12 Days of Christmas - day 10: Handmade Gifts

We’re celebrating the run up to Christmas a little early with our very own 12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide. Throughout November, we’ll be uploading a selection of gifts for everyone from gardeners to lovers of food, pet owners to families, in order to help you find perfect presents tailored to your loved ones’ interests.

For day 10 we look at handmade gifts.

Sugar Loaf Soaps: £4.25

In a little barn in the heart of the Brecon Beacons these beautiful soaps are crafted out of natural ingredients. The enticing smell attracts you as soon as you open the box, conjuring up images of heathland and blue skies. The level of attention that goes into the making of these soaps is equaled in the packaging, ensuring that they are a delight to receive from start to finish.

Celtic Herbal Hand Balm: £4.75

The smell of this sumptuous hand balm scented with Frankincense and orange evokes the Christmasseason. Produced in Wales from natural ingredients. A perfect gift for a gardener or the designated dishwasher in the family.

Small Book Bag, Henry Tomkins: £110

Henry Tomkins is a man of integrity who creates his personally handcrafted bags to last a lifetime. This beautifully made book bag can accommodate an iPad and A4 paper. Henry’s comprehensive guarantee even covers repairing normal wear and tear.

Wooden Citrus Juicer, Burford Woodcraft: £4.85

Ray Griffith's juicer is a traditional shape and comfortable to hold. Made by turning a block of beech on alathe with the indentations to channel the juice added afterwards. Great care is taken during its making to ensure that each one is of the best quality. It's very easy touse - just cut the fruit in half, insert the juicer and twist!

Handmade Notebooks, Katherine O’Connell: £15

Katherine’s beautifully handmade books are an ideal gift for the scribbler or sketcher in your life. The books are made from 100% recycled paper, including paper made from misprinted stamps.

Recycled beach plastic jewellery, Emma Clarkson: from £19

Based on the idyllic Isles of Scilly, Emma Clarkson makes charming pieces of jewellery from pieces of plastic she finds washed up on the islands’ beaches. Each bead is carefully sanded and shaped by hand to create a truly unique Christmas gift.

Tortoise Felt Storage Boxes, Paper-and-String: £14

From cutting, through sewing, right down to the packaging, every aspect of Sarah Poulton’s feltcreations are handmade. These colourful and tactile Tortoise Storage Boxes with their friendly decorative characters would be the perfect gift for a family with toys to store or a crafter with bits and pieces to squirrel away.

Personalised Baby Blankets, SummerCloud: £18

Karen Titulaer’s baby blankets are the perfect soft and snuggly gift for the new addition to the family.The blankets are personalised with the child’s name and requests can be accommodated. But of course, the reason they are really personalised is because Karen hand makes each order. A SummerCloud blanket will certainly stand out from all the other gifts the new parents may receive this year.

Boutique Candles, C and J Home: £8

These boutique candles, handmade by Collette and Alan Pemberton, would make great stocking fillers this Christmas. Surrounded by children, cats and chickens in their country garden, the pair create wonderful fragrances for their candles, ranging from Lime & Lavender through to Scots Pine.

 

This elegant blue speckled lasagne dish, made by Nick Membery, would be a fabulous gift for a cook.The ‘toasted’ rims give you a sense of the craftsmanship hidden beneath the rich glaze. All the ovenware is dishwasher, oven and microwave safe.

 

Straight Umbrella Basket with Handle, Hastingwood Basket Works: £35

 

Virgil, at Hastingwood Basket Works, combines his experiences of basketmaking in Lithuania and Germany with the English tradition, producing durable baskets with a fine, precision finish. This umbrella basket is a wonderful twist on the well-known umbrella stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soft Toy Policemen, Alice Apple: £6

 

This gorgeous PC Plod is made by Alice Burrows from South Devon. Alice’s work is based illustrationform the 60s and 70s, and is brightly coloured and cheerful. This lovely chappy would make an excellent stocking filler for child and adult alike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motties Slippers: £30

 

When it’s cold outside the perfect Christmas gift has to be a pair of snug slippers. Each pair of Motties slippers are hand made from reclaimed materials that would otherwise have gone to waste. Durable and beautiful, these slippers are a guaranteed hit.

 

Keep your eyes peeled for more great Christmas ideas coming soon, or read previous Christmas gift lists by clicking the links below: