20 December,2020 09:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Anju Maskeri
Representation pic
It's the festival for DIY gifts
Junk Drawer should be your one-stop for cute DIY gifting essentials. Founder Nikita Rakshe has curated mini trees, pinecones and cherries, that all fall under the DIY umbrella.
Candles-using wine glasses and old CDs-will also lend a personal touch to your gift. She also has a bunch of wooden wreaths that can be kept on the dining table-with customised lettering.
Price: Rs 250 onwards
Call: 8097140362
Whiff of joy
Fall in love with the festive vibe as you gift these festive miniature perfumes. They are perfect for layering to create your own unique fragrance of the season. There's also the amber and velvet rose candle that can lift your spirits on a winter evening.
Price: Rs 2,500
Available On: @wisdomfinefragrances, Instagram
A smart key
Planning to gift someone a toolbox? Instead of a bulky box that will lie forgotten in a corner of the house, opt for this 24-in-one key-shaped compact multi-tool that can be strung along with your house keys. It can be used as a wrench, a bottle opener, a can opener and a driver, among other functions. Made of steel, it is available in both black and silver colours. Shipping may cost you some time, but it will be worth the wait.
Price: Rs 1,895
Available On: https://www.eassymall.com/
Pic Courtesy/@ Chrys_creation, Instagram
Get wooden decor for your tree
Add some festive cheer to your home with Christmas buntings and decor by ChrysCreations.
From hand-painted ornaments for your Xmas tree, to customised glass and wooden creations, and acrylic 'Merry Christmas' cutouts, there's something for every nook and cranny in your home.
Call: 8169769982 (WhatsApp)
Gift a bespoke floral hamper
For those looking to buy bespoke Christmas gifts for friends, Noora D'Mello of The Happy Florist is making special hampers comprising pressed flower frames and Kokedama holders. You can also check her page for DIY wreaths, dry flower ornaments, and special winter wonderland-themed bouquets.
Price: Rs 199 to Rs 2,000
Available On: noora@thehappyflorists.com
Shop across India
Want to promote a local business while indulging in Xmas gift shopping? Check out Craft Maestros, where you'll find a range of products award-winning craftsmen from across the country. While they have a large selection of prints and jewellery, our pick is the Florentine Sunflower Plate. Nothing like this to say, "Call us over for dinner now". Of course, it'll be tough to resist the temptation to keep it for yourself.
Price: Rs 1,478 (per plate)
Available On: craftmaestros.com
Wear a holiday face mask
'Tis the season to flaunt a mask, showing off Frosty the Snowman, gingerbreads, wreaths and candy sticks. Mask Boulevard, run by Kishore and Jayshree Chainani, is making pocket-friendly, Christmas-themed washable cotton masks, perfect for gifting friends and family. All you need to do is DM your budget, and they'll share the perfect mask for you.
Available On: @maskboulevard, Instagram
Witness joy
experience the joy of children's happiness with special Christmas kits from Learning Through Fun. The kit includes an activity book, accessories, letter to Santa Claus, DIY activities, a multipurpose bag and a lot more.
Price: Rs 999
Available On: www.learningthroughfun.in
A fairytale remix
Weyona, the wicked witch, has turned Prince Freddy into a frog. When her sister, Petunia the good witch, turns up for an annual event (that Weyona hates), she promises to change Freddy back into human on one icky condition. Will Freddy agree? Nalini Sorensen's latest book, The Fairy Tale Remix: Spellbound, is a modern-day fairy tale that will make you laugh, make you think and make you look at fairy tales differently. It makes for a perfect gift from Santa to your kids this season.
Price: Rs 177
Available On: amazon.in
Instant coffee, but brewed
Never say the words "instant coffee" to a connoisseur. You can, however, say Bevzilla. With the promise of pure Arabica, from the farms of Chikmagalur in Karnataka, these coffee cubes will convert into a hot (or cold) cuppa in 30 seconds. It comes pre mixed with date palm jaggery from Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, and you can choose between five flavours- classic, Irish cream, Belgian chocolate, creamy vanilla and hazelnut. Don't know what to pick? They also have a mix cubes pack.
