While Irving Berlin was dreaming of a white Christmas, Ann Arbor area shoppers are thinking about green holidays.

Gifts made from reused, recycled, recovered, discarded and shredded materials are making their way to the top of holiday wish lists as everything from socks to salad bowls.

At the same time, gifts made from organic materials are also making an appearance. “People are more interested in green gifts,” said Rick Wedel, co-owner of 16 Hands Gallery in downtown Ann Arbor.

“People are coming in and asking for them. People are more tuned into it. That, and local.”

Among items for sale in the store are one-of-a-kind mitten sets, scarves, Christmas stockings and other items that Baa Baa Zuzu in Lake Leelanau makes from discarded wool sweaters and other woven fabrics. The mittens, funky and mismatched, have been popular Christmas gifts, Wedel said.

Getting socks for the holidays doesn’t have to be a bore. Vermont-based Sol Mates makes a line of wildly colorful mismatched socks from shredded T-shirts for kids and adults, Wedel said. “They are a nice, warm, comfortable gift.”

Gifts for the house can also be green. Fire and Light offers a line of recycled glass plates and bowls in six or seven different colors, Wedel said. The California-based company contracts with a recycler for the glass, which is melted down and recast and colored into serving and mixing bowls and dinner and salad plates. They can be mixed and matched, and can a make a modest gift ($15 for a dipping dish) to a splurge ($107 for a large bowl).

Going green doesn’t have to mean being practical. Some artists at 16 Hands incorporate found objects in their work. Adrian artist Sharon Clark makes freestanding and wall art from reused items, such as an angel made from 28 rusted keys ($54). Tekonsha (MI) artist Barbara “Bub” Dalton, uses a hodgepodge of discarded objects - old game pieces, shells, beads, buttons - backed by found wood recovered from old picture frames, lobster traps, guitars and other cast-offs - to create her decorative art ($10-$100).

Many of the gifts found at Ten Thousand Villages, also downtown, come from recycled and reused materials, said Gerda Paschal, assistant manager. The store sells fairly traded items made by artists from around the world. Sustainable gifts go hand-in-hand with the store’s mission, she said. “The whole story about fair trade includes sustainable practices.”

These world artists have taken objects ranging from potato chip bags to saris and crafted them into everything from lampshades to purses. There are Nativity scenes, coasters and napkin rings from the Philippines and Bangladesh made from recycled paper. Mirrors, baskets and picture frames made from discarded potato chip bags. And hats, scarves and purses crafted from recycled and respun saris from Nepal.

Other gifts at Ten Thousand Villages are made from earth friendly materials, such as the Tagua nut. The nut comes from palm trees sustainably grown and harvested in Ecuador, creating economic incentives without harming the Earth. The nuts are used for jewelry and carvings and are a great alternative to plastic buttons, Paschal said. Handmade paper made from water hyacinth, an invasive species, is another gift good for the environment, she said.

Uber-soft T-shirts made from a blend of earth-friendly bamboo and organic cotton are popular gifts for the holidays, said Melissa Bryant, owner of Organic Bliss Boutique on East Liberty Street. Soy-wax candles ($11-$15), an alternative to petroleum-based paraffin candles, are also popular as holiday gifts, she said. She sees two kinds of holiday shoppers: those on a mission to buy a green gift; and those who just like the look, feel or price point of a gift. “Some people have no idea it’s good for the Earth,” she said.

The People’s Food Co-op on Fourth Avenue has a long history of providing earth-friendly gifts. “They’re not necessarily made from recycled materials, but they are eco-friendly and leave a lower carbon footprint,” said Kevin Sharp, marketing and member services manager. The co-op is making an effort this year to stock more eco-friendly gifts at lower prices as a way to respond to the poor economy.

Co-op gifts are not only green, many are produced locally, Sharp said. There are locally made soaps along with beeswax products such as candles and salves. The co-op also stocks alpaca wool mittens and scarves and a line of nature-themed calendars for holiday giving.

“These aren’t cookie cutter gifts, they are for people with eclectic taste,” he said. “But the underlying reason (people) shop here is that they are looking for something that meets their values, whether that’s eco-friendly or local.”