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. Christmas is such a magical time for children so when you buy from one of these small businesses you won't only bring joy to a little one but you will also be helping to strengthen the small businesses of the UK - what could be better?
With a range of gifts for everyone from soap to children's clothing, I'm sure you will be able to find a gift for your friends and family from this hand-picked guide.
Another popular category this year is the children's category. You'll find gifts for all ages and for every budget so no matter if they are your kids or maybe a relative's child you haven't seen in a while, you will find something to suit them all.
I would love to see what children's gifts you have chosen for this year and some happy faces so don't forget to tag me and the brand on Instagram, you can find me at @small_business_collaborative.
Dotty Dungarees
Our cord collection has been a long-time favourite of our customers so this season we are expanding the range with BRAND NEW chunky cords in all our best-selling seasonal colours. They are everything you love about our classic cords... with a twist!
Our super soft corduroy dungarees have become a staple in every little wardrobe. They come with Dotty details including adjustable straps and turn-ups to make them truly last a full year, signature 100% cotton jersey lining, bespoke buttons and zip access for quick nappy changes.
Our cord is made of cotton with a small amount of essential stretch (elastane) which makes it super comfortable for children of all ages and also means our clothes can withstand whatever children throw at them! Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do which is why we have designed clothes that, thanks to generous turn-ups and adjustable straps, really do last a full year and can be passed down to siblings and friends. Their classic cut and beautiful fabrics mean they stand the test of time and trend!
Meet Small Business Owners Alice and Georgina: Dotty Dungarees is the go-to place for dungarees of every colour, shape and size! Launched in 2014 in London out of a love for the humble dungaree, we are now stocked all over the world. We pride ourselves on using classic cuts, supremely comfortable fabrics and unique designs which means that once you have bought from us, you will never look elsewhere.
Because we are such specialists, we have the time and focus to make every item in our collection not only adorable to look at but genuinely comfortable and practical, from poppers on classic Breton tops to make changing that bit easier to zips between the legs instead of poppers on baby sizes for the fastest nappy changes.
Price Range: £21-49
Website: https://dottydungarees.com/
Follow on Instagram: @dottydungarees
Little Wisteria
We made a wish and you came true', a rainbow created for all the parents out there who have had a bumpy road in pregnancy.
All the colours are completely customisable, from the ribbon, the rainbow arches and the tassel, you can choose from a vast range of colours or if you get in touch, we can create something bespoke to you. You can also change the wording to something more personal to you.
Personalised gifts are such a wonderful way to make your gifting even more thoughtful.
Meet Small Business Owner Becky : Hi, I'm Becky, I'm the owner and creator of Little Wisteria.
I create little moments of joy in the form of personalised keepsake gifts using a lightweight paper clay, catering mainly to the wedding and baby markets.
Every item is totally unique, with not a cookie cutter in sight!
Price Range: £6.50-40
Website: https://littlewisteria.com/
Follow on Instagram: @littlewisteria
The Silicone Straw Company
Charlotte set up her business with a simple mission – to create a convenient alternative to single-use plastic straws. Our products are beautifully simple in design and made using the highest quality food-grade silicone here in the UK. While some companies have their eco products made in China, we will always manufacture our straws here in the UK. It’s better for the environment and the local economy – ensuring that we promote sustainable living while controlling our ethical impact too.
I decided to start by tackling the single-use plastic straw as I have young children and soggy paper straws happened to be a bit of a headache at the time I was planning the business! They go too soggy, don’t they?
I’m currently the only company to manufacture silicone straws in the UK. I have used my engineering background to create something totally unique to me and its something I am really proud of.
Meet Small Business Owner Charlotte : Hello - I’m Charlotte Walsh and i am the founder of the Silicone Straw company. I manufacture reusable silicone straws in the UK. I’m an Engineer and also a mum of three little ones. I live with my family in a picture-postcard village in the Yorkshire Dales and feel so lucky to live somewhere that other people come on holiday. Along with the holidaymakers we love to spend sunny days down by the river with our children – picnicking, paddling, and BBQing on long lazy days.
It’s beautiful, but sometimes the aftermath isn’t. Plastic straws and other things left behind wash downstream, a reminder of the everyday single-use plastics that we use and discard on a daily basis. Seeing the impact these have on our beautiful area got me thinking – how could I use my 15 years of manufacturing experience to make being green that little bit easier?
Price Range:£3-30
Follow on Instagram: @thesiliconestrawcompany
Hooded Owls
For happy, colourful bathtimes, these Rainbow Ripples bath rocks are a colourful mix of mini 'rainbow' bath bombs. Throw them all in the water for a colourful explosion (we recommend this and guarantee squeals of delight) or use a few rocks at a time for a more subtle rainbow effect.
Watch bright ripples develop as blobs of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple pop, fizz and swirl together to create a mini rainbow in the water, and notice the juicy watermelon fragrance with hints of lime and cucumber. There's a pot of gold in every bathtime with this fun addition to the tub.
Here at Bathtime Adventures, we make all our products in small batches from our Bedfordshire workshop, using high quality ingredients and food safe colours so that our bath treats are kinder on childrens' delicate skin whilst still giving a big WOW effect in the water. And for peace of mind, all our bath bomb products are: Cosmetically tested and approved, Vegan & Vegetarian Friendly, Animal cruelty free, SLS & SLES Free, Paraben free and Nut free.
Meet Small Business Owner Hannah : Hooded Owls was born when my children outgrew their baby hooded towels and I couldn’t find any to replace them. My mum who’s a bit handy with a sewing machine, set out to make two big fluffy towels, one with a Dinosaur trim and one with a Fairy trim. Friends saw them and wanted one too so the business grew from there.
We’re known for making it easy to get children out of the bath but more recently I decided I wanted to develop a brand to help entice children into the bath too! Bathtime Adventures is our new range of novelty bath treats designed especially for primary-aged children. From colour packed bath bombs to glittery bubble baths in their favourite themes (think dinosaurs, sharks, mermaids and unicorns) now it’s easy to get them in the bath as well as out!
Price Range:£4-35
Website: https://www.hoodedowls.co.uk/
Follow on Instagram: @hoodedowls
It's Our Planet Too
Our Tool Kits for Eco Heroes are designed to connect children with our precious planet and empower parents to start conversations with children about the environment. They are available as a monthly subscription or as stand-alone activity boxes.
Each of our monthly tool kits are themed around a specific environmental concern or an endangered animal. Our activities gently explore some of the issues to help you and your little ones understand how we can make a difference. Our previous themes include: Our world is changing, Awesome African elephants, Plastic isn't fantastic and Terrific tigers.
There are 13 different elements to each box and at least 4 hours of fun to keep your little eco heroes busy. All the activities use items readily available in the home, garden or even in the recycling box! Our tool kits are designed for children aged 4 to 10 and have easy instructions, but many will need some adult supervision, particularly for the youngest children. They are 100% sustainable and plastic free.
Meet Small Business Owner Kate : At It’s Our Planet Too, our vision is for every child to believe that they have the power to protect our planet… it’s Eco Fun For Little People.
Founded by Kate, a mum of two in recognition that our children today are growing up in a world facing very real challenges. Their generation is starting to take notice of our impact and the importance of taking care of our precious planet. As a social enterprise, we commit to giving 50% of our profits back to good causes.
Price Range: £8-9.50
Website: https://www.itsourplanettoo.co.uk/
Follow on Instagram: @its_our_planet_too
Little Scholars Playground
Emmanuel and Sienna zoom into space in our solar system wooden puzzle. This puzzle is beautifully designed by us and handmade in the UK, using eco-friendly FSC wood. It also includes a FREE fact sheet.
The solar system for kids is a place of great fun and mystery – whether it’s their fascination with the stars, planets or astronauts, they love Space! It’s also STEM focused as it introduces children to Science.
Puzzles are great for children’s brain development, improving their fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, shape recognition, and visual memory.
Meet Small Business Owners Natalie and Denhue : Little Scholars Playground is a diverse children's book publishing company and early years hub. The business started after we had our baby during the pandemic and struggled to find diverse books for her. Children are always at the heart of what we do.
We’re passionate about creating high-quality toys, books, and learning resources that help children to develop and grow and that they will love and cherish. We have a combined 20 years of experience working in the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) industry. We want to encourage parents to embrace STEM for their children early on
Price Range: £1-25
Follow on Instagram: @littlescholarsplayground
The Noochkin
'I’ve got my eye on you'
Olga originally photographed this kudu antelope when we were traveling in South Africa, and she love her deep, mesmerising stare. Her beautiful eyes look right into your soul – and those lashes? Wow! This feminine print adds a touch of the wild African bush and some captivating colour to any space, whether that’s your living room or children’s playroom.
