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 will make everyone smile whilst also strengthening the small businesses of the UK - what could be better?
With a range of fun gifts for everyone from sequin decorations to handmade jewellery, I'm sure you will be able to find a gift to make your loved ones smile from this hand-picked guide.
Another category in this small business gift guide is dedicated to gifts that will make everyone smile! These gifts are very fun and are made to bring happiness not only this Christmas but for many Christmas's to come!
I would love to see what 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.
Paper and Word
Our protective sleeves range in sizes to cushion your paperbacks, hardbacks, Nintendo Switch and eReaders. They are made by hand in limited edition small batches at our studio in Cheshire, England, since 2018.
With new collections released every month, you will be able to find something that matches your favourite book, your aesthetic, or to add to your growing collection.
We are a female founded, climate positive, small team of four. We offset our carbon footprint by using profits to fund planet-saving projects across the earth. We also plant a tree with every order + ship everything with compostable, recycled or recyclable packaging.
These bookshelves just make me smile, reading is such a feelgood thing for so many of us so I'm sure I am not alone in this. Perfect gift for yourself, a book lover or any commuter.
Meet Small Business Owner Abby: Abby started Paper and Word after beginning a job at a design agency in Liverpool… the 40min train journey meant epic reading time, but also meant lugging a book in her Kanken everyday started to take a toll on the tomes.
It was impossible to find beautiful book sleeves with a good amount of padding in other stores or online, so she began to make her own… the rest, as they say, is history.
Price Range: £18-26
Website: https://www.paperandword.com/
Follow on Instagram: @paperandword
Alice Stewart Jewellery
Alice Stewart Jewellery is made for those drawn to the call of the wild. Intended to be treasured and kept, each piece is consciously handcrafted to capture the most subtle details of nature and its timeless, enduring beauty. Alice Stewart jewellery is striking and subtle; delicate, understated and uniquely graceful jewellery, designed to be treasured forever.
Collecting delicate sycamore seed pods and watching them spiral through the air brings back joyful childhood memories, so Alice wanted to recreate these moments in the Make a Wish Upon A Sycamore Necklace. The grand Sycamore tree native to Britain, throughout ancient history has been a symbol of strength and protection. Available in both gold plated sterling silver and silver, this playful necklace perfectly complements the other pieces in the Down to the Woods Collection.
A piece of jewellery can bring back a memory and can be one of the most thoughtful gifts. I love how all of Alice pieces are delicate and thoughtfully designed and created. So such a great self-purchase or gift.
Meet Small Business Owner Alice: Alice is an award winning nature inspired jewellery designer, who has been in business for a decade. She designs and makes each piece within her signature nature inspired collection from her leafy garden studio in Warwickshire, as well as working on bespoke commissions such as nature inspired engagement and wedding ring
Price Range: £50-270
Follow on Instagram: @alicestewartjewellery
Fat Pom Poms
Even if you're not a glittery person, I think Christmas is a great time to embrace the festiveness of these earrings. I've been known to sport light-up reindeer ones on Christmas jumper day so when I came across Jess's makes a couple of years ago I was so happy so I'm glad to share these with you. all.
A quick fix for a boring outfit and an even quicker fix for a boring zoom call!
The Tinsel Pom Pom earrings were first created in 2016 but actually became bestsellers when the fabulous Fearne Cotton wore them! The tinsel earring trend took off and since then have become a firm favourite throughout the whole year. Our Rainbow Tinsels are 100% people's colour of choice!
Meet Small Business Owner Jess: Fat Pom Poms is a one-woman brand focusing on Accessories, Homeware & DIY Kits. Jess, the woman behind the brand, has been making since 2014 when she started in her hometown of Deal, Kent. Jess started off making pom poms - all kinds of pom poms from earrings to necklaces to sculptures, the list goes on, and over the years has slowly expanded her use of materials to include epoxy resin, tinsel & glitter.
An important part of Jess's work is to reuse waste material and use as many second-hand materials as she can.
Price Range: £13.99-275
Website: https://fatpompoms.co.uk/
Follow on Instagram: @fatpompoms
AMBA Jewellery
AMBA is a jewellery brand for women working to be their multifaceted selves. I have a stunning, sophisticated, yet playful collection - AMBA is multifaceted by nature! We use sustainable packaging and provide a two-year warranty, followed by lifetime repairs for a small fee.
The majestic Annie Rainbow Bracelet contains an array of pastel stones to bring a pop of colour to any outfit - playful and sophisticated, just like the AMBA brand! Annie is plated in 18k gold and is easily adjustable. I love jewellery, but I love our planet more. So, I have ensured our pieces last for the long-haul. We provide repairs if they do become damaged.
This bracelet is an easy way to add a little bit of colour to make you smile and with it being adjustable it will fit lots of different sized wrists for easy gift giving.
Meet Small Business Owner Jess: I started AMBA because I wanted to create a job that resonates with me. I love jewellery, and my brand is about being your authentic multifaceted self - a topic I am passionate about.
With AMBA, I encourage other women to get to know their different sides better, as it took me a long time to figure out that I'm happier being true to myself. After all what is jewellery, but a vehicle to express yourself?
Price Range: £49-130
Website: https://ambajewellery.com/
Follow on Instagram: @ambajewellery
Kate Gwilliam
Kate Gwilliam is the Queen of Sequins, re-creating everyday objects in perfect detail out of embroidered sequins. This can range from the delightful friend Larry the Lobster to a packet of salt.
Working entirely by hand and by hand-guided machine each piece is a work of art, made in the UK by Kate and The Mumtern in her UK based studio. Kate’s mission is to make the mundane marvellous, her inspiration comes from the aisles of supermarkets and packaging bringing a nostalgic sense of joy to her pieces.
The gingerbread house evokes memories of families coming together and making then together, this ornament is the perfect gift to remind you of those times and to start you off on your Christmas ornament collection, or perhaps to celebrate a first Christmas in a new home!
Meet Small Business Owner Kate: Sequins and beads have long been a part of Kate’s embroidery practice, even as a child a bit of a magpie, collecting sparkly things from vintage trims and buttons to glassware if it had a hint of sparkle it magically appeared in her collection.
This love for sequins continued to inspire Kate throughout her career in fashion and but the lack of creativity made her go freelance designing for an embroidery studio.
Then one Christmas Kate created some hanging sequin avocados, it was the year of avocado toast taking over the world and she knew she found her new path.
Price Range: £20-120
Website: https://kategwilliam.com/
Follow on Instagram: @kategwilliam
CoconuTacha
CoconuTacha was founded in 2015 by graphic designer and tea-lover, Natacha Pope. Beginning on Etsy, Natacha sold her art prints and illustrations online, while steadily growing a following on social media. After graduating with a degree in Graphic Communication, Natacha decided that it was time to take CoconuTacha to the next level.
Bring all the sunshine and good vibes with this bright and happy desk pad. Complete with all the sections you'll need to organise your day-to-day life. From appointment lists to self-care sections, a water tracker and general to-do list. Schedule what's important and what can wait until tomorrow to gain clarity in your work/life balance.
I love a good list, preferably handwritten and messy! Well, I would prefer it to be less messy but never seem to manage. Stationery makes excellent gifts as there are so many stationery lovers out there.
Meet Small Business Owner Natacha: I'm Natacha and I'm the founder of CoconuTacha. I'm a graphic designer who's obsessed with good cups of tea, house plants (and trying not to kill them) and colourful, uplifting design.
With products, illustrations and accessories designed to uplift, motivate and inspire my audience, my little business has grown and now supplies a range of products on my website and boutiques across the UK. From greeting cards to art prints, enamel pins to desk calendars, you'll be sure to find something special to give as a gift, or keep for yourself!
Price Range: £3-34.99
Website: https://coconutacha.com/
Follow on Instagram: @coconutacha
ROVE Knitwear
ROVE was founded in 2013 shortly after Designer Rose parted ways with the fast-fashion industry. It began as a side hustle, working after hours at a workstation set up around the kitchen table. The label was born from a desire to find quality, long lasting knitwear manufactured in Britain using British spun wool. The brand has evolved with the modern day need for sustainable, low impact clothing by offering organic, natural, recycled or biodegradable materials as well as a traceable production process. The bi-annual collections showcase staple knitwear designs each with their own uniqueness. Products have been developed to outlive trends and last a lifetime.
Our new organic cotton socks are soft and breathable to take you through from season to season in comfort. These everyday marl socks have been designed with a subtle chequerboard pattern to add a stylish accent to your outfit. Finished with a soft elasticated rib to keep your socks in place without digging into your calf. These socks were knitted in Derbyshire by a long established factory which we have been keen to work with for a very long time.
Meet Small Business Owner Rose: A connection to nature, simplicity of living, and a strong sense of community were common threads in Rose’s upbringing. Hailing from a family of seamstresses and artists, Rose Brown grew up in a creative environment soaking up the craft skills surrounding her. Her upbringing was steeped in the honesty and industriousness of two self-employed parents. This, paired with her mother’s passion for growing, recycling and repurposing cemented her appreciation for — and protection of — our environment.
Price Range: £18 - 128
Website: https://roveknitwear.com/
Follow on Instagram: @rove.knitwear
Jeff and the Squirrel
Jeff and the Squirrel is an eco friendly and sustainable small business based in Yorkshire. We sell colourful greeting cards, stationery and small wooden gifts that are bound to put a smile on your face! We're proud to use 100% recycled and biodegradable materials to create our products and you won't find any plastic in our packaging - unless it's being reused!
The Positivity Box is filled with lots of eco-friendly stationery items and is perfect for gifting. The box contains an 'I am Strong' badge, which is biodegradable and compostable after use, a 'You Are Enough' pen which is made from recycled water bottles, as well as an A6 notebook, 2 greeting cards and 2 postcards, all of which are made from 100% recycled paper. The positive messaging and bright colours are designed to uplift you during difficult times.
The box is available both as a one-off purchase and as a subscription box. Subscription boxes are the Christmas gift that keeps on giving.
Meet Small Business Owners Stevie and Alex: Jeff and the Squirrel was born in March 2020 after Stevie's wedding photography business pretty much closed overnight (oh hi Rona!). Running a stationery business was always something Stevie wanted to do but there was just never any time. Cue the lockdown and all of a sudden there was ALL the time. It started with just a handful of greeting cards on Etsy.
The business grew quickly and in October 2020 Alex joined to help with the sticker printing, packing, customer service, coffee making and just general calming vibes.
Price Range: £1-17
Follow on Instagram: @jeffandthesquirrel
TreatBox
TreatBox creates beautifully wrapped letterbox gifts to help promote self-care and wellbeing of their customers. Each item packaged in a TreatBox is either created at TB HQ or sourced from other small independent brands. There are a range of items that are sold at TreatBox, these gifts include, build your own boxes, ready to go boxes, personalised items, subscription boxes and birthday and Christmas advent calendars.
Back in stock and with a makeover, our Positive pants keyring has been a bestseller since TreatBox was created back in 2014. This keyring is shaped in the style of some large pants and reads "Positive Pants" This keyring will make you smile whenever it catches your eye. You can either purchase this keyring separately or add it to a beautiful build your own box!
Meet Small Business Owner Zoe: TreatBox was started in 2014 by Zoe Charlton after she had moved to a new town and wanted to send a gift to her friend. After searching the internet Zoe could not find a gift which felt personal, this is when she realised she could be onto something special and started sending boxes to friends and family and selling online. After lots of hard work and endless nights in front of her laptop, Zoe now has her own warehouse and a team of dedicated staff who are passionate about TreatBox.
Price Range: £3.95-215
Website: https://treatboxuk.com/
Follow on Instagram: @treatboxuk
Knottinger
Knottinger is a design-led brand focussing on preserving the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions of fibre art and knotting by reinventing them into modern-day contemporary forms. We love our knots. We are definitely so much more than traditional macramé. At Knottinger, we bring a bit of luxury to bohemian design.
Is it a bracelet? Is it a bangle? Well, why not be both! It fastens like a bracelet and holds its form like a bangle. Here's the back story. These colour block bracelet bangles came to life when the founder was looking for something similar to add a pop of colour to her small wrists.
Coloured fibres are wrapped around recycled cotton cord and finished with gold plated brass components. This bracelet bangle is size adjustable.
Meet Small Business Owner Faryal: Our pieces include a wide variety of jewellery and a limited collection of homeware both made by fibre or influenced by knots that are consciously made to order by Faryal Aslam.
Within 2 years of starting up, as well as being stocked with many retails partners, Knottinger has had the privilege to create fibre art for various hotels in the UK, The Hepworth Wakefield and feature on BBC Radio Leeds. We are also super proud to be a Finalist in the Etsy Design Awards 2022, nominated to be 1 out of 13 in the UK and 100 others globally!
Price Range: £9-65
Website: https://knottinger.com/
Follow on Instagram: @knottingeruk
If you'd like to see the full Christmas gift guide for 2022 please visit this link.
Did any of these Christmas gifts make you smile? Do you have somebody in mind for a quirky keyring or long-lasting knitwear? 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:
