More than ever before it's really important to shop small this Christmas and support our small independent businesses and that's why I'm back for the third year running with another Christmas gift guide for 2022. Double the impact of giving this festive season by gifting thoughtful presents that ooze joy whilst also strengthening the small businesses of the UK - what could be better?
With a range of fun gifts for everyone from alcohol-free cocktails to candles, I'm sure you will be able to find a gift for your friends and family from this hand-picked joyous guide.
Another category in this small business gift guide is dedicated to gifts that bring you joy! These gifts are very special and are made to bring joy not only at Christmas time but any time of the year.
I would love to see what joyous gifts you have chosen for this year, give the gift of fun and bring out the fun side in your loved ones this year. Don't forget to tag me and the brand on Instagram, you can find me at @small_business_collaborative.
Furoshiki Wrap Company
Furoshiki is a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth which can be used time and time again and in a multitude of different applications.
A red gingham furoshiki with white edging is perfect for any gifting occasion, not just Christmas. As furoshiki are infinitely reusable, each wrap will save rolls of wrapping paper from ending up in landfill.
Available in four different sizes you can wrap anything from a small jewellery box to a large boot box. Furoshiki make light work of wrapping awkward shapes too. They are quick and easy to use... no cutting paper to size or finding the end of the sticky tape, just close your gift with a double knot to make a bow.
I love the idea of "gifting" the wrap with the gift and for it to be past on to a new person with gift exchange for years to come.
Meet Small Business Owner Jane: Furoshiki Wrap Company is a family-run business based in North Devon that produces and promotes the use of furoshiki. Furoshiki are reusable fabric wraps which are an easy-to-use, zero-waste alternative to wrapping paper and sticky tape.
The company's mission is to reduce the waste produced by the UK gift industry by promoting the use of furoshiki, reusable fabric wrapping.
Price Range: £4.95-14.95
Website: https://furoshikiwrapcompany.co.uk/
Follow on Instagram: @furoshikiwrapcompany
Pigeon Posted
Thanks to their miraculous homing instincts, Pigeons have a long and honourable track record in delivering messages. The ancient Greeks sent them out to broadcast the names of victorious athletes at the original Olympic Games. And Julius Caesar employed pigeon post during his conquest of Gaul. In recent centuries, of course – ever since 1660, when King Charles II established the Post Office – the poor old pigeon’s been somewhat edged out. Pigeon post thinks it’s time to reintroduce Pigeon Post...
Pigeon is a unique little pack of folding letters, where the letter (beautifully illustrated) folds into it’s own envelope using a very neat origami fold, and is then sealed with a stamp. In the three years since they were launched, they have become extremely popular - people love using them as an alternative, slower, and more thoughtful way of keeping in touch with friends near and far. One of our latest packs has been illustrated by the renowned printmaker Angela Harding, and there are 14 other designs available on the website.
Meet Small Business Owner John: I’m a graphic designer with an engineering background, and I happen to love origami. I wanted to find a way of making letter writing fun, new, beautiful, and easy.
At Pigeon we design and sell beautifully illustrated hand-written letter packs. We came up with the idea of Pigeon after getting heartily sick of Facebook, and wanted to find a nicer, more personal way of keeping in touch with friends.
We are always coming up with new designs, and they're all printed in the UK on FSC paper.
Price Range: £6.95
Website: https://pigeonposted.com/
Follow on Instagram: @realpigeonposted
Highball Cocktails
Highball Alcohol Free Cocktails are a delicious, healthy, ready-to-serve, zero percent alternative to some of the world’s greatest cocktails. Using natural ingredients sourced from around the world, Highball Cocktails are hand-crafted in small batches in the UK.
With a focus on authenticity and flavour, our cocktails contain less than half the calories of standard cocktails and are free from artificial ingredients, sweeteners and preservatives. They are also gluten free and suitable for vegan diets. Our drinks celebrate the fine art of cocktail making, delivering a positively alcohol-free cocktail experience.
This beautifully presented, 4-bottle gift box with a selection of four of their best-selling non-alcoholic cocktails is the perfect present for friends and family, or for yourself. Contains Mojito, Pink G&T, Classic G&T, Italian Spritz. Positively alcohol-free.
Meet Small Business Owner Kate: Kate and her husband Red were seeking an alcohol-free alternative to their favourite cocktails that were delicious, convenient, and would be suitable for social occasions and drinking at home.
And because they mix alcohol-free cocktails for themselves they decided to develop a small range of their favourites.
Price Range: £1.99-21.99
Website: www.highballcocktails.com
Follow on Instagram: @highballdrinks
Single Variety Co
The perfect gift for any jam lover! This gorgeous hand-crafted gift box contains a selection of Great Taste Award Winning fruit preserves:
Maravilla Raspberry Preserve - Seriously Fruity / Passionfruit Preserve - Tantalisingly Tropical
Seville Orange Marmalade - Traditionally Bittersweet / Ben Hope Blackcurrant Preserve - Tart & Fruity
Our fruit preserves are all hand-made in small batches. We work directly with fruit farmers across the UK and further afield to source the tastiest varieties for each flavour and then ensure each jar is jam packed full with them. We use less sugar than traditional jams, allowing the fruit's true flavour to shine.
Ever since I was a teenager I loved having a long and "fancy" breakfast. Me and my friends would take time to set the table and drink orange juice from in a champagne flute and it was such a joy.
Meet Small Business Owner Nicola: Single Variety Co specialise in making seriously delicious fruit preserves & chilli jams that each showcase one single variety. Started by Nicola Simons in 2016, the family run company now produces from their very own jam factory in Bristol.
The team are proud to prep, cook, jar, label and package everything themselves in house, and quality is of the utmost importance. And it shows- every core flavour they make has won either a Great Taste Award or a Taste of the West Gold Award.
Price Range: £5.25-25
Website: https://www.singlevariety.co.uk/
Follow on Instagram: @singlevarietyco
little Betty print
Christmas Origami Greeting Cards - Why not send a Christmas card that does more than just say Merry Christmas? These cards are designed to be easily crafted into hanging festive baubles. So send them to your favourite people and also give them a lovely little craft activity to enjoy and a beautiful paper keepsake to hang on their tree.
The Scandinavian inspired designs are printed onto a lightweight paper, perfect for folding (not card) and each come with a recycled kraft envelope, metallic thread for hanging and directions to a video tutorial to gently guide you through the folding process.
I love an easy but beautiful craft and these cards fit the bill perfectly, plus, I newer quite know what to do with cards I receive so I love the idea of turning them into a keepsake.
Meet Small Business Owner Sally: little Betty print offers illustrated paper goodness in the form of greeting cards, art prints and calendars.
The unique origami cards were born out of a desire to create less waste at Christmas and also to introduce people to the lovely mindful process of paper folding.
The designs are inspired by seasonal plants and flowers and a love of simplicity expressed through pattern and colour
Price Range: £2.95 - 20
Follow on Instagram: @littlebettyprint
Ooshky
There’s some debate around adding water to whisky and it comes down to preference, but most tastings will encourage you to try the dram neat, and then again with water. That way you can taste the change in flavour and aromas as the natural oils are released.
The Ooshky whisky water jug is a unique porcelain jug for adding water to whisky. A drop of water can open out the flavours of whisky, truly enhancing the experience but it can be easy to add too much and spoil the drink.
Ooshky lets you add just a drop of water to your whisky and with full control over the flow, you will never drown your dram again. To use, simply fill, cover & pour. The larger hole is covered with your thumb and the water flow is then controlled by partially releasing your thumb.
Each one is hand made in white porcelain which lends a very pleasing experience when used.
Meet Small Business Owner Scott: Ooshky is a Scottish company that produces and sells a unique ceramic water pourer for whisky.
The name Ooshky is a play on the word Uisge - Gaelic for water and part of the phrase Uisge Beatha (pronounced ooshka bay-a) meaning water of life which gave rise to the name whisky.
Fed up with adding water to his whisky using a milk jug, Scott wanted to create something attractive and unique that would allow more control, and a step away from the traditional glass products currently available.
Price Range: £4-28
Website: https://ooshky.com/
Follow on Instagram: @ooshky_justadrop
ButterNut of London
Inspired by her home city of London; its fusion of cultures and global flavours, and her love of food Zoe crafts daring flavour combinations and delivers them up in sensational nutty pleasures.
The result is a range of award-winning small batch nutty feasts made to meticulous standards from ethically sourced organic ingredients. At ButterNut of London everything we make bursts with flavour and big ideals!
Rose & Pistachio Butter description: A sumptuously rich and creamy pistachio nut butter infused with the delicate musky notes of rose. Handmade in small batches from the finest sustainably sourced organic ingredients this nut butter is an unrivalled mix of healthy, indulgent and luxurious. It won 2* at the Great Taste awards in 2019.
Meet Small Business Owner Zoe: Our founder, Zoe Roberts, was inspired to create ButterNut of London as a result of her life-long passion for peanut butter.
“For me cooking and eating together is an integral part of my family and social life. Whether we’re celebrating, commiserating… or just simply being. I believe food is so much more than sustenance. It’s creativity, pleasure, culture, tradition, therapy, unity….
Nothing brings people together like good food!”
Price Range: £5.50-13.95
Website: https://www.butter-nut.com/
Follow on Instagram: @butternutoflondon
Sandwickbay candles
A sustainable, luxury and timeless alternative to advent calendars that will add a cosy winter aroma to your home. In the lead up to Christmas, candle lovers can countdown to Christmas with our large Advent Candle, featuring a laser-etched Advent calendar on a ruby red glass container.
Our Advent Candle is available in our bestselling Festive Cranberry fragrance – a sparkling wintery delight of cranberries with top notes of juniper berries and elderberries.
Each candle will be packaged in a kraft paper box with a ‘Open in December’ sticker seal and an added candle care card to get the most out of your candle.
Growing up my brother and I would argue about who would get to light the advent candle. Even so it's something I remember fondly and to this day I always have an Advent candle burning in December.
Meet Small Business Owner Megan: Sandwick Bay Candles are a handcrafted soy candle company based in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. From small beginnings making candles on the kitchen table in 2016 Sandwick Bay candles has grown from a one-woman operation to a team of over 7 people making candles, reed diffusers, wax melts and more.
All our candles are made in small batches using 100% natural soy wax, premium fragrances and pure cotton wicks. The entire collection is vegan, cruelty free and phthalate free – always! All of our products are developed, produced, tested, packed and shipped from our island workshop to your home.
Price Range: £8-28
Website: https://sandwickbaycandles.com/
Follow on Instagram: @sandwickbaycandles
The Little Leopard Co.
Thoughtfully curated gift boxes to bring a smile to that special someone in your life. We wanted to offer our customers something different from existing gift box companies.
With our Afternoon Tea Leopard Gift Box being a best seller, we have created our Limited Edition Festive edition. Enjoy our festive twist on a classic afternoon tea from the comfort of your own home. A selection of tantalising festive flavours to be enjoyed this Christmas period. Presented in a premium Little Leopard branded keepsake box, hand wrapped in tissue paper, with an option to include a personalised handwritten message.
Is there anything more joyous than sharing food? It brings us together and connects us so this gift box is the perfect way to share that with someone. Plus, those Ginger biscuits inside this box are so yummy and so big!
Meet Small Business Owner Millie: Combining my passions for shopping small and gifting, The Little Leopard Co. was born in June 2020. The Little Leopard Co. offers thoughtfully curated gifts boxes, with items exclusively selected from other independent UK businesses.
Each gift box gives a gentle nod to my love of leopard print and sustainability is hugely important to us as a business; where we ensure all of our packaging is reusable and recyclable.
Price Range: £20-50
Website: https://www.thelittleleopard.co/
Follow on Instagram: @thelittleleopardco
Genealityart
Genealityart creates eclectic, highly illustrated wall art and paper stationery combining everyday life and fantasy. Giftable screen prints, cards and wrapping papers feature subjects such as coffee, houseplants and flying animals for a bit of tactile quirkiness.
All Genealityart products are recycled, recyclable or compostable and are designed and printed in Norwich, UK.
This pack of 6 whimsical wildlife Christmas cards features two of each fox, reindeer and penguin designs. The A6 cards are made from FSC certified stock, come with kraft envelopes and are packaged plastic-free in a recycled brown card display box.
Meet Small Business Owner Beverley: Beverley creates hand-illustrated prints, murals and paper stationery inspired by all of life, nature, urban environments and fantasy in a decorative 'montage' style.
With over 10 years of illustration and printmaking experience, her intricate line-art style is replicated using sustainable materials and printmaking processes to create original and imaginative wall art, stationery and products for home & office.
Beverley works from her back garden studio where she draws, digitises and screen prints alongside her noisy, hairy sidekick Alfie.
Price Range: £2.20-35
Website: https://www.genealityart.com/
Follow on Instagram: @genealityart
If you'd like to see the full Christmas gift guide for 2022 please visit this link.
Did any of these Christmas gifts to bring joy catch your eye? Do you have somebody in mind for a Japanese food wrap or a gift pack of delicious fruit preserves? I would love to hear if you have supported any of the small businesses featured so don't forget to tag me over on Instagram, @small_business_collaborative.
Thank you so much to all the brands who got involved this year. I've loved discovering so many new brands and as usual, kept a lot of things on my Christmas wish list.
If you also enjoyed the photography used in the gift guide then I'd like to give a huge shoutout to Emily - we had a lovely shoot at her home, creating these amazing images and if you'd like the same for your business then she is kindly offering all gift guide readers a discount if you book before the end of 2022.
You can find her offers on page 16 of the gift guide or below:
