This holiday season support Minnesota businesses that make and sell gifts made of wood from local forests. Thousands of items are made from wood harvested in Minnesota forests. 

“Wooden toys, handcrafts and keepsakes are great green gift options,” said Kristen Bergstrand, DNR utilization and marketing program coordinator. “Plus, wood is a renewable resource that is natural, beautiful and durable.”

Wooden chests, rocking chairs or horses, children’s toys, picture frames and artisan bowls or wood crafts are one of a kind items that are often passed down to future generations as family mementos.

“Right now wooden signs with an inspirational saying are very popular,” Bergstrand said. “Many local artists use repurposed wood to create interior and exterior home decor.”

Making products from trees often requires less processing and energy than plastic or other products. Wood is also renewable and reusable. Most wood products can be recycled and wood waste can be converted into green energy as biomass.

Buying wood products also helps the environment. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes global climate change, and store carbon in their wood, keeping it out of the atmosphere. Locally made products from trees harvested in Minnesota use less fossil fuel for transportation than imported goods.

Supporting the wood products industry helps protect forests from development because woodland owners are able to generate income from a harvest. It also helps sustain local Minnesota economies and creates jobs and financial support for small and large retail business across the state.

So this year, give the gift that makes sense—wood—and help support Minnesota’s forests and local businesses.

Visit the DNR wood products webpage to learn more about the benefits of buying and using wood products.