I come across so many wonderful children's brands and shops over on Instagram and I love that some are colourful and sparkly, and some are more muted and softly coloured. There's something to suit everyone's taste in this gift guide and even something for mum.
In this series of gift guides, I want to showcase some of the best small brands and stores that I've come across this year to help you with your gift-giving this Christmas. Shopping small really means something to the businesses you are supporting so thank you for reading through my guides.
Tag me over on Instagram, @small_business_collaborative, if you decide to pick up anything from any of these wonderful small businesses.
Happy Cat Kids
Happy Cat Kids is a hand-curated collection of unique children’s toys & gifts with a huge focus on sustainable play ideas including a fabulous range of wooden toys and super soft teddies made from 100% recycled plastic bottles! Always looking to bring you gifts that are just that little bit different!
As a busy working Mum Rachel felt the frustrations of what seemed like endless hours scrolling through pages and pages of websites trying to find good quality gifts with both great play value and value for money so she decided to set up Happy Cat Kids to do the hard work for you. Rachel sourced all the best quality products at great prices.
What I love: That Rachel has made it easy to find wonderful and sustainable gifts for children that are made to last.
Fun fact: I'm Rachel - Mum to two Happy Cat Kids of my own and owner of an actual Cat who is slightly less cheerful!
Price range: £2-40
Follow: @happycatkids
Georgie Murton
Impeccably handmade childrenswear, homewares & accessories. After years of experience working with some of the biggest names on Savile Road Georgie set up her own brand, combining the luxury of high-end tailoring with everyday practicality.
What I love: Everything looks so beautiful and classic but with a modern twist. Georgie makes pieces that you will want to hand down and treasure for years to come.
Fun fact: I am usually a bespoke tailor but set this up during lockdown since the industry took such a hit!
Price range: £9-159
Follow: @georgiemurtonuk
Peanut and Boo
Handmade clothes and accessories in Liberty print fabrics and sparkly keepsake gifts all handmade in Yorkshire by Chloe. Peanut and Boo use OTEX-100 certified fabrics only.
What I love: I love Liberty print fabrics and how instantly recognisable they are. To me, and I'm sure to many they feel like a little bit of luxury.
Fun fact: My daughter is my inspiration, product tester and the biggest critic of Peanut and Boo, if she doesn't like something it doesn't make the grade.
Price range: £3-70
Follow: @Peanut_and_boo_x
Lucy Miller Shop
Lucy Miller Shop is a creative studio based near Windsor, producing playful illustrations and colourful designs, used on a range of products including art prints, cushions, and placemats. Lucy aspires to brighten children’s spaces, creating places of inspiration that spark the imagination.
All illustrations are designed and printed in the UK.
What I love: Have a look at the close-ups of Lucy's prints, they are a lot more detailed than what you see at first glance. For example, look at the mane and tail of the unicorn, it's such a lovely surprise and a really nice detail.
Fun fact: Lucy Miller Shop came about when I reached a natural crossroads in my life. I was enjoying a well-established role as a Children’s Book Designer for a London publisher, but so ready to open a new chapter and start a family. Taking a year’s maternity leave gave me thinking time and inspiration. It was clear that I wanted to be creative and I had the drive to work hard to build up my own flexible business. Something I could pour my heart and soul into, and get that work/life/family balance right. Adoring everything that my Children’s Book Designer job encompassed, and becoming a mother, it was a no-brainer that I should carry on down that path of children’s design and illustration and start my own creative business experimenting with for quite some time!
Price range: £16-38
Follow: @lucymillershop
Lomie
LOMIE eco muslin Scarf Bibs fasten with a unique leather Woggle fastener. They are beautiful and so high quality that you'll want to keep dressing your wee one in them even after they are no longer needed.
Locally designed and produced, each Scarf Bib is reversible offering twice the versatility with your child's wardrobe. The fine, open weave structure of the 100% cotton muslin makes them ultra-absorbent and soft on the skin. You'll not find dribble rash on a LOMIE babe!
LOMIE has a unique Woggle fastening system which is adjustable, allowing the scarves to adapt with your growing child (2-24 months and beyond!)
It is also removable and reusable, meaning our scarves remain 100% plastic-free (no velcro or poppers here!), and 100% biodegradable and compostable at the end of their long lives.
What I love: The Woggle is so clever and I love how this means that the bibs will "grow" along with your baby so you can use them for a very long time. Less waste and more sustainable!
Fun fact: Founded by an international award-winning scientist in textile innovation, LOMIE is passionate about supporting the local textile community and both Scarf Bibs and Woggles are made within 25 miles of Lomie's home.
Price range: £12-49.50
Shop: https://lomiebaby.com/
Follow: @lomiebaby
East London Baby Co
East London Baby Co designs on-trend, wearable teething jewellery that’s totally kid-proof - it’s tuggable, chewable and washable (safety tested).
Designed and made in Katie's studio in East London.
What I love: I love that these necklaces don't look like a teething toy, they really do look like jewellery that you would want to wear.
Fun fact: East London Baby Co's Earth necklace was spotted on MP Stella Creasy whilst she debated in Parliament with new baby Hettie!
Price range: £8-18
Follow: @eastlondonbabyco
Tutti Frutti Clothing
Organic clothing and accessories for babies, children and grown-ups!
I work with 3 talented seamstresses to create clothing and accessories that are handmade in the UK in bright and fun organic cotton prints.
What I love: Ali's designs are always fun and full of colour and I love that she made herself and adult romper, it looks so comfy!
Fun fact: Tutti Frutti Clothing began when my youngest child was 18 months old. She learnt to use scissors when she was very young and used to sit on the floor and cut scraps of fabric whilst I sewed! Now she is 6 she still sits with me and cuts things up whilst I design and make things!
Price range: £5-50
Follow: @tuttifrutticlothing
Isabella and Us.
Isabella and Us. is home to the Positive Wellbeing Zine for Mums and gifts for mums that promote self-care and wellbeing. Isabella and Us. are based in Preston, Lancashire and was founded by Emma Cottam, in January 2018, four weeks after the birth of her daughter, Isabella.
Emma is passionate about encouraging mums to make time for themselves and to look after their wellbeing, and she is passionate about raising awareness of maternal mental health. Find a range of positive and supportive gifts for mums, perfect for mums to be, new mums and mums, for that little reminder of self-care.
Made and designed in UK, collaborates with other small businesses.
What I love: I think magazine publishing is exciting again with so many beautifully designed and creative indie magazines coming out and this one looks so lovely. I love the covers and how thoughtful each publication looks.
Fun fact: Isabella and Us. was set up four weeks after the birth of my daughter Isabella.
Price range: £1.50-20
Follow: @isabella_and_us
Bibbilyboo
Bibbilyboo creates award-winning waterproof dribble bibs and believes in high-quality products for baby and children. We want to contribute to slower living so we hand make our products and they are designed to grow with your child to prevent frequent upsizing of bibs.
Our eco-friendly bamboo washcloths make perfect gifts for both mum and baby, great for cleansing and removing makeup or wiping clean mucky faces at meal and bath time, and our dimple fleece blankets are perfect for newborns through to comfort blankets for smaller children.
Our bibs have won three awards this year for preventing dribble rashes and stopping wet clothes as well as mounting laundry, and are unlike any other on the market! They are designed by a mum for her own baby and manufactured in our small sewing studio in Lancashire by hand. Our fabrics are free from harmful chemicals and we support other small businesses to source our materials and grow our U.K. economy.
Award-winning (3 awards this year and one shortlist pending)
Handmade in the U.K.
Oekotex standard 100 fabrics (no harmful chemicals or dyes!)
What I love: Katie's bibs are waterproof and soft at the same time and I love how she's grown her business over the last year. I've gifted these bibs to friends over lockdown and they love them!
Fun fact: Katie taught herself to sew in order to bring to life the design of her award-winning dribble bibs. Nothing else on the market met her needs and drove her to learn new skills in order to have an easier life as a mum and keep her baby dry and rash free.
Price range: £7.99-29
Follow: @bibbilyboobibs
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.