleur

Elegant, sophisticated, and designed with sustainability in mind, Cécile de Fleur’s eco-friendly wedding dresses are designed to be worn again and again. [Check out our guide to sustainable wedding dresses here.]

The brand’s chic dresses are crafted in New York City using cruelty-free peace silk and intricate French leavers lace, and are colored with GOTS-certified dyes.

Conscious Qualities: Peace Silk, Eco Dyes & Packaging, Local Production, WOC-Owned

Size Range: 0 – 12

Price Range: $$$$

Browse Cécile de Fleur

You May Also Want to Check Out:

Eco-Friendly, Ethical, and Vegan Bags

Brands with Elegant Ethically-Made Flats

Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day

The post 10 Sustainable Formal Dresses to Rock At Your Upcoming Special Occasions appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.

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The ethical and sustainable furniture companies featured below offer everything from sustainable office chairs and desks to bed frames and storage furniture (with a whole lot in between)!

I’ve curated this selection of ethical and environmentally friendly furniture companies to bring you everything you’d need to furnish your space consciously, whether you need sustainable bedroom furniture, living room furniture, dining room furniture, or outdoor furniture.

This is your ultimate guide to finding the very best in sustainable furniture.

Note that this guide does include affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you choose to purchase via these links at no additional cost to you. As always, brands we curate meet strict standards for sustainability and design, and are brands we love that we think you’ll love too.

What is Sustainable Furniture Anyway?

Just as with anything with the word sustainable in front of it: there’s a lot to consider when it comes to sustainable furniture! Below is a list of elements to get started with.

Secondhand Furniture

The most sustainable furniture is the furniture that already exists! Shopping for used furniture prevents that piece from being landfilled and reduces the need to produce new furniture. Looking secondhand is also a way to get affordable sustainable furniture.

I shop for secondhand furniture quite a bit so I have an entire guide to the best places to buy and sell used furniture if this is something you’re interested in. You might also enjoy listening to my podcast episode with secondhand interior designer Nina Verduin.

Some easy options to get started with our Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, OfferUp, or Buy Nothing Groups on Facebook. Local furniture resale shops, garage sales, and estate sales are also good options if you have a bit more flexibility in what you’re looking for and would rather shop in person.

Personally I’ve had the best luck with Facebook Marketplace and secondarily with estate sales. Or even grabbing a few furniture pieces I couldn’t believe my fellow apartment dwellers were dumping out!

For more curated selections of secondhand furniture, this is what I’d suggest after an embarrassing amount of hours spent browsing furniture resale marketplaces!

AptDeco

AptDeco is a mecca for buying and re-selling furniture in nearly every category from various brands—including West Elm, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. There’s also often quite a few beautiful vintage furniture available on the site.

Chairish

Chairish is an online destination to sell and buy used furniture, mostly vintage furniture. The secondhand furniture site has a massive collection of furniture in every category, no matter how specific, that you may be looking for. However, it tends to be more expensive than other secondhand marketplaces since they have more of a focus on vintage furniture, including some collectible or high-demand items.

Eco-Friendly Furniture Materials

Below is a list of eco-friendly furniture materials that a sustainable furniture company might use:

• Reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood (look for labels like FSC-Certified)
• Recycled steel or recycled aluminum for metal furniture
• Natural fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, and linen or recycled fabrics for upholstery
• Natural Dunlop latex, Talalay latex, or CertiPUR-US® certified foam
• Recycled or natural fiber fills for pillows and cushions
• Low to zero-VOC finishes and stains, such as linseed oil

Interested in non-toxic furniture specifically? Check out our Non-Toxic Furniture Brands Guide.

You’ll see a few certifications throughout this guide. Here’s what each one actually covers:

• FSC Certified = the wood sourcing was responsibly managed (not a finish, foam, or textile guarantee)
• GOTS Certified = the fabric meets strict organic and safety standards, including labor protections throughout the supply chain (a textile-specific certification, not a wood or foam guarantee)
• GOLS Certified = verifies that latex foam is made from certified organic latex, meeting strict environmental and safety standards throughout production (a latex-specific certification)
• CertiPUR-US® = the foam is made without ozone depleters, PBDE flame retardants, mercury, lead, or formaldehyde, and meets low VOC emission standards (a synthetic foam certification, not a claim that the foam is natural or organic)
• GREENGUARD / GREENGUARD Gold Certified = the finished product was tested for low chemical emissions, with Gold representing the stricter tier
• MADE SAFE® = one of the more comprehensive certifications available, screening against a list of thousands of chemicals known or suspected to harm human health; assessed at the product level, though it’s still worth checking which specific products a brand has certified rather than assuming it covers their entire catalog

Responsible and Locally-Made Furniture

An ethical furniture company should be considering their workers, ensuring safe conditions and fair wages.

