In the last few years we have noticed that Galentine’s Day is getting almost as much celebration, marketing and promotion as Valentine’s Day itself. It’s really not surprising as women make approximately 70-85% of consumer purchases in the United States. With those numbers, a day celebrating single or divorced women (50-52% of U.S. women) would be quite advantageous.
We decided to dedicate this blog to ideas for Galentine’s Day celebrations with you and your besties that incorporate experiences, smaller local brands and creating new skills. All will generate moments to bond with your friends and make memories to celebrate Gal-Dom.
UPCYCLE JEWELRY PARTY
Do you have an engagement ring or wedding band that you no longer have any use of? Did you inherit a piece of jewelry that is not to your taste or you may deem too old fashion? Do you have any piece in your jewelry collection that you feel can be updated and glammed up? Well we recommend having an “Upcycle Jewelry Party”.
This requires inviting a local jewelry designer of your choice to a gathering at your home or event place of your choice. You can even host an after hours event at a jewelry boutique with the owner.
Recently I saw the collection of jewelry designer Yael Sonia at one of my favorite jewelry and objects boutique Atelier d’Emotion located in SoHo Village, NYC. The boutique is owned by Alice Sundbom and it was at one of her trunk shows when I told her I had jewelry that did not fit my taste. She recommend that a jewelry designer upcycle and redesign the piece. We thought this would make a great event for Galentine’s Day and all the women who had jewelry pieces or stones that needed a fresh new start. Also if you provide the gem stones, the price of the piece goes considerably down.
Yael Sonia’s pieces are perfect for upcycling stones from rings or necklaces for a fresh out of the box design. A piece that can be translated for your gemstones is her “Spinning Ring”. The ring has an unorthodox design in that there is a circle concave with a 6.5mm white diamond pavé ball inside rolling around in motion. This ring can be recreated to have your stone of similar size and weight roll around. It’s actually a fun ring to own as you can see from the short video below.
Another ring style from Sonia is the “Meteor Brilliant Ring” where a smooth cabochon sits at the center of planetary rings made of 18k gold and diamond pavé. Your stone can replace the stone in this design that can vary in size according to the stone.
If you have any pearl earrings or pearl rings that you feel are quite basic, Yael Sonia has a selection of rings that can breathe in new life to your pearl and transform it into a contemporary piece of art.
Yael Sonia “Tahitian Pearl surrounded by Pave Diamonds”
Have a discussion with your favorite local jewelry designer and see their capabilities and ideas for recreating jewelry pieces and gems that you would love to reinvent and how this can be the perfect Galentine’s Day event.
HAVE A CUSTOM FRAGRANCE MADE FOR YOU
A fun and creative experience to share with your friends is to invite a perfumer over to create a special scent made just for you. This can be done with your local perfumer or you can go to olfactorynyc.com in New York City where you can either go in-store where everyone leaves with their very own custom perfume – bottled fresh on-site! Olfactory provides your party wine and light refreshments (maximum capacity of 25). Olfactory also has On-Site mobile Scent Stations to make it easy to create this unforgettable experience at your home in NYC. If you are not near New York City Olfactory also offers Virtual Guided Instructions, where their scentologists guide you over Zoom in the comfort of your own home where you will be sent supplies ahead of the event. Olfactory is also located in Boston, DC, Miami, Atlanta and Dallas.
Together with your friends you can mix notes with their key 9 fragrances to find your perfect scent.
Your scentologist will help guide you in creating your scent.
You get to choose a name for your perfume, which will be stamped on your unique label, then select a custom label color.
TAKE A DESSERT CLASS TOGETHER
How about you and your friends make your own Galentine’s Day dessert with a dessert class?
You can attend a local cooking school that offers dessert making classes and create your own classic Valentine’s Day dessert. You can also hire a dessert chef to come to your home to teach you and your friends how to make a variety of desserts such as macarons, tiramisu or even Galentine’s Day cookies.
A great choice for dessert classes is CocuSocial where classes vary from $55 to $75 per person depending on the dessert you chose. You will learn step-by-step how to achieve the perfect dessert with your friends, all levels are welcomed and in two hours you will learn a new delicious skill that you and others will appreciate.
You have clothes you love but have not worn in ages or don’t fit you anymore. Dieting to fit into clothes you wore in your 20’s is not an option anymore. You can go on Poshmark and have your clothes ignored as it is a full time job to promote your closets there. You can go to a consignment shop and get insulted at the price they are willing to give you only to turn around and offer it at a ridiculous price. You can donate them but you love them so much and want to make sure they go to a good home where they will be loved and treasured (akin to rehoming your pet). Well may I recommend a clothes swapping party!
Swap parties are reminisce of bartering.
Invite your friends to come over and to bring pieces that they too are not using anymore but love just as much as you love your pieces and see if there are any pieces you all can swap. It’s a great way to recycle your clothes and I bet there are pieces in your wardrobe they have been eyeing for ages and vice-versa. Shoes, accessories and handbags are also great to swap especially the accessories and handbags since there is no issue with sizes. Even jewelry pieces you don’t wear or treasure can be a great addition to swap parties. Add some wine and pizza and you have not only a great evening but a great new wardrobe. Make sure everyone understands to bring worthwhile pieces not that t-shirt that has been at the bottom of your draw for ages. One other added bonus, if you ever want to borrow a piece you swapped out hopefully your friend is generous to lend it out to you.
Clothing Swap parties are a guaranteed sustainable way to celebrate Galentine’s Day.
FLOWER ARRANGING CLASS
What is a way to guarantee you will not feel sad about not receiving a floral bouquet on Valentines Day? Learn how to make a bouquet on Galentine’s Day!
Creating your own bouquet on Galentine’s Day is not only a way to walk home with some lovely flowers but it will also help you learn a skill that will always come in handy and be much appreciated especially if you love to entertain or want to give great hostess or birthday gifts.
You can Google your local florists to find classes for you and your friends to attend. In New York City, PlantShed is offering a special Galentine’s Day floral arranging class that includes “a selection of fresh seasonal plants or flowers, a demonstration, tips and tricks from our talented PlantShed floral designers or plant specialists, and all the materials you will need to build and safely transport your stunning creation.” They will also provide a beverage from their cafe and give you a 20% discount for in-store shopping.
Grocery stores like Trader Joes and Wholefoods offer flowers at affordable prices and here is your chance to pick from their selection and create beautiful bouquets for yourself to come home to everyday or give as gifts.
What’s a more productive and heartfelt way to spend Galentine’s Day than to do a volunteer project together!
Volunteering at City Harvest.
Here is a way to bond by making the world better (as women usually do). This can be volunteering for political or social campaigns, protesting (something we seem to be doing more and more these days), helping with food insecurity for organizations such as City Harvest or fundraise for them. There is an organization in New York City called New York Cares that gives you opportunities to do a wide variety of volunteer projects that fit in with your schedule. You can Google to see what organizations near by you have opportunities to volunteer in a cause you feel passionate about.
Rachel Dratch helping promote New York Cares Coat Drive.
Go on a group protest with your friends for Galentine’s Day (and copious amounts of hot chocolate after).
HOST A VISION BOARD PARTY
One of the most fun and creative ways you can spend time together with your friends for Galentine’s Day is to host a vision board party. As someone that has been hosting vision board parties for over 18 years now, it is the modern day version of the old timey quilting bees.
Helping each other make goals is a beautiful way to spend Galentine’s Day together.
Ask your friends come bringing magazines of subject matters they enjoy or are passionate about (and a bottle of wine) and you provide lots of scissors, paste sticks, large pieces of paper or pasteboards, pizza and snacks. You then flip through the magazines and tear out images that resonate to you. You start arranging your board lining it up with images that reflect the lifestyle you desire and want goals to attain (i.e. love life, career, health, travel, family, home, etc.)
Vision Board parties are a very bonding experience.
While you are creating your board you are having a nice catch up with your friends and sharing your goals in life. When done, just give a little show-and-tell and get important feed back from your friends and let them know what you think of their board to give encouragement. Get back together six months later to review your boards and you will be amazed at how much you have accomplished. Then set new goals. If you want any advice on Vision Boards email us at info@thelocalartisanguide.com and we will send you a PDF on the subject.
SPA DAY (OR evening)
Is there nothing a women loves more than a spa day (or evening) with her friends? You can gather a group of your friends to attend a spa together and do spa treatments or take a sauna or steam for rest and relaxation. Or you can host a spa evening at your home and have your friends bring a variety of beauty treatment for all to try. These can be clean products and home made beauty treatments using organic products.
The old cucumber on the eye trick never fails (and is inexpensive).
Have each friend be in charge of a beauty treatment. One can supply under eye masks, while the other gives a honey facial, while another does a manicure and another a pedicure. There are lots of clean, holistic products to use, we love and recommend products from The Alchemists Kitchen, especially their Turmeric Honey Face Mask.
Make sure you have a nice charcuterie board, a healthy mocktail and lots of candles going for this fun, relaxing evening where you can share some juicy gossip, talk about how crazy Ryan Murphy’s latest shows are and let your friends give you some advice on your love life and dating in the wild.
HAVE A POT LUCK DINNER
If there is one thing women love doing is getting together and having a good meal. Why not curate an elegant evening with a gourmet potluck? It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive (unless that’s what you gals want). Cooking for the ones you love is one of the best and more creative ways to show someone you care about them.
Set up a beautiful tablescape to show your friends how special they are to you.
Arrange what everyone will bring. Have a friend put together a colorful charcuterie board, another one make an amazing salad, another friend make some vegetarian or gluten free dishes (there is definitely going to be the gluten free girlfriend attending), another tackle a meat or fish dish, maybe someone bakes a sourdough loaf (my friend are still sourdough crazy from lockdown) and another make an amazing dessert (they took that macaron class). One can even be in charge of being a mixologist for the evening and creating yummy cocktails and mocktails for the crowd. Set a beautiful table, you can go to Global Table to make sure you have beautiful glassware for those amazing drinks. Make a floral arrangement (remember you learned in your class), have all your friends dress up for the evening (with that swap party you have new clothes to wear). Screen a romantic movie after dinner with a strong female lead and have an evening you will always remember with the women in your life that are your support group.
A toast to a special evening with your Galentines friends.
HAVE AN EVENING TO PLAN A FUTURE GIRLS TRIP WITH YOUR FRIENDS AT A CHâTEAU
Or just an Airbnb in the next town. What more bonding moment to celebrate your Galentine’s besties than with a trip to create memories together without the hassles that come with a hen weekend, destination wedding or milestone birthday? It’s just you and the gals having an adventure together in a different locale.
A dancing and bonding moment at Camp Château.
Get together on Galentine’s Day at your favorite watering hole and start planning a trip together! We were only half joking when we recommended to plan a trip to a chateau. At Camp Château in France they offer two châteaux to chose from to have the ultimate posh camp experience with your female friends. It’s an all inclusive, six day/five night experience where you get to curate your own activities by choosing what they have to offer. Some of the activities they offer are; hiking, foraging, flower pressing, candlemaking, watercolors, perfume making, wine tasting, cooking classes, exploring markets, visiting a vineyard, music concerts, swimming, board games, silent disco and so much more!! You sleep together in fancy bunk beds (remember this is bonding trip) but you will still feel like a princess. You can do an activity alone or with your friends. There is a waiting list so sign up fast for this once in a lifetime Galentine experience.
A trip with the special women in your life will always be a trip worth taking.
That said finding time to get away together doesn’t need to be so extravagant. Maybe you have availability to a weekend home or chip in together for an airbnb or vrbo? You can create your own version of a Camp Château by everyone in the group finding fun activities to do together and explore.
It is said one of the reasons women live longer than men is because they share a community, their lives, their feelings , their hopes and dreams with each other which translates to a healthy body and mind. Maybe that is the real reason Galentine’s Day is growing to be so popular. Women are just officially acknowledging a love and companionship like no other. Happy Galentine’s Day!
Our last holiday shopping gift guide for 2025 is “Gifts for All!”
The selections we curated are gifts for friends, family, colleagues, strangers, Secret Santas and Hostess Gifts. We have have selected gifts from around the world with diverse categories and price ranges. We picked gifts that stood out to us from shops you might not know as they are small independent brands. Some of the gifts are quirky, some are beautiful and rarefied, some have a degree of practicality and all are created by artisans. We do know they would welcomed greatly by the recipient.
All selections are featured online to purchase, just click onto the caption beneath the image. We hope these gifts inspired you to shop far and wide and out of the box. This category is our most fun because it can be anything. We highly encourage imagination, generosity and the joy of giving for the holidays.
MELODY ROSE LONDON - KISSING COUPLE BONE CHINA PLATE
Melody Rose London is a tableware brand established in 2012 by artist and designer Melanie Roseveare. The brand is known for its elegantly eccentric high-quality fine bone china tableware and home textiles, perfect for lovers of eccentric designs, perfect for maximalists and lovers of beauty. This brand for chinaware is sustainable and has a low carbon footprint. It is generated from a third-generation pottery in Burselm, Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Each piece is handmade, celebrating the best of British craftsmanship and the finest materials. Attention to detail remains key, right down to the hand-painted yet dishwasher-friendly 22kt burnished gold finish on each piece of bone china. We picked “Kissing Couple Bone China Plate” with a depiction of a Victorian couple in a kiss. It’s perfect for newly weds or someone who wants a more unique plate set. It comes in three sizes which you can buy separately or together. It’s one of those gifts that you might actually want to keep for yourself. If you want to buy in the U.S.A. it is available at Wolf & Badger.
LA FUNDIDORA - PARTY SET SALSAS AND COOKING SAUCES
After all our travels this year there is no way we could not recommend a gift from one of our favorite artisan countries, Mexico! Besides it’s beautiful craftsmanship we decided to go with a much more tastier gift and that is authentic Mexican salsas and sauces from family run La Fundidora. Founded by Mexican City natives who now reside in Brooklyn, NY. they missed the authentic artisanal small batch salsas and sauces they had grown up on. Salsas in NYC were watery and tasted very different from home. The La Fundidora products are handmade in small batches using traditional methods, ensuring quality and flavor and there are no preservatives, artificial flavors or sweeteners, they only use fresh ingredients. We recommend for gifts “The Legend” a pack of three salsas; Fresca, Fuego and Humo and “The Party Pack” which consists of Fresca, Ambar and Luna. Either three pack (or all six if you want to be invited back to your friend’s house in the Hamptons) is going to be a memorable gift especially for the foodie in your life. La Fundidora also has a collection of authentic Mexican cooking sauces that are also small batch, handmade and made with local ingredients. La Fundidora was founded based on a mission to revive the lost art of small batch, traditional salsa making and proceeds go back to help their native communities which is a win/win gift!
ABC Home is one of the top destinations in New York City for artisan home goods. What originally started as a carpet and rug store eventually grew into presenting other home decor categories such as textiles, glassware, tableware, bedding and more. The holiday season at ABC Home is especially magical. The artisan holiday decor and decorations are some of the best in the city, especially their ornaments. We had a hard time choosing a theme much less an ornament. So we decided to recommend the Deep Sea Octopus Ornament since a “Under the Sea” tree is bound to be a colorful, beautiful and fun tree. Crafted in glass with exquisite detail, this elevated aquatic ornament brings gorgeous color to your holiday home. Available in Orange, Pink, and Purple. Dimensions: 1" W x 3" L x 4.5" H. It will definitely be a keeper as a gift for years to come.
AEDES - MILLER ET BERTAUX - IN THE TEMPLE SCENT DIFFUSER
AEDES is one of our favorite artisanal perfume boutiques in New York City. When we want to find highly curated fragrances we go to this jewel box of a boutique. AEDES perfumery is dedicated to exclusive, artisanal scents. Established in 1995 in New York's West Village, it relocated to the Lower East Side since 2018 presenting an array of small international brands besides their own AEDES DE VENUSTA. We immediately knew an amazing gift would be a room scent diffuser. We fell in love with the scent of Miller et Bertaux’s In the Temple Scent Diffuser. Miller and Bertaux’s In the Temple is a soothing woody fragrance that soothes stress. Its duo cedar-sandalwood, patchouli leaf is made for fans of mystical incense. The top notes are incense, the middle notes are Patchouli, immortelle, smoked cedar and the base notes are Sandalwood. The bottle is a beautifully crafted clear glass container. This gift will have the recipient treat their home like the temple it should be.
The Local Artisan Guide loves recommending books as gifts especially when it’s purchased through independent book stores. However we are recommending a very special type of book, an artist book from ARTIKA BOOKS. ARTIKA is a publishing house specialized in artist books created in collaboration with world renowned artists. Established in 2003, Artika has become an exclusive publishing label that has globally redefined the concept of the artist’s book. Artika has been dedicated to creating books that are beautiful works of art. ARTIKA has succeeded in elevating luxury to the publishing industry, producing unique books that offer a level of excellence unparalleled in the 21st century, true works of art in their own right. The books are a collaboration with hand-pressed paper with its opulent thickness on each page, and the exquisite design and craftsmanship of each case or sculpture, among other elements. ARTIKA includes a Study Book and Art Book in which Fernando Botero was fully involved in the development of; he personally supervised, reviewed and approved all the pieces, and in particular, the 34 drawings in the series. Price is upon request as this is a pricey gift but if you know a lover of art, history, books and beauty this is the perfect gift if you can give it. It is in itself a work of art.
THE CITIZENRY - TWIST TAPER CANDLES
The Citizenry is a home decor brand that offers products from around the world, all small batch, all handcrafted from artisans. The Citizenry collaborates with artisans using their traditions and skills with their designer’s more trend driven designs. This helps the artisan keep in business and continue their trade whilst helping the The Citizenry produce beautiful and sustainable products. We know everyone loves a candle and instead of a room candle we love these tapers that have a twist, a literal twist. Handcrafted in New York by Greentree Home, these twist tapers offer a playful take on a classic design. With a unique twisted design detail, they bring movement and character to tables, mantels, and centerpieces—elevating everyday moments with unexpected artistry. Sold in pairs, they’re perfect for styling your home or gifting. Made from 100% North American beeswax. Burn time: 10-12 hours. Standard (⅞") diameter base. Dimensions: 9" H x 1.25" W. These candles are a lovely gift at an affordable price range.
DEBAUVE & GALLAIS - THE MARIE ANTOINETTE PISTOLES CASE
If you are thinking of giving a gift of chocolate to the chocolate lover in your life this holiday season then have we got the chocolate for you. Debauve & Gallais is one of the oldest chocolate brands in the world. The brand was founded in 1800 in Paris, France by Sulpice Debauve, who was King Louis XVI's pharmacist. Sulpice Debauve, a doctor's son, focused his research on cocoa. “The scientist was aware of Marie-Antoinette's infatuation with chocolate, which reminded the Queen of France of her Viennese childhood. So, to help ease the sovereign's headaches who complained that her "medicines", he mixed the remedy with cocoa, adding almond milk to soften the taste. Enchanted, the queen, named these medallions "Pistoles". Previously consumed as a beverage, Sulpice Debauve invented the first solid chocolate you could bite into.” Debauve went on to create many types of chocolates and delicacies which has made the chocolate brand iconic. We are recommending the delicious original chocolate that Debauve created, “The Marie-Antoinette Pistoles” case. It is an assortment of 74% dark chocolate from Madagascar, 66% dark chocolate from Ecuador with real Bourbon vanilla, verbena, orange blossom, honey flakes, almond milk chocolate and 46% milk chocolate. Each Pistole is engraved with a design inspired by Queen Marie-Antoinette's jewelry collection. This holiday gift is not only delicious but full of history.
GLOBAL TABLE - MOROCCAN HAND PAINTED JOYA TEA GLASS SET
Global Table is one of the best shops in New York City for table and glassware. Open since 1996, it offers exactly what its name implies, modern, handcrafted tableware sourced from small brands and artisans around the world. It is a popular with stylists and designers since 1996 and we always love stopping by to see what Global Table has to offer as many of their items make for beautiful and affordable gifts. We immediately saw these Moroccan Hand Painted Joya Tea Glasses and knew they had to be in our gift guide. This delightful set of Moroccan inspired tea glasses offers a modern twist on traditional design. Crafted from clear glass, each piece is hand painted with a playful arrangement of colored round accents in vibrant colors with shimmering gold details. Perfect for your favorite cocktail, whisky, water or juice. They are made by artisans in Morocco and not only are they beautiful but are a practical gift too.
SEAMAN SCHEPPS - SMALL TRAY IN RED JASPER
SEAMAN SCHEPPS - SMALL TRAY IN RED JASPER, $5,750
If you are looking to go big may we recommend this Red Jasper Tray from Seaman Schepps. Seaman Schepps is an iconic jewelry brand established in New York in 1904. The eponymous designer Seaman Schepps was world renowned for his out of the box designs and mixing of luxury materials and gems. His bold creations and ideas also spilled over to their home decor collection which shares many of the same materials used in their jewelry line. This is the perfect gift for the aesthete and collector in your life. The Small Tray in Jasper is a Limited Edition Hand Carved Tray in Red Jasper with Turquoise Bars set in 18K Yellow Gold. Stamped Seaman Schepps. It is for the person in your life that has everything and yet will still appreciate and treasure this gift. It is definitely on our pricey side however we are sure it will become a much loved family heirloom.
E. BRAUN & CO. - CRISTAUX LINEN HOLIDAY COCKTAIL NAPKINS
E. Braun & Co. was founded in 1893 in Vienna where they became known for selling fine linens and ready-to-wear clothing. Eventually the company opened an office in New York City where they concentrated on just selling linens. Now E. Braun & Co.has emerged as the premier source for luxury linens and distinctive accessories. We highly recommend E. Braun & Co.’s Holiday Collection which includes Cristaux snowflakes in white and gold in 6 assorted designs make for classic holiday linen cocktail napkins. They will make any table scape especially beautiful around the holiday or all year round and would be much appreciated by any host or hostess who loves to entertain.
That is our Holiday Gift Guide for all. Once you start looking there are so many amazing, beautiful handcrafted, artisanal gifts that you can find that would make the recipient of such gift feel like you put great thought and care into their gift. Whether it be a beautiful candle or high end home decor, when you shop local artisans you are giving in so many ways and that is the lesson we should all take away from the holiday season.
We are also doing a daily Advent Calendar online shop gift guide on our Instagram and Facebook for brands that do not have a brick and mortar store so look out for those recommendations.
We here at The Local Artisan Guide wish you and yours a very happy and healthy holiday seasonvwith your friends and family.
The holidays are upon us once again and The Local Artisan Guide’s yearly gift recommendations are here to make shopping for you and your loved ones easy to find artisanal, well thought out gifts from small local brands.
We like to write four blogs for the holidays when it comes to gifting. Our first blog is for home decor as home decor is a great gift for friends, family, co-workers and even yourself. We will follow up with separate blogs for him, her and children/pets.
As always we focus on smaller, more local artisanal brands for our gift guide. Home decor is an especially pleasurable topic to recommend as gifts because it involves so many crafts and skillsets. We have made recommendations in multiple categories in all price ranges with brands that also offer their wares on their online shops which can be found by clicking the link in the captions.
City of Scents is a fragrance brand founded in NYC by friends Sebastien Courty and Rose Swarbrick. They decided to start the brand as both are avid travelers and wanted to recreate scents that are inspired by the places around the world that left olfactory impressions on them. For the holidays we recommend the wintery Aspen Room Mist.
This bright, wintery fragrance will fill your home with the essence of Aspen, replete with its perfect green pines, powdery slopes, clear skies and well-heeled socialites.
The crisp scent of Fir needle brings the outdoors in, while vetiver references the earthiness of Aspen’s alpine woodland, balancing this elevated blend. The traditional holiday fragrance, Myrrh, adds a complex spiciness and the essence of campfire provides a woody base, evoking the deep satisfaction that comes after an energetic day shushing off-piste.
Finally, anise infuses this bright and festive home fragrance with a top note that represents the elegance of this majestic mountain retreat and lends this incense an invigorating, and inviting, finish.
The Citizenry is one of the largest brands in the US that focuses solely on artisan home decor products. None of their products are created in factories but in small studios and ateliers from artisans around the world and in the United States all complying with Fair Trade regulations. We love the Torres Leather Storage Ottoman. This ottoman is handcrafted with vegetable-tanned cow leather ethically sourced from Alcanena, Portugal, a small town known as “The Land of Leather.” All made start-to-finish in a fair trade environment. This ottoman is ideal as it not only acts as an ottoman but can also be a coffee or side table and it also includes storage. This ottoman is perfect for parents with young children to make sure they are around furniture that won’t harm them and can also store their toys or any other items you need stored away.
Parachute was founded in 2014 by Ariel Kaye who wanted to provide high quality and affordable home goods that are easy to shop for. We love the Flannel Sheets that make sleeping through winter not only warm and toasty but very stylish. The Flannel Sheet set included one fitted sheet, one flat sheet and one set of standard pillowcases. The set comes in Thyme (as seen above) and Bone. The sheets are offered in Full, Queen, King and Cal King (comes with King size pillows) sizes. Made in Portugal the sheets are made of 100% cotton flannel that are brushed and cozy warm.
