The Independent Store Christmas Gift Guide: 30 For £30 & Under
Of all of the tasks that I set myself each year, curating my two Christmas Gift Guides is one of my favourites. There is much to bemoan about the current state of Instagram as a platform (if you follow me, you will know that I am not a moaner but currently it even tips ME over the edge) but if there is one thing to be continuously thankful for, it’s the volume of small, independent creatives, artisans and shops that it has brought my way. Prior to the rise of social media, our buying sources were pretty much entirely confined to what we could find on our local High Street. We were reliant on magazines and online blogs to tell us about interior newness; word of mouth or the excitement of a small shop find on a weekend to Cornwall was the only way to shop small. I started posting photographs of our home on Instagram back in 2015 and - quite aside from the fact that it introduced me to similar interior loving friends who were as excited about a new cushion or a pretty bowl as I was - one of the immediate benefits was that it enabled me to discover countless small stores from which I could add to my home. And in the eight years since my first (shite) room photo post, I haven’t stopped discovering them. Much to Joe’s dismay, ha.
I’d love one of these for Christmas. Said no one, ever.
So let’s talk Christmas shopping. Although it’s always been a consideration, it is a sign of the times that the first immediate thought that comes to mind when considering possible purchases is budget - it’s been a less than fruitful year for the economy and everyone is mindful of not splashing the cash. Mostly because who knows what the f**k is coming next, quite frankly. Last year I talked about how we have updated our extended family present buying situation - all of the adults each pull a name out of the hat and simply buy one £50 present per person, a sensible solution which reduces not only the panic of knowing that you have ten adults who don’t need anything to buy for, but also lowers the financial commitment. Unless, of course, you are me and have children who ARE ADULTS and are therefore included in the draw but don’t have any money, so you have to buy their allocated presents for them. Hmm.
This year, we are hoping to sell our house and Joe is about to start a new job so we have set a similarly small budget for each other. I have been with Joe since 1999 and it has taken me this long to train him in how to buy me a present. When he met me, his gift buying history wasn’t exemplary - his mother, Judith, had been stockpiling the Body Shop baskets for almost a decade and he was prone to handing over presents without even taking them out of the carrier bag, let alone removing the receipt. Long term readers will remember that he hit the pinnacle of gift giving carnage when on my birthday, he presented me with a set of Duncan Bannatyne body care products (there are SO many things wrong with this sentence), teamed with a bottle of Beyonce Heat perfume. At the time, Joe worked close by to a Big Tescos and as a result, his choice was restricted to what he could buy at the same time as picking up a Meal Deal. This offering tipped me over the edge (although FYI, Tescos were happy to accept the return of all for a full refund) and from this point forward, I have emailed him links to buy whenever a gift giving occasion occurs. This has worked well for the last five years, although he decided to go off piste a couple of years ago when, alongside the linked Desmond & Dempsey nightdress, I unwrapped a statuette of a fully suited and booted fox wearing a top hat and carrying a briefcase, approximately 30cm high. No, no, no.
Anyway, back to the important stuff - shopping. I’ve published an Independent Stores Gift Guide for the last eight years - bringing smaller stores to my readers attention is one of the top bonuses of having a large audience. By checking out these smaller sellers and independent stores, you are supporting and promoting these businesses and their products which is so very important to the continuation of these individual brands. So here is the first of two gift guides I have compiled this year at a price point of £30 and under. Tomorrow, I’ll be publishing a gift guide at a slightly higher price point of £50 and under with equally beautiful things so keep an eye out for it. And if you find a small business on these guides that you love, then PLEASE SHARE them on your social channels. Every website click for these brands is a possible sale. Happy shopping! PS: Thank you so much to all of my audience who recommended the small shops I’ve included via my question box - not only do I think that you are going to love them, but I also made some new discoveries via these links myself. Everyone’s a winner.
