With Christmas around the corner, we’ve taken a look at some original, innovative and cost-effective gifting ideas to suit any lifestyle. From trendy, upmarket and sophisticated, to treasures and trinkets wrapped in layers of nostalgia and sentimentality, the list and range of suppliers has something to suit everybody. Happy holidays!
BLOOMABLE
Want to send happiness? Bloomable delivers beautiful handcrafted flowers and gifts across South Africa. In addition to their range of limited edition festive gifts and flowers, Bloomable also offers a gorgeous selection of thoughtful gift boxes and flowers for birthdays, anniversaries and romance, new babies and more.
Want to set your loved one up to create the ultimate moment of relaxation and restoration? Bloomable’s luxury pamper bathtime gift will do the trick. If you’re looking for something for that special man in your life then you will love their stylish luxury gift box for him – it’s a beaut!
While Bloomable has many beautiful blooms to choose from, they predict that the Unique Wild Fynbos bouquet will be a definite favourite amongst Protea lovers. The Romantic Rose Vase arrangement with Lindt chocolate is a super cute and affordable treat which no doubt is always well-received and we’re just obsessed with the dreamy shades of the Pastel Elegance bouquet. All these bouquets and hampers are absolutely bloomtiful!
Website: bloomable.co.za | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @BloomableShop | Instagram: @bloomableshop
THE MAN CAVE SHOP
The Man Cave is a South African online shop specializing in novelty items for men of all ages. These gifts range from gadgets to electronics, apparel, kitchenware, man-cave decor, home fitness items and some hidden mystery items. There is a fantastic mix of modern, classy, and vintage. They are also one of the larger suppliers of Lifesmart and Xiaomi smart-home automation products.
This nifty online store was formed with one main idea in mind: catalogue rotation. The minds behind the Man cave use a mixture of experience, AI, manual searching and trend monitoring to ensure that their active catalogue on the online shop is up to date and features the most sought-after items on any given week.
If you’re looking for a gift for a loved one in your life, be sure to check out what they have in stock at the moment. The catalogue was recently expanded to prepare for the holiday shopping season and they’re ready to make your gift shopping experience that little bit easier.
Website: themancaveshop.co.za | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @TheManCaveZA | Instagram: @themancaveza
VASHTO FLOWERS
Just on the outskirts of Cape Town you will find their flower farm abuzz with the widest range of colours and petals to choose from. If it isn’t grown on the farm, Vashto Flowers will be sure to source your flower of choice from other local suppliers, or even other African countries.
Do you want to order bespoke bouquets for your home decor or that special someone in your life? Vashto Flowers are the way to go. Vashto Flowers take care to incorporate 3 main themes into their style and approach: Playful in Pink, Bright and Spontaneous, and White Elegance. They also supply wholesale stock to other suppliers as well as retailers such as Woolworths and Spar stores.
With their own delivery and distribution orders on hand, Vashto Flowers are there to see your botanical ideas come to life. With help from the warm Western Cape Climate and some age-old family knowledge, Vashto flowers is fast-becoming the family name behind your flower arrangement.
Website: vashtoflowers.co.za | Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
Facebook: @vashtoflower | Instagram: @vashtoflowers | LinkedIn: Vashto Flowers
ALL THINGS AT WITTEKLIP
Own a piece of the natural beauty of the Overberg with a bespoke range of puzzles, coaster sets and digital prints by All Things Witterklip.
Each product features an original photograph of the untouched landscape of the Overberg and its beautiful array of animals, birdlife and flora.
The photography is the passion project of Marc Descroizilles, who has taken pictures on the family farm in the Overberg, Western Cape, South Africa over the last 15 years. They aim to remove the alien vegetation and keep the human footprint on the farm to a minimum, allowing the diverse and extensive natural flora to regrow and regenerate.
The 500 and 1000 pieces puzzles, digital prints and coaster sets make truly unique gifts and is the perfect coffee table or bookshelf centerpiece.
Website: allthingsatwitteklip.com | Email: [email protected] | Tel: 082 894 6938
Facebook: @allthingsatwitteklip | Instagram: @allthingsatwitteklip
LUMIÈRE BY CASEY JEANNE
Candles are scientifically proven to help nourish the senses and sooth the soul. Lumière is a luxury candle brand which aims to invoke all your senses with the unique scents and craftsmanship behind each candle that is created.
With beautiful aromas available to choose – from Anthracite and Ember (a fragrance that first opens up with hints of apple and orange and leads us down a sensory path to hints of cinnamon, peach and vanilla) to Frankincense and Myrrh (where Casey was able to infuse the scents of a fresh autumn day in South Africa all into the wax of a candle) the luxurious way each candle is made leaves one amazed.
“Sea Island Cotton” was the first fragrance creation in this beautiful business. With hints of lemon and galbanum that open up to a heart of orange blossom, this is a subtle yet summary fragrance perfect to give a room the lift it needs.
Starting from R650, these luxurious and elegant candles have been designed to take you on a journey from soul to body. Whether spoiling yourself or a loved one, these candles are the perfect gifting option.
Website: lumierebycaseyjeanne.co.za | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @lumierebycaseyjeanne | Instagram: @lumiere_by_casey_jeanne
HEAD ON DESIGN
Joanna Orr from Head On Design creates striking animal heads made from wood, bamboo and paperboard. A cheeky modern take on traditional trophy heads, we can appreciate the Big 5 without hunting the real thing.
Prior to the Covid pandemic, Joanna had a shop at the Watershed, V&A Waterfront, but has since moved her shop to her Cape Town design studio.
Here you will find a range of home décor products including fun gifts for kids such as unicorn heads with cute colourful hearts that make a great gift for young girls, and dragons with flaming nostrils for the boys.
The studio is buzzing with creativity as it is shared with 3 other designers, namely Sharon B design (art, fabric, décor), Legacy Collection (jewellery) and Matblac (wallets)
Please book an appointment for a studio visit and unique shopping experience!
Where: Visit Head On Design’s studio in Gardens by appointment, or shop online at headondesign.co.za
Website: headondesign.co.za | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @HeadOnDesign | Instagram: @headondesign
HAPPY LOOK
If you’re looking for personal gifts and presents then the Happy Look online store is the way forward for you. This nifty store offers the ability to personalise almost any item – from Christmas decorations to cups and plates, baby onesies, puzzles, mousepads and more. If you can imagine it then it’s likely the team will be able to create it for you.
Get creative by using your favourite photograph and having it memorialised forever on a cushion, or shirt. The colour, font and style choice is all up to you, making these gifts a true note above on the personal inventory list.
For the parents of school goers there are some truly unique end-of-year gifts for teachers and caretakers such as Personalised Teacher Bookmarks or Pencil Cases.
Getting hitched? Make your special day forever remembered by friends and family with personalised Thank You Mugs, Bath Salts or even Car Fresheners. The ideas are endless!
Delivery usually takes 3-4 days, with the options of the Pudo locker or delivery direct to your door when available.
Website: happylook.co.za | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Happyismylook | Instagram: @happyismylook
KUDU COSMETICA
Kudu Cosmetica is dedicated to sourcing the highest quality ingredients with the least impact to the environment for their clients. The company believes that where you start is hugely important in any process and can often define one’s journey.
Their entire approach is based on this premise and is at the core of the brand, sourcing ingredients in a responsible, ethical and sustainable manner. The brand itself is inspired by the Kudu buck, a noble, gentle and majestic antelope and like the Kudu with his peaceful manner, intend on doing no harm when creating their products.
Natural, gentle and kind to your skin, Kudu Cosmetica creates and delivers the best quality skincare solutions. 100% pure, clean and highly effective for amazing looking skin. All botanical extracts and plant-based ingredients are sourced from all over Southern Africa.
Where: Shop online at www.kuducosmetica.com
Website: kuducosmetica.com | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @kuducosmetica | Instagram: @kuducosmetica
LA FURMILIA
La Furmilia believe pets are more than just animals, they’re family. La Furmilia create beautiful, quality pet accessories and apparel for our four-legged friends, apparel that is a cut above the rest.
The apparel is not only hardy and trendy but maintains its original function with high quality craftsmanship and your four-legged friend will look oh-so-trendy in his or her chosen attire!
This year’s range of accessories are right in time for the holiday season and boast a selection of beautiful bowties from forest-green to fiery reds.
There are also a wide range of leads, collars and harnesses to shop and collect, each seamlessly crafted to ensure only the best quality. The La Furmilia family loves to see your furry friend in their trendy attire so why not take a photo and upload it to their social media site? You never know, your pet could be the next face of La Furmilia!
Website: lafurmilia.co.za | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @shoplafurmilia | Instagram: @shoplafurmilia
MADEBYARTISANS ONLINE STORE
Madebyartisans is a trendy online store dedicated to showcasing and supplying quality and original items from individual crafters and entrepreneurs.
This successful store began in early 2020 when the Covid pandemic was rife and employment uncertain. Celeste le Roux and Mark Knijnenburg launched the store. The mission behind it was to support local businesses and what started as a typical “side-hustle” has now grown into a fully-fledged online store. With Mark’s background in IT and both showing a fondness for local markets, Madebyartisans online store was born.
One of the main visions with this site is that Celeste would always be available for personalised insight and/or advice and as such, her name is on the website and clients can reach her directly whenever required.
From food to health, baby items, toys, home decorations and accessories, all can be found at this nifty online store and delivered throughout South Africa. If you’re looking for truly original gift ideas this holiday season, then this online store is definitely the way forward for you.
Website: madebyartisans.co.za | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @madebyartisansonline | Instagram: @madebyartisansonline
STUDIO KARAKAL
Through the hand fabrication of sterling silver, brass, gemstone and hemp fibre, Studio Karakal is a bespoke jewellery offering, specializing in uniquely crafted talismans which draw inspiration from the seen and unseen forces in Nature and the Spirit.
All the jewellery is handmade by the owner, and draws on their Indian heritage melded with their background in environmental sciences from Rhodes University to produce designs with a contemporary approach to traditional craftsmanship. Being a self-taught artist has helped the owner to break from the confines of traditional design and work with quality gemstones and materials without imposed limitations.
One of the most popular offerings includes the combination of brass and raw hemp cord which creates a unique set of textures that soften and evolve on the body as the item is worn. The website hosts a range of customisation options for various designs such as the Talisman Mix and Match earrings, a range of stones to choose from, or the ability to choose what material you would like.
The jewellery is made from a sacred place where all those who came before are acknowledged and as such attracts clients who are interested in the unique insights, spiritual wellbeing and design aesthetics behind each creation.
Website: studiokarakal.com | Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @studiokarakal | Instagram: @studiokarakal