Highly curated Clic is a store that specializes in finding special pieces for your home from around the world to help you put your design fingerprint on your home and design style. One of the most important elements in designing your home are your books and library. Your books and your library express your passions and your interests. A beautiful coffee table book is not only aesthetically pleasing but can also offer eye candy for you and your guests. We picked the John Derian Picture Book from home decor designer John Derian who is world renowned for elevating the decoupage technique into fine art. Over the past 25 years, the brand has expanded greatly to include home and general design gifts and products. The book illustrates John Derian’s design inspiration and makes for a spectacular gift.
Global Table is the go to store in SoHo for all things tabletop. They have been selling tabletop drinkware, ceramics, cutlery, plates, cups, home decor and more for decades. One of the products they offer is this beautiful colorful Venezia Carafe. Designed in Italy by Federico de Majo, this faceted carafe has grip hold dents for easy holding and pouring. The colored glass carafes and tumblers in the Venezia collection are created by the typical Venetian technique of blowing incandescent paste inside a special diamond-shaped mould. Measurements: 3.7" diameter x 8.7" h. with 41 oz volume. The carafe is offered in Amethyst (as seen above), Sky Blue, Amber, Clear and Cobalt Blue.
Founded in 2015 by Shin Won Yoon and Stefen Ramirez, Tea Dealers is a NYC-based tea company. Focused on sourcing premium teas from small farmers in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and India, they offer pure, authentic varieties found no where else. Along with their teas is their incredible collection of teapots that make for truly memorable gifts. It’s quite an extravagant gift however we fell in love with the Hand Hammered Copper teapot that we feel will become a family heirloom. Made in Niigata, Japan by Studio Gyokusendo the teapot is described as “Crafted with a timeless, elegant design this teapot efficiently retains high temperatures, perfect for dark or old teas. The general rule of practice for teapots is that the higher the quality of the tea, the smaller the brewing vessel to create a concentrated taste through shorter steepings and thoroughly enjoy each successive brewing. This teapot features a built-in strainer so you can put the tea directly in and allow it to expand and fully release its magnificent taste. The textured body showcases delicate hammer marks and a rustic handle adorned in bamboo. As it is used regularly, the teapot will develop a one-of-a-kind patina, giving it a unique charm. The natural patina is not painted on but created through a traditional process with raw copper.” Dimensions are 13x8x9cm, 200ml.
Textile designer John Robshaw who is a favorite in the Interior Design world started out as a fine artist before he started his career in textiles. Besides offering textiles on his online shop, retailers around the world and his store in Connecticut, John offers art on his site as art will always be his first love. He believes strongly that all interiors are only better when they include art that you love. One of the images we love is the “Elephant Tapestry”. This fabulous tapestry was hand painted by an artist in Jaipur who also paints John’s hand painted pillows each season. True pieces of art, this tapestry is also part of a foursome of images that include besides the elephant a camel, horse and tiger which are sold individually or as a bundle, grab them quick as these are a limited quantity item. They are easy to hang unframed with the loops, or you can frame them for more of a formal look. Each tapestry is 22" x 26" and hand painted in India.
Plantshed has been a family owned and operated floral and botanical community since the 1950’s that combine a brick-and-mortar boutique plant and flower shop with a quaint cafe experience. We love Plantshed because we feel there is no better gift to make a room feel alive as giving a plant. We especially love the Ficus Lyrata tree, more commonly known as Fiddle Leaf Fig. The Ficus lyrata is a fashionable houseplant with sculptural and broad foliage, that makes a statement in any room with bright sunlight. The Ficus Lyrata is a broadleaf evergreen with large, violin-shaped foliage. As houseplants, Ficus Lyrata typically grows 2-10 feet tall and rarely produce fruit. Requiring bright, filtered sunlight, large specimens perform especially well in corner windows, ensuring light hits all the leaves. One of the most widely used plants by professional interior designers, the Ficus Lyrata adds drama and style to any space. Plantshed also offers a variety of beautiful pots that will make the ficus an even more stylish addition to your home.
Cards Against Humanity is a card game invented by a group of friends who made the first version to play at a New Year’s Eve party. You put the cards together to make ridiculous jokes. If you are giving a gift for someone’s home or a hostess gift for a holiday party, a card game for entertainment is a wonderful idea, especially when it’s going to make you all laugh your asses off. We recommend the “Human Pack”. For Black Friday 2019, they taught a computer to write Cards Against Humanity cards and then made their human writers battle it for their jobs. Wow! Here's the pack the humans wrote which has 30 beautiful cards about the human condition straight from the hearts of our human writers. Goes well with the A.I. Pack, which was written by the computer. They also donate a bunch of money to charities so its a win/win when you buy from Cards Against Humanity.
The New York Public Library has a shop that helps fund the library and in the shop they curate an incredible selection of local artisans. We picked again another version of the legendary “Pizza Rat” who became a viral sensation a few years ago when he showed New Yorkers (and the world) his love of NYC pizza by dragging a whole slice through the NYC subway system. The Pizza Rat ornament is the holiday decoration that bonds New Yorkers together in the coldest and most disgruntled time of the year. It is the perfect gift to place on a Christmas tree, mantle, or keychain for fun. The cute subway rat features a cheesy pepperoni-topped pizza and is wearing an "I Love NY" turtleneck sweater. For the true New York lover and meme lord! It is made of Felt and knitted wool and measures 3"L x 2.25"W x 6"H. It’s the perfect gift to bring to a holiday party so your host can add to their tree.
So there are our holiday recommendations for home decor that you can give to your friends, family and most importantly, yourself! These small brands strive to create unique gift giving experiences while giving back to the community. All the recommendations can only make a home a beautiful, calming place to be while showing the essence of the homeowner.
It’s day six of our Holiday Gift Guide highlighting artisans from near and afar. Today we will explore some home decor brands that create products that are handmade by master craftsmen from all around the world bringing beauty to everyday objects and character to your home.
John Robshaw Textiles is a favorite amongst decorators in the know. The products are all handmade in India and Southeast Asia and combine east/west aesthetics. This sahati throw is hand stitched cotton and as soft-as-a-cloud. They are patiently stitched by hand, taking days to complete. Crafted in thin layers of cotton voile and a contrasting reverse of cotton chambray, only the soft fabric brushes against your skin, not the stitches themselves. Hand knotted tassels give it pizzazz. It’s a perfect throw for any room. John Robshaw also provides this throw in multiple colors.
Heath Ceramics is a California pottery brand founded in 1948 by husband and wife team Edith and Brian Heath, and has since evolved into an American home decor brand, made by artisans with a distinct minimal style. The Bud Vase is an Edith Heath classic, designed in the 1980s. The Bud Vase makes for a stunning still life piece with or without flowers. Display it as a family, mixed and matched, or on its own — we’ll leave that up to you. At once versatile and understated, it's a beautiful addition to any room.
Kim Seybert is home decoy brand founded by former fashion designer Kim Seybert who has brought her knowledge and love of fashion into the home decor world. Her napkin rings are always beautiful and elaborate and her holiday collection is no exception. The Holiday Balloon Napkin Ring, is a nostalgia-inspiring resin hot air balloon filled with perfectly wrapped gifts, a Christmas tree, and favorite childhood sweets. The hand-painted details on the rattan basket and balloons make this napkin ring a work of art. Comes in a set of 4 with a beautiful gift box.
Dot + Loop Ceramics is a home decor brand founded by Dari Litchman and based in Brooklyn, NY. We chose the Rainbow Large Cheese Board that is hand built and hand painted stoneware cheese board. Not just for serving cheese! Approximately 12" long by 6" wide with a 7.5" x 6" area of serving space. Food and dishwasher safe. (Knife shown in picture is not for sale). Available at the Wondermart shop in Brooklyn, NY (833 Saint Johns Place).
Global Table is a home decor boutique located in the Historical District at 107 Sullivan Street in Soho that features a well curated selection of home goods. We were so happy Global Table survived staying open during the pandemic so to support local we picked a great gift from the shop that is also available online. The Playful Indigo Cats Cups are a porcelain cup set of four - each cup has a cat in a playfully funny different pose. 6 oz. capacity. Dishwasher and Microwave safe and makes for a great affordable holiday gift or hostess gift for someone hosting a Christmas party!
Home decor is such a great gift for the holidays if you don’t want to gift clothing or accessories as it can be for the whole family or help make an environment even more beautiful. We have provided five brands that only work with artisans creating handmade products by master craftsmen (and women) and at all price ranges. These gifts help you shop small, shop local and shop sustainability.