Every print is hand drawn by an artist in watercolours and then reproduced by a family-run printing company here in the UK, using responsibly sourced paper with a textured finish, giving them a hand-painted watercolour feel. Our images are timeless and are sure to become a much-loved part of your family’s story.
Meet Small Business Owner Olga : A couple of years ago I was decorating my daughter’s nursery and couldn’t find any premium-looking Art Prints. I was looking for Wall Art, that is timeless, high quality, joyful, and would not have the price tag of Fine Art. This is how the idea for my brand was born.
I built a career in Finance and lived in four countries before making a decision to follow my creative passion for making spaces prettier. I want to bring joy and colour into our homes with my brand. The Noochkin is the playful nickname of my daughter, Veronika.
Price Range: £25-65
Website: http://thenoochkin.com/
Follow on Instagram: @thenoochkin
Bibevie
Innovative, unique baby clothes with matching bibs.
Our baby outfits make the perfect gift for young babies; the integrated bib catches that dribble to give parents an easy time - no need for multiple outfit changes. The material is soft and gentle on delicate skin; a gorgeous blend of bamboo with organic cotton.
The eye-catching animal designs are embroidered for longevity, and customers can mix and match with any bib in our range to create their own signature style. These are totally unique, with clever design features built in, and made with love from a small company with big ideas.
Meet Small Business Owner Rhian : Hi, I'm Rhian, the founder of Bibevie. We sell problem-solving baby clothes, ethically and sustainably made, with easy parenting in mind. I started the business after having my daughter - I realised that baby bibs just didn't work. They'd never stay in place and they always hid the gorgeous designs on her outfits. I've created outfits where the bib is complementary; it secures in place and is part of the outfit, rather than an afterthought. Everything we do is as ethical and sustainable as we can, and our customers love the quality, practicality and style of our designs.
Price Range: £7-28
Website: https://www.bibevie.com/
Follow on Instagram: @bibevie
Victoria Catten
Pony is a screen-printed, sewn, and stuffed animal pal completely made and designed by me in my studio. Created from an original hand-drawn illustration and adapted into a screen-printed pal ready for you to keep or to gift to an animal-loving friend. Pony likes lazy days on the heath, eating dandelions and sitting under their favorite tree when the sun is beaming on a summer's day. Pony is for any age to enjoy and admire, they will be a very good companion.
Victoria wants her products to give you the childlike joy and energy that you used to feel when you were young. It makes me so happy when I see people of all ages engaging with my work.
Meet Small Business Owner Victoria : Hi I’m Victoria and I am the woman behind my self named brand, Victoria Catten. I combine Illustration and Printed Textile Design to create playful, colourful and patterned products for you and your home to enjoy.
I started my small business in January after finishing my Masters Degree in Textile Design. I created my own branded concept store full of my screen printed and illustrated goods during my final unit of the degree, and this just encapsulated everything I wanted to do, and now I have created my own brand!
Price Range: £10-24
Website: https://www.victoriacatten.com/
Follow on Instagram: @victoriacatten
Bella and Phoenix
Octopus sew-your-own kit:
This can simply be enjoyed as a tea towel or following the easy instructions; cut out, sew, and stuff to make into a bright and fun child's toy or cushion. Perfect for a first sewing project.
Silkscreen design on 100% cotton with eco-friendly water-based inks.
Debbie is passionate about ethical production, using GOTS-certified organic cotton with water-based inks. The paper stock she uses is all recycled and the packaging is biodegradable.
I love the modern yet retro feel of these tea-towel kits and the fact that they can start life as one thing and then become something else later on
Meet Small Business Owner Debbie : At Bella + Phoenix I design and print clothing for kids and illustrated goodies for the home. Two things I really love are Scandinavian design and nature! Particularly I love the idea of young explorers learning in a fun, organic way about the natural world - whether it be swotting up on nature facts with my Tee of Knowledge T-shirts, keeping cosy whilst on outdoor adventures in a hand printed organic sweater or learning a new skill with my new animal/nature sew-your-own kits.
Price Range: £3.50-38
Website: https://www.bellaandphoenix.co.uk/
Follow on Instagram: @bella_and_phoenix
If you'd like to see the full Christmas gift guide for 2022 please visit this link.
Did any of these children's Christmas gifts catch your eye? Have you now got a main present in mind for your little one or maybe a stocking filler? 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 use 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:
