The season of Secret Santa and other gift exchanges is upon us, folks. These can be tough gifts to sort out so I’ve put together this gift guide, featuring Something Different Upcycled items. BUT since my Etsy store is on vacation for now (the Canada Post strike is ongoing at time of posting), the ideas for gifts discussed below work for any situation, wherever you are, and not only for gift exchanges . Find a local small shop or artisan near you and gather your gift exchange goodies!
Where to find Something Different this month
Because of the temporarily closed Etsy shop, the shopping part of this post is mostly for the local folks: Lower Mainland BC friends (and Northern Washington too), you MUST check out Homemade Community Shoppe. It’s right on the edge of District 1881 in Chilliwack, which is SO festive right now, AND there’s a special Christmas market on until Dec 24!
Other folks who are local but can’t make it to Chilliwack (or those elsewhere in Canada who see something that they absolutely must have and will pay for courier shipping, send me a shipping label of their own, or will wait for the strike to be resolved), please have a look at my Instagram feed and other posts here on the blog. If you see something you like, DM me on Instagram or send me a message and we’ll work out delivery and payment arrangements. If you’re relatively local to me in BC (Metro Vancouver/Fraser Valley), I might just deliver it myself! Please note that custom orders are closed until the New Year
Gifts That Tick a Whole Bunch of Boxes
In any event, wherever you are, the focus of today’s post is ideas for Secret Santa and other gift exchanges. Read below for a few suggestions of how to put together a thoughtful and local gift for your upcoming gift exchange. I’ve included Something Different Upcycled items, each of which is handmade with thrifted, deadstock, and/or upcycled fabrics by one person (me!) in my little home workshop. Support a local small business AND do something great for the environment while gathering your gifts this season! Gift-giving magic, really.
A note before we start
Be as clear as you can about the limitations and expectations for your gift exchange. Dollar value limits, theme requirements, and what you know about your recipient (if anything) will all come into play here. I’ve included a range of price point ideas and you can absolutely customize and get creative as you need to. After all, workplace Secret Santa exchanges with a $25 maximum are a very different thing from a family or friends Secret Santa where you’re in charge of the main gift for only one person. If you need some more ideas, message me!
Let’s get to the good stuff!
To: the acquaintance who you know a little about but aren’t close to. Also great for the young readers in your life.
Gift: a bookmark and a book. I’ve got bookmarks available in two styles (corner and flat) at Homemade in Chilliwack and you really can’t go wrong with a book as a gift. Look for something the recipient might like secondhand: if your person seems to be into fashion, a history of a design house could be the way to go. If your person is into a specific sport, a memoir of a notable figure in the game is great. You might also consider buying them a gift certificate to their local independent bookseller. Now that I’m thinking about it, a gift card tucked into a corner bookmark would be fun too.
To: the person in your life who can’t stop talking about their upcoming beach vacation
Gift: A tote bag with sunscreen, a waterproof phone pouch, or other vacation must-haves. This is a thoughtful gift that can be endlessly personalized depending on the recipient, the vacation destination, and the budget. The tote bags I’ve got available are all cotton or poly-cotton blends and are machine washable.
This is also a great gift for folks just setting up their own first apartment or who spend time at remote worksites: Start with the tote bag and fill it with whatever they most need, from food, to cleaning supplies, to sentimental reminders of their family home. I know of one family that has a tote bag that travels back and forth between the young adult’s apartment and the family home: dirty laundry and leftover containers one way, home-cooked food and clean clothes the other way.
To: the coffee lover in your life
Gift: Option 1 – A coaster (or two), a small bag of locally roasted coffee, a great thrifted mug. Option 2 – A coaster (or two), a larger bag of locally roasted coffee, a handmade mug from a local artisan. Guess who’s got coasters available, individually and in sets of two? Yep, that would be me. For this gift package, you’re looking for great coffee and a great mug. The coaster(s) tie it all together.
To: that special teacher or healthcare worker
Gift: A lanyard! A necessity in many educational and healthcare workplaces, lanyards – especially those with multiple points of safety release – are great gifts. Something Different Upcycled lanyards come in three varieties: no safety release (basically a really long key chain), one safety release at the back of the neck, and three safety releases (back of the neck and one one at the midway point of each side). I’ve made each of these with cotton or poly-cotton blend fabrics, so they’re soft, flexible, washable, and unique. Combine the lanyard with a coffee or self-care services gift card or another item that you know the recipient will enjoy.
To: the crafter
Gift: A tote bag with supplies for their favourite craft (or the craft that they want to get into). Again, start with the tote bag. Look for crafting supplies secondhand or at thrift or creative reuse stores. Want to make it a bit more elaborate? Include a gift card for their local yarn store, creative reuse or thrift shop, or for lessons with a local artisan to get them started on their new craft adventures.
To: the one who believes that good things come in small packages
Gift: A zippered pouch containing self-care items, jewelry, gift certificates, whatever your recipient might like. The possibilities here are endless, so scale up or scale down as you like, all while using the zippered pouch as a gift bag that is useful after the holidays.
Need something festive to put your gift in?
I’ve got a number of reusable cloth gift bags in five different sizes, at least one of which is bound to be appropriate for your gift. A selection of each is available at Homemade (look upstairs in the Christmas market for the larger sizes, or on my shelf for the three smallest).
What’s your best tip for Secret Santa and other gift exchanges? Leave it in the comments or send me a message!
Need help putting together a gift for a specific person? I can help! No purchase needed – just send me a message and I’ll do my best to help you out!