Ideally, the brand would produce their furniture domestically to minimize emissions and increase transparency of their supply chain. Some of the furniture brands in this guide even own their own manufacturing facility, which is a major bonus!

Since I am based in the US, a lot of the brands in this guide are USA Made furniture companies.

Check the furniture company’s About or Sustainability pages to see if they include any information about the factories they source from or the craftspeople and furniture artisans that they partner with to produce their pieces.

Other Sustainability Efforts

In addition to environmentally-friendly materials and fair production standards, sustainable furniture brands likely have several other sustainability initaitives.

These might include:

• A take-back, resale program, or secondhand marketplace
• A repair program or ability to buy replacement components
• Reforestation projects that replenish forests beyond the trees sourced for their furniture
• Donation initiatives to environmental or social justice organizations

The Best Sustainable Furniture Companies

I know that there is a lot to sort through when it comes to sustainable furniture, so my goal is to make that search easier.

Below are my top picks for sustainable furniture stores, environmentally friendly furniture companies, and secondhand furniture marketplaces that are doing things better.

That might mean they are sourcing eco-friendly materials, using safer finishes and fabrics, producing locally and ethically, considering the full lifecycle of their products, or all of the above!

For more on what we consider “sustainable furniture” scroll down to the bottom below the brands!

1. Urban Natural

Best for: finding all of your furniture and decor in one place

Responsible furniture retailer Urban Natural curates a variety of furniture brands that meet at least three of their five sustainable sourcing criterion: Ethically Sourced, Handcrafted, Organic Materials, Made Sustainably, and Made in the USA.

That said, as a multi-brand retailer, sustainability standards vary somewhat by which specific brand or maker you land on within their catalog, so you may want to check each individual brand’s credentials. My top picks are Copeland, Ethnicraft, and GRAYN.

Furniture Categories: Seating, Beds, Tables, Storage, Outdoor Furniture

Price Range: $256 (shelf nightstand) – $6,865 (storage bed)
Shipping: Ships within contiguous U.S. (contact for overseas logistics)

Check out Urban Natural

2. Medley

Best for: a full range of sustainable furniture across rooms

Medley Home is an eco-friendly furniture company that handcrafts their pieces in California with sustainably-sourced materials. The company uses domestically-sourced hardwoods from FSC-certified forests. Medley Home’s wood pieces are finished naturally with a blend of beeswax, carnauba wax, and olive oil.

For sofas and chairs, you can choose between CertiPUR-US® certified foam (less expensive but synthetic) or certified organic natural latex (natural but more expensive).

And for upholstery choose from natural fibers like OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified linen or GREENGUARD Gold certified cotton (my recommendation) or GREENGUARD Gold certified polyester (not my pick sustainability-wise, but you may prefer a performance fabric).

Furniture Categories: Seating, Tables, Beds, Storage, Accent Furniture

Price Range: $595 (poufs) – $10,290 (sectionals)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. (or contact Medley for a quote)

Check out Medley

3. Savvy Rest

Best for: furniture with top of the line organic materials

Savvy Rest creates functional, sustainable furniture with your health and the planet’s health in mind. The eco-friendly furniture brand sources only the best natural and organic materials for their furnishings, like hemp and certified organic cotton fabric, natural Talalay latex, and responsibly sourced solid hardwood. You can also choose between a variety of zero-VOC stains or no finish for their wood furniture.

Since the pieces are made to order by a small business, they don’t accept returns, but reviewers rave about the product quality and service.

Furniture Categories: Seating, Beds, Tables, Accent Furniture

Price Range: $400 (bedside table) – $3,999 (sofa) | Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off!
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. (Or contact for quote)

Check out Savvy Rest

4. Avocado

Best for: furniture meeting high sustainability standards without compromise

The Certified B-Corporation crafts both their furniture in a FSC-certified facility in Los Angeles and uses materials like 100% reclaimed wood and responsibly-harvested American timber. Additionally, the majority of Avocado’s offerings have certifications like GREENGUARD Gold and the MADE SAFE^® seal.

Avocado has fewer options than some of the other companies on this list, but what they do carry is beautifully designed. And I’m all for quality over quantity!

Furniture Categories: Beds, Side Tables, Storage, Accent Furniture

Price Range: $349 (side table) – $3,999 (full bed frame)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S

Check out Avocado

5. Thuma

Best for: minimalist, modular GREENGUARD-certified furniture

Thuma first started with their simple platform bed frame, made from repurposed rubberwood, and has since expanded into categories like tables, storage, and seating, all keeping their minimalist aesthetic and commitment to sustainability.

