Holiday Gift Guide: Crafters' Delight

Since returning from sunny St. Croix to a New York winter, I've been in serious hibernation mode: I'm eating holiday cookies for dinner, consuming tea by the potful, eschewing errands for Christmas specials, and seriously considering taking up knitting. Lucky for me, The Purl Bee (Purl Soho's blog) is chock full of project ideas. They also sell great DIY kits, which make great gifts for the crafters in your life, or, if you're feeling arts-and-craftsy yourself, you could try your hand at a homemade gift for a lucky recipient. I'm currently obsessed with this garland, and dreaming of the day I'll have a tree to dress up and string with yards and yards of fuzzy felt in candy cane colors.

Looks great in traditional red/white as well as hot pink. Instructions here.

Adorable felt birds will come sit in aforementioned imaginary tree. Each kit makes 16, so you can spread them out among friends. Felt Bird Ornament Kit, $45.

A Liberty Print Baby Bib Kit is great for the new moms and babies in your life. $35 for a 4-bib kit.

If your giftee lives in the NYC area, you might consider a fun class, such as Traditional Japanese Sashiko, a lovely hand-sewn quilting technique. $50/class.

Photos: www.purlsoho.com

Holiday Gift Finds: Luxe Leather Lifestyle Accessories

Whether it's an English hunting flask or a fancy passport holder, there's something so luxurious about well-crafted leather goods. They're often the kind of little indulgences we wouldn't buy ourselves, which makes them perfect to give as gifts.

This pebbled leather English hunting flask comes with two aluminum cups that neatly tuck away into the cap. $48 @Apartment48.

If English hunting flasks aren't really your style, here's a more traditional one from J.Crew, embossed with a fun phrase. Let the mischief begin. Leather flask, $34.50.

I love the rich, caramel leather of this laptop sleeve. It seems so much more grown up than the bulky ones you've been toting around in college, and the more scratched up it gets, the better it looks. Wood Wood Laptop Sleeve, $138 @UrbanOutfitters.

Delvaux's intricately woven passport holder has a beautiful, vintage charm about it. $204 @ the Monocle e-shop.

Photos:
1) www.apartment48.com
2) www.jcrew.com 
3) www.urbanoutfitters.com
4) www.shop.monocle.com

Winter Woolies for Grey Days

Fight grey December days with a little help from Rag and Bone, Wool and the Gang, Patterson J. Kincaid, and Fox River Mills.

Fair Isle has never looked cozier. Rag and Bone's cute Grayling Mittens will cost you a pretty penny even on sale,  but the fact that they have a handy string connecting them means you're less likely to lose one. Also available in green. $98 (originally $140) at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Cocoon yourself in an oversized bouclé cardi with a sophisticated silhouette. Large, deep pockets are an added bonus. Channel Audrey by pairing it with black cropped skinnies and simple ballet slippers. Patterson J. Kincaid Justyna Sweater Jacket, $225 @ Piperlime.

Fox River Mills' comfy Rockford Red Heels socks double as sock puppets, and even come with puppet-making instructions. Might come in handy for those days you're stuck indoors and have a serious case of cabin fever.  $15 for two pairs @ Gravel and Gold.

Wool and the Gang's Snood Dogg is sold out just about everywhere, but you can make your own with their handy kit. Holing up in your apartment with a Golden Girls marathon just got way more productive. Snood Knit Kit, $98 @ Need Supply.

Et voila, the finished product:

 
Photos: 
1) www.saks.com
2) www.piperlime.com
3) www.gravelandgold.com
4-5) www.needsupply.com

Holiday Gift Finds: A Touch of Red

Is there a color that screams "holiday" more than dear old red? I think every stocking needs at least a hint of our favorite festive hue. Here are a few suggestions that are sure to please.

These adorable mittens have myriad uses: keeping hands toasty, clutching a cup of hot cocoa, or hurling a snowball. See by Chloe Wool-blend mittens, now $45 @ the Outnet (originally $100).

Listening to music just got way more fun with this Music Balloon Speaker, $45 at The Future Perfect.

The Morris Memo helps you stay organized and makes checking out your to-do list a bit more fun. $12.95 @ Mxyplyzyk.

Photos:
1) www.theoutnet.com
2) www.thefutureperfect.com
3) www.mxyplyzyk.com

Holiday Gift Finds: Tools for the Baker in Your Life

It's no secret among friends and family that I'm an utterly terrible cook. I haven't the talent for it and quite frankly, don't have the patience or interest either. Curiously, however, I'm an avid baker. To satisfy my insatiable sweet tooth, I will happily throw myself into my kitchen to putter about and emerge an hour or so later, covered in cake batter, with a decadent cookie, cupcake, or brownie in hand and sugar-drunk smile on my face. Here are a few lovely things I wouldn't mind having around the kitchen:

Pretty blue ergonomically shaped potholders to get a good grip on hot pans. $9.96 each.

An icing knife to get a perfectly smooth finish on a cake.  $9.96 for the smaller one and $12.95 for the big guy.

And of course, a pretty spoonula (spoon + spatula) that's as good for licking as it is for scraping. $13.95 each.

Baker's twine is perfect for gifting homemade goodies. Divine Twine comes in an assortment of colors. $2.25 for a 5-yard spool.

Photos: 
1-3) www.donnahay.com
4) www.artfire.com/users/cupcakesocial

Holiday Gift Finds for Her: Southwestern Beaded Barrettes

If you're looking for a unique stocking stuffer, these Southwestern-style beaded barrettes will tame lovely locks with a touch of pizazz. And everybody loves the pizazz. 


Beaded Barrettes from the Southwest, $30 for a set of two at General Store.

Photos: www.shop-generalstore.com

Holiday Gift Finds for Him: Pendleton's Tartan Robe

Most guys I know don't own a bathrobe and are therefore (lamentably!) oblivious to it's warm, cozy charms. It makes me sad that they're missing out, and nostalgic for the days when a robe was a mainstay in a proper gentleman's wardrobe, allowing him to shuffle about the house on a lazy Sunday morning or step outside to fetch the paper without appearing entirely unkempt or slovenly.

That sense of sartorial decorum may be all but lost on the modern dude, but I have a feeling this Pendleton topper might make him reconsider his stance on robes. The tartan print lends it a rugged feel while the slim fit hearkens back to the crisp, gentlemanly silhouettes of yore.

Pendleton Lounge Robe, $198 @ Blackbird.

Photo: www.blackbirdballard.com

Holiday Gift Finds For Him: D.S. Dundee Fairisle Boot Socks

The holiday shopping season (which, according to retailers, begins immediately after Halloween) is upon us! My first stocking stuffer find for the fellas is a pair of D.S. Dundee's Fairisle Boot Socks. $20 @ Gargyle. Made of alpaca and lambs' wool, they come in a variety of great, winter-perfect patterns:

The rust pattern is my fave, but sadly, it's sold out. Let's hope they restock soon.

Photos: www.gargyle.com