This year I've decided to celebrate shopping small by creating several gift guides featuring lots of lovely small businesses. This has been a real labour of love for this amazing creative community I've found and I hope it will help you discover some amazing brands to support this holiday season.
When you support a local independently owned business or a small brand you found online you are getting to buy into a little bit of the magic they create and who wouldn't want to gift that.
First up in this gift guide is some Christmas themed gifts, Christmas decorations and self purchases that will brighten up your home and help you get into the Christmas spirit. Have a look at the shops because all of these businesses also have a wonderful range of products for all year around.
Tag me over on Instagram, @small_business_collaborative, if you decide to pick up anything from any of these wonderful small businesses.
Holly Swain
Holly is a children’s book illustrator who draws quirky characters that adorn her products that include cards, badges, colouring-in posters and these adorable hand-painted houses guaranteed to bring a smile.
Everything is made in the UK, with FSC approved card, recycled envelopes and compostable sleeves.
What I love: These houses will fit on so many different style trees and you could use them as decorations all year round. They are also perfect for pets and children as they won’t break easily.
Fun fact: I work in a very cold studio, and when I'm drawing in the winter, most of my characters end up wearing knitwear!
Price range: £3-55
Follow: @swain_holly
Hannah Hannam Designs
Hannah designs beautiful, colourful illustrations inspired by nature and folk art. Prints for the home or cards to send to friends from afar. Christmas cards and hand-painted ceramic baubles are also now available.
Made in the UK, Hand-painted designs, printed in the UK + everything can be gift-wrapped for easy distance giving.
What I love: Each bauble is unique and something to be treasured for years to come.
Fun fact: I actually never studied art! My passion for painting developed whilst I was supporting autistic students in an art class. I learnt about watercolours alongside them and bought a cheap kit to play around with at home and voila. Hannah Hannam Designs was born!
Price range: £2.50-35
Shop: Hannah Hannam Designs
Follow: @hannahhannamdesigns
Fox and Finch
At Fox + Finch you'll find a whole gang of cute critters ready to help you celebrate this Christmas, whether you need the perfect card for your special someone, cute stocking filler gifts, or new decorations to spruce up your tree. From penguins and robins to hedgehogs and badgers, there's a bird or beastie waiting for you. Fi can even write and post your card straight to the recipient if you can't get to a post box just now.
Everything is made in the UK in small batches, so you won't find the same designs anywhere else. All the felt decorations are sewn by hand - there's no glue or sewing machine involved.
What I love: Reg the penguin is made out of felt and has an adorable stripy scarf, I have a love for everything stripy. Perfect for homes with kids and pets.
Fun fact: All the animals have names and personalities. I love animals but am really allergic, so these drawings are my pet-substitutes.
Price range: £2-20
Follow: @fox_finch
The Paper Party Bag Shop
We are a plastic-free kids brand specialising in eco-friendly party bag gifts for kids, at Christmas these turn into perfect stocking and advent fillers! We also have a small selection of toys and crafts sets, always with no plastic and eco at the core.
Everything is made in the UK, handmade and all recyclable or biodegradable, we have never used any plastic in or on our products and avoid it in our supply chain too!
What I love: Crackers and decorations plus things to keep the children entertained this holiday season. When I was growing up we would get our stocking in the morning with games and books to keep us occupied whilst my parents cooked and prepared everything and I used to love it. Liz's products of eco-friendly party bag gifts would be perfect.
Fun fact: I started The Paper Party Bag Shop due to finding it impossible to buy stylish, environmentally friendly and ethically sourced party bag fillers for my daughters' 5th birthday party. I then realised I needed to stop complaining about it, and could do something about it!
Price range: £1-20
Follow: @the_paper_party_bag_shop
Mythyn
Natural artisan bath, skincare and relaxation experiences formulated & handcrafted in our rural atelier in Bedfordshire, UK to lower stress levels, infuse moments of joy, and improve wellbeing.
All our products are 100% natural, designed to feel luxurious for sensitive skin. We create truly natural wellbeing rituals that help you rediscover the joy of self-care.
What I love: The care that Mathilde puts into selecting what goes into her products and also how beautiful and special they feel. The wax tablets are like little artworks.
Fun fact: Mathilde lives in the same village as me, I didn't know this when we moved here earlier this year and we were already following each other on social media.
Price range: £6-40
Shop: https://mythyn.com/
Follow: @mythynofficial
Art Star
Art Star Folded Paper Star Kits are fun and easy to make and add a burst of colour and joy to any home! The craft kits are beautifully packaged and would make a great gift for anyone aged 7 upwards.
They are made in London from FSC certified paper and 10% of Jo's profits are donated to UK Food Banks.
What I love: I love anything a bit crafty that also doesn't take too long to do and these look brilliant. In Sweden leading up to Christmas you will find advent lights or stars in almost every window and it's very magical.
Fun fact: I started Art Star after being handed a box of dodgy plastic Christmas decorations in an office last year...I thought there had to be a better way!!
Price range: £1-10
Follow: @art_star_london
Also the Bison
An Emporium of Technicolour Wonders, Designed in London, Sustainably Made with Local Businesses.
Maddie use all natural and recycled materials and all of her products are made in the UK, except the trays which are made on a small island off the coast of Sweden!
What I love: I love that Maddies range is colourful and playful, these wooden decorations would make beautiful and very special gift tags that can then be hung in the tree and kept forever.
Fun fact: Also the Bison is named after the fact that my best friend and I have matching bison cuddly toys: Heinrich the Bison and Also Heinrich the Bison.
Price range: £1.50-259
Follow: @alsothebison
Cotton Fox
Ros design and make soft toys, fun wall art, Christmas stockings and fashionable bags from her truly unique illustrations, that celebrate the magic of childhood.
All textiles are professionally printed in the UK on premium Oekotex certified fabrics with eco -friendly inks, making them safe for little ones and kinder to the environment. Toys are CE marked and can be enjoyed from birth and everything is finished off by hand.
What I love: Ros's toys are so sweet and have a nod to another era but with a modern twist.
Fun fact: I offer gift wrapping with every purchase because I believe the details matter, every item is beautifully wrapped with a gift card option, making it easier to send products directly as a present, saving busy parents time and worry this Christmas.
Price range: £10-60
Follow: @cottonfoxprints
My Papercut Forest
My Papercut Forest is a playground for Silvina's imagination, a place to try out new ideas, artworks and designs. She creates, makes and sells a range of artworks including paper cut sculpture boxes, miniature paper domes, illustrations, prints, greeting cards, and loads of other unique objects. All designs are by me, and all items are handmade with love in Brighton, UK.
What I love: All of Silvina's pieces are so intricate and yet simple and they must take so much time to put together with such care. Really different to anything out there and so special.
Fun fact: Forests are my favourite places in the world. I take the family for walks in the countryside as much as I can. Since a young age, I’ve loved camping and being outdoors. My name “Silvina” in Latin means “from the woods”, so I wanted to incorporate that to the name. And the three trees in the My Papercut Forest logo symbolize my three children. They are the air to my lungs.
Price range: £10-40
Follow: @mypapercutforest
I would love to hear if you enjoyed having a look through this guide and what small businesses you will support this Christmas. Tag me over on Instagram, @small_business_collaborative, if you decide to pick up anything from any of these wonderful small businesses.