Price: Rs 599 (20 cubes), Rs 799 (30 cubes) and Rs 1,399 (60 cubes)
Available On: https://www.bevzilla.co/
For plant lovers
This festive season, bring plants much closer to you by installing magnetic planters on your fridge or cupboard. Breathing life to your indoors is the new stroke of the modern interiors and this earthly vase from Lazy Gardener would be perfect to celebrate the beauty of nature. This hand-painted ceramic planter merges beautifully with any household, be it traditional, modern, or artsy.
Price: Rs 699 (single), Rs 1,300 (pack of two)
Available On: amazon.in
Pretty perfect jootis
This has been the year for local brands to shine. We have finally disregarded the usual suspects and gone for the indie brand that was hiding in our Instagram browse bar. We found Massis&Co, and fell in love with their mojris. Available in pastels, glitter and prints, the jootis are comfy and pretty, and will go well with either denims, a dress or the traditional salwar kurta. If you have a favourite cousin, or a best friend who is obsessed with footwear, this is a perfect fit.
Price: Rs 999 onwards
Available On: massisandco.com
Get your hands on this tableware
The Celebration Collection by CeO Janaki Kirloskar's Kika Tableware includes their bestseller mug and platter sets that are sure to add happiness and delight this year. You can personalise your gift by adding a special message to the signature gift wrapping.
Price: Rs 3,500 onwards
Available On: kikatableware.com
Read about the best of Bombay
Capture, cherish, and celebrate your city. Here's Bombay, past and present, in a book distilling its least known, subaltern stories. Perfect to gift city buffs and urban historians alike, Once Upon A City, by Sunday mid-day columnist Meher Marfatia, has the right mix of facts, colour and nostalgia to hold every reader's interest. The author has trudged the streets, knocked on doors, listened to long-winded tales and then sifted details to offer the same happy anticipation you experience tucking into a plate of bhel puri. The book, released in association with mid-day, bursts with hidden histories, untold gems and descriptions of spaces still sylvan despite "development" gnawing away at their edges. Once Upon A City makes a memorable archive for the future. Share a little Bombay love⦠present it.
Price: Rs 1,000
Available On: amazon.in, Happy Book Stall, Bandra and Trilogy Bookstore, Bandra
Winter fun
The Wonders of Winter by educationist erica Cunha is a fun book of learning activities and 15 winter crafts for kids 3-6 years olds. explore the secrets of how animals prepare for winter in the cold forests and add to it the fun of a glitter and craft kit. Just what the children need for a screen-free holiday
Price: Rs 1,200
Available On: @erikacunha66, Instagram
Scent of Christmas
Nothing is more evocative of time and place than scent. A Hungarian childcare specialist this writer dated for a minute in London introduced her to Pomegranate Noir, a giddy blend of spice-woody warmth with bursts of plumy sweetness that only perfumer Jo Malone could imagine. She wore it on our first dinner date and thinking back, I am not quite sure what we talked about, but the smell, it stayed as something more⦠a sensory spell.
Jo Malone is a keeper of memories, albeit costly. But with Zara emotions, a collaboration between the fashion chain, and Jo Loves (Jo Malone's independent project after she quit her role as creative director in 2006), you can pick from eight expensive-smelling, gender-neutral fragrances. Indeed, a Christmas miracle.
Bohemian Bluebells hits you with the familiar first notes of night-blooming jasmine but the bold sweetness transforms into something less predictable on consequent visits. Think bold, unexpected flowery balm. While Fleur d'Oranger takes you back to sunbathed getaways, waking up to a day without to-do lists. Waterlily Tea Dress brings back memories of the boozy picnics with notes of vert de bergamot, spearmint and musk. Tubereuse Noir riffs on ylang ylang, tuberose and sandalwood; sexy whippings of woody on sweet ol' friend nishigandha. Vetiver Pamplemousse and ebony Wood, our favourites, benefit from the unusual pairing of classic notes of grapefruit, mandarin and vetiver and peppercorn, clove and ebony wood respectively.
Price: Rs 590 onwards
Available On: Zara stores, online
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