The highlight for me is their modular storage system — mix and match open shelf and closed drawer modules as you need to create a nightstand, bookshelf, credenza, dresser, or media console.

Furniture Categories: Beds, Storage, Tables, Seating

Price Range: $495 (nightstand) – $6,675 (corner sectional)
Shipping: Ships within U.S. and Canada (international customers can use freight forwarder)

Check out Thuma

6. WHAT WE MAKE

Best for: truly reclaimed wood furniture

Based in Chicago, WHAT WE MAKE is an environmentally friendly furniture company that crafts modern furniture from reclaimed materials.

While this is a claim others make without much to back it up, I appreciate that the brand is transparent around where they source their wood — it comes from old Midwestern barns being torn down. The small business also makes the furniture start to finish themselves in Chicagoland and each piece is completed with zero-VOC finishes.

Furniture Categories: Bathroom Vanities, Tables, Storage, Seating

Price Range: $425 (bar stools) – $6,425 (bathroom vanities)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.

Check out What WE Make

7. Sabai

Best for: repairable furniture that considers the full lifecycle

Sustainable by design, my favorite part about Sabai isn’t just their use of responsible materials, but that their seating is actually repairable and adjustable. You can also purchase replacement parts, slipcovers, or expansion kits.

Not to say their materials aren’t great — you can choose between recycled velvet, upcycled poly, cactus leather (a vegan leather made partially from cactus leaves; be mindful this contains polyurethane) or a natural blend of organic cotton and hemp (my personal top pick).

The frames are made from FSC-certified wood and Sabai uses mechanical fasteners in it’s upholstery process instead of glue, low-VOC stains for their domestic maple legs, recycled fiber fills, and CertiPUR-US® certified foam.

Furniture Categories: Seating, Tables, Accent Furniture

Price Range: $495 (side table) – $6,295 (sectional)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.; ships to HI & AK for fee

Check out Sabai

8. Natural Home by The Futon Shop

Best for: futons and Japanese-style beds

As you might guess, The Futon Shop makes sustainable futons, but they also have other furniture like bed frames, including Tatami beds, and sofas (modular, sectionals, and sofa beds).

The woman-founded furniture and mattress company uses eco-friendly materials such as certified organic cotton, organic wool, organic Dunlop latex, OEKO-Tex 100 certified coconut coir and hemp, as well as solid domestically sourced hardwood — all made in the US.

Furniture Categories: Futons, Beds, Sofas

Price Range: $699 (ottomans) – $5,449 (custom sofa)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. (custom quotes elsewhere) | also offers free in-store pickup

Check out Futon Shop

9. Greenington

Best for: sustainable bamboo furniture

Greenington is a bamboo furniture company with sustainably-crafted pieces for every room: from the office to the bedroom. Each piece is made from mature Moso bamboo — one of the fastest growing plants on the planet — that was hand-harvested instead of clearcut. Greenington also uses 100% of the bamboo material, down to the sawdust.

Greenington’s classic line uses laminated solid bamboo strips, while their exotic line uses bamboo fiber bonded with adhesive under heat and pressure, which is a more composite-like process. They don’t specify the adhesive’s VOC or formaldehyde content for either line, so I’d ask directly if that matters to you, especially for the exotic collection.

Furniture Categories: Beds, Seating, Storage, Tables

Price Range: $329 (side table) – $4,139 (dresser)
Shipping: Free contiguous U.S. shipping; HI, AK, PR + Canada shipping available for a fee

Check out Greenington @ Lumens

10. MasayaCo

Best for: supporting reforestation projects with each purchase

With origins as a reforestation project, MasayaCo is deeply committed to (beyond) sustainable sourcing. They’ve planted 1.2 million trees to date and on average, leave 40% of their reforestation projects completely untouched.

The elegant furniture from MasayaCo is crafted by artisans using teak, and many of their pieces are outdoor friendly too. Something to note though is that the woven elements on some of their stools and chairs is polyester cord.

Furniture Categories: Seating, Storage, Tables, Accents, Outdoor Furniture

Price Range: $295 (stool) – $7,850 (sectional)
Shipping: Ships to U.S.

Browse MasayaCo

11. Green Row

Best for: sustainable furniture with a vibrant cottagecore vibe

With wooden furniture featuring elements like scalloped edges and spindle legs alongside upholstery with floral or gingham prints and ruffle edges, Green Row’s sustainably crafted pieces are designed to fit right in amidst your vintage finds.

Part of the Williams Sonoma family, Green Row blends decades of furniture know-how with a commitment to social and environmental standards built from the ground up. Products are made with materials like FSC-Certified wood, natural latex and organic natural fibers.

