Starting to panic?
If you’re stuck, here are SOME ideas for those tricky still-to-buy gifts, for everyone on your list ….
ACHARA STATIONERY
Who wouldn’t like to unwrap some colourful stationery? Treat someone to lovely notecards (sets of five with envelopes from €25), writing paper and colourful notebooks (from €25) from small Irish company Achara – it’s all handmade in Kilkenny. www.acharastationery.com.
PETERSON LIGHTERS
You don’t need to smoke to love a Zippo lighter – they’re useful for candles, too, and come with a lifetime guarantee. It’s a keepsake that can be engraved and will last for ever. And a lighter offers a good excuse to venture into Peterson’s, on Nassau Street, a lovely traditional store with delightful service, where you can choose from a great selection.
BIRKENSTOCK SANDALS
Furry Birkenstock Arizona sandals, with soft shearling insides, may be very lockdown and WFH, but their sheer comfort is hard to ignore. These furry Birks are pricey, but you’ll wear and love them all year round. €150 at stores nationwide.
TOASTY SOCKS
Invest in some good socks to complete the cosiness of the Birkenstock sandals (we love Toast’s wool jacquard styles, and cosy Falke wool; eu.toa.st.) Or check out Irish label Moss & Cable’s house socks (€18; www.mossandcable.com).
Starting to panic? If you’re stuck here are some more ideas for those tricky still-to-buy gifts, for everyone on your list…
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
Here’s a special gift idea for the literature lover in your life: fine art printers Stoney Road Press, in partnership with the Estate of Seamus Heaney, have produced this beautiful limited edition of the poem ‘Holly’ – letterpressed on hand-made paper, with a watermark of the poet’s signature. €195 + P&P; stoneyroadpress.com; 01 887 8544.
PARTICULAR PENS
Stop in to The Pen Place Dun Laoghaire. It’s an old-school shop driven by the owner’s passion for pens, and the kind of place you can stop in for a biro, stay for a chat and leave with a beautiful new fountain pen and ink the colour of Earl Grey tea. There’s also the new Montblanc store on Anne Street if you want to invest in something classy and long-lasting. www.penplace.ie.
FLOWER SUBSCRIPTIONS
A flower subscription is a gorgeous gift that will deliver cheer all year long. Choose from stylish modern The Crate delivery service which sends modern seasonal bunches to your door, on repeat. www.thecrate.ie. New Moon Blooms also deliver fresh hand-tieds from €35 a month; €110 for three-month subscription. www.newmoonblooms.ie.
FLOWER PRESS KIT
When your pretty flowers start to fade, why not press them using a crafty flower press kit. This one from Oxendales.ie contains everything you need to get started, for only €16.
HOLLOW LEG WINE
For those who prefer low or no alcohol drinks, consider a bottle (or two) of Hollow Leg non-alcoholic wine, produced by winemaker Pablo Martinez and Irish co-founders, Jamie O’Toole, Ronan Farrell and Richie Byrne. Available online and at selected retailers nationwide.
MIMI & BOWE SLEEPWEAR
Designer and founder of Mimi & Bowe, Olwen McAuliffe, has created a range of sweet striped sleepwear (that is nice enough to wear all day long!) using GOTS certified organic cotton. Pick up a onesie for the little one and matching pyjamas for mum. Contrast footed sleep suit, €25; www.mimiandbowe.ie.
YOGA DUBLIN GIFT CARDS
Gift cards for classes are a lovely gift – try www.moonsyoga.com , or for something different, Lydia Sasse’s face yoga (her next workshop, Yoga for Your Skin, is in Ranelagh on January 22). And keep an eye on thegloss.ie for a short video from her to help alleviate that classic sign of tension, jaw clenching, coming soon.
LASTING GIFT IDEAS
Consider also memberships, a lasting gift idea, whether for Dublin’s National Concert Hall, Powerscourt Estate for a year of beautiful peaceful walks, or the lovely MoLi museum for book browsing (and a divine café with secret outdoor terrace). Tickets for a bread-making course would be welcome, too – ideally with Firehouse Bakery; www.thefirehouse.ie, or Bread 41, courses from €130; www.bread41.ie.
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