Furniture Categories: Seating, Tables, Beds, Accents, Outdoor Furniture

Price Range: $299 (stool) – $10,199 (large sofa)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.

Check out Green Row

12. Healthier Homes

Best for: natural material seating, storage, and accents

Founded by expert healthy home builders, Jen and Rusty Stout, Healthier Homes is committed to helping you curate a healthier indoor space. And they’ve recently made some great design improvements with their furniture selection too.

On their site, you’ll find furniture — largely seating, storage, and accent tables — made from materials like teak, acacia, mango wood, and jute. Some of their furniture is also “paint it yourself” (not for me, but if you love DIYs, don’t forget to take a look at their selection of zero VOC paints too!)

Furniture Categories: Seating, Small Tables, Storage

Price Range: $185 (bench) – $4,799 (dining table)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.

Check out Healthier Homes

Honorable Mentions:

• Saatva: mostly a mattress company, but they have beds as well. Saatva is a member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council and sources responsibly-managed wood and has an option for linen upholstery (other upholstery options are plastic fibers), however the exact fiber content of the linen option isn’t disclosed. Due to their limited selection of furniture and the lack of information on their upholstery, they didn’t make it into the full guide.
• West Elm: Furniture company West Elm has some more sustainable collections to their offerings. The company defines “sustainably sourced” as furniture made either from reclaimed wood or FSC-certified wood from responsibly harvested sources. This doesn’t mean that all of the materials were sustainably sourced, or that every product was made with sustainable practices, which is why this is an honorable mention, and not part of our main guide.

Looking For More Eco-Friendly Furniture Guides?

Sustainable Storage: Dressers, Media Consoles, and Sideboards

9 Eco-Friendly Bookcases to Showcase Your Latest Reads

The Best Sustainable Tables To Gather Around

Questions You Might Have:

Is “sustainably sourced” a meaningful claim, or just marketing language?

Good question! It depends on what backs it up. As West Elm’s honorable mention shows, “sustainably sourced” can mean anything from FSC-certified wood to a much looser internal standard like quality. The term itself isn’t regulated, unfortunately. Look for a specific certification (FSC-certified for wood, GOTS-certified for organic fabrics, GREENGUARD Gold for testing against harmful chemical emissions) and specific practices and materials, rather than the phrase alone.

What’s the difference between “sustainable” and “non-toxic” furniture?

The short version is they can overlap but they aren’t the same thing.

Sustainable furniture focuses on how materials are sourced and how long a piece lasts — think FSC-certified wood or reclaimed materials. Non-toxic furniture focuses on the impact to human health (usually the consumer’s health, not the maker’s health, though those things can also be interconnected) — like VOCs, formaldehyde, flame retardants. A piece can be one without being the other. For a deeper breakdown of non-toxic-specific criteria, see our Non-Toxic Furniture Brands guide.

The post 12 Best Sustainable Furniture Companies Worth The Investment (2026) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.

12 Best Sustainable Furniture Companies Worth The Investment (2026)

Fall is already such a magical time – leaves changing colors, crisp air, apple orchards, pumpkin patches. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most marketed times of the year.

And they just keep trying to push it on us sooner. I’ve seen fall drinks and decor marketed as early as July.

Truth is, you don’t need a new sweater or pumpkin spice everything to enjoy fall. You need to embrace the season’s magic. Dare I say, whimsy.

Whimsy has been trending, and while I love the idea of it, I’ve also noticed it being repackaged into something brands can sell. Which kind of defeats the purpose?  

By definition, whimsy is something ‘freaky, odd, off-beat’ – not exactly something you can buy en masse. True whimsy isn’t performative or sellable. It’s a state of being, a feeling.

Being whimsical should come from your own imagination. Learning new hobbies, being ok with being bad at things, infusing more fun into your days in ways that make you slow down. Even better if it gets you out of the house, into nature, and socializing with friends, family or community.

Here are some whimsical fall activities that will get you off your phone and into the world.

take a nature walk – but with a twist

Going leaf peeping around your neighborhood is a simple way to connect with the outdoors. But if you want to add some whimsy into it, why not challenge yourself to find certain colors, patterns or textures?

It’s fun to take a little journal with you and sketch items of interest you find – maybe it’s a beautiful tree, a squirrel burying their nuts, a field of asters and goldenrod. Taking time to notice is pure magic.

Plant blindness is real – challenge yourself to get familiar with the flora around you. Check out a library book all about native plants and see if you can spot any on your walk. 

You may be surprised to learn how many plants are invasive (burning bush is a big one here in Maine!). 

Having a fall scavenger hunt is also a fun idea you can get your friends involved in. Challenge them to find an oak leaf, acorns, crabapples – whatever type of fall flora is in your area – and see who can find them first!

write gratitude letters to your loved ones

Snail mail is making a comeback, so why not write to those you care most about? Sometimes it can be hard to say the things we mean in person. But writing helps us sit with our feelings and work through them.

If you need ideas, why not write them:

• Reasons why you love them 

• Your best memory together 

• How much you appreciate them 

• Plans you’re excited to do together 

• What you admire about them 

Who wouldn’t want to receive a heart-felt letter in the mail? You can make it extra special by slipping in a small little trinket – like a bird feather, a pressed flower, your favorite tea, or a packet of seeds.

And no – you don’t need any fancy stationery to do this. Make it your own by simply using some computer or scrap paper and upcycling an empty envelope. You can decorate it with colored pencils and markers if you like.

join a knitting circle 

Who needs to buy a fall sweater when you can knit one? Consider finding a knitting (or crocheting) community in your town you can join. Often times they’ll meet up to exchange supplies and knit together.

Challenge yourself to knit something that pays homage to fall. Whether that be a pretty fall color (think gem-tones like ruby red, golden yellow, etc.), or knitting leaves and/or mushroom patterns, the choices are endless.

Yarn swaps are also growing in popularity – if you can’t find one, create one yourself!

All you have to do is encourage people to meet up at a public place (a park is nice) and bring any yarn supplies they’d like to donate.  

And when all else fails – ask your grandmother! She may know a thing or two about knitting, crocheting, sewing, or embroidery. And how fun and cozy would it be to knit something together?

RELATED: Sewing Machine For Beginners: How to Get Started (And Why It’s a Sustainable Skill to Learn)

host a fall-themed cafe at home

Does your friend group love to visit cafes? Why not host a little cafe at home? Put your baking skills to the test and make some cozy fall inspired recipes.

Some drink and recipe ideas:

• Pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls 

• Apple cinnamon muffins  

• Apple cider donuts 

• Chocolate chip cookies 

• Mulled apple cider 

• Chai lattes 

• Matcha lattes 

• Pumpkin spice coffee 

Of course, if you’re not a baker you can still participate by asking your friends to bake some goodies to bring. Or grabbing some fresh pastries from your local farmers market.

You can display the goodies on your dining room table, countertops, or island. Just make sure you have to-go boxes at the ready (or encourage your friends to bring their own)! You don’t want anything going to waste.

Leftovers? Eat them yourself or share with your community. Your neighbors might appreciate a fresh cinnamon roll – and it’s a great way to start a conversation.

host a fall-themed craft night

Whether you make fairy homes, carved pumpkins, or leaf garlands – it’ll be a night to remember! Gather your friends and choose a theme for the night that revolves around fall.

Even better if you’re able to find all your materials locally (aka through foraging or from a farm stand) or thrift them. Thrift stores have tons of decorations, art supplies, and fabrics on hand at much cheaper prices.

Last fall I decorated a pumpkin with leaves and compostable glue (pictured above). I thought the glue would dry clear…but hey, it was a fun experiment. Just goes to show – don’t be afraid to be bad at something or make mistakes! That’s part of the fun.

The craft you pick will depend on your interests and skill levels, but you can’t go wrong with a paint and sip night.

The challenge? Paint a fall scene (be it an autumnal forest, an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch). Best painting wins something that fits with the theme – homemade apple sauce or an apple pie scented candle works.  

go on a spontaneous adventure

Why not go on an unplanned day trip and see where it takes you? Maybe you’ll find a cute cafe to stop inside? A cozy locally owned bookstore? A family farm selling homemade apple pies?

Walking or biking around town will help you slow down and see spots you might’ve missed while driving. Plus it’s a great way to admire any changing leaves.

If you prefer a little more structure to your adventure, make a whole day of it. Even better if you gather a few friends or family to join in on the fun.

Here are some fun fall activities you can do as a group:

• Go or apple and/or pumpkin picking 

• Visit a corn maze 

• Go on a ghost tour 

• Tour old mansions or graveyards (if your city allows it) 

• Have a cozy fall picnic 

• Take a hike 

• Tell spooky stories around a bonfire 

• Go stargazing (take a blanket and thermos!) 

RELATED: Ultimate Fall Bucket List: Budget Friendly + Printable Bingo Card

What are some ways you’re bringing whimsy into your life this fall? Let me know in the comments below!

The post 6 Whimsical Fall Activities To Get You Off Your Screen  appeared first on Going Zero Waste.

6 Whimsical Fall Activities To Get You Off Your Screen