7 gift ideas for the mindful and creative

I love the rituals of Christmas, but I get quite sensitive to the wave of material consumption that comes with it, especially in department stores and their online counterparts. I don’t love the speed at which last-minute presents are bought, or the whole stress of spending your hard-earned money on things that are going to end up in a corner by the end of the year.

So this year, I’m starting early and planning a slower approach to gifts, with the intention of producing less waste and, in doing so, supporting small and/or local businesses.

I hope this guide helps you find inspiration, whether you’re giving to someone like me or choosing to live that way yourself. I will also share some anecdotal ways of gifting without breaking the bank that might make the whole family laugh.

For some reason, this is the kind of splurge that we don’t make for ourselves, yet are more than ok to gift to someone. Good-quality products are on the higher end of the price range but make for great gifts. We love our French press from Kochtail, which we bought when we lived in Berlin. We even travel with it! And a few other honourable mentions go to Global for knives and BooS Block for durable and sustainable cutting boards.

Similar to kitchenware, these are the kinds of gifts you don’t buy for yourself. In fact, I don’t have many references because I have never splurged on these myself: great-quality sheets, towels, or bathrobes. That “hotel-like” experience can be replicated without compromising your values with brands like Piglet in bed or Panda London, which I have my eye on.

This one is inspired by the tradition in Spain of companies gifting their employees a box (formerly a wicker basket) with national meats, cheeses, spreads, sweets, and wines to celebrate the holidays—I’m thinking of making a newsletter about Spanish Christmas traditions because we have a few! I love the crafty idea of buying a wicker basket, decorating it for Christmas and filling it with delicious local treats.

Ceramics are probably one of the defining trends of the last decade, but they are not going anywhere. Handmade ceramics from a studio are special items that cannot be exactly replicated and often come with a story about the artist and the inspiration behind them. They are a sensory item you can enjoy every day with coffee, tea, or a meal. We stocked up on quite a few on our recent trip to Japan!

Scented candles have also appeared in every single store on the planet, but it’s essential to look at the ingredients list and their production process, as they can have harmful chemicals for your health. I don’t mind spending more than you might think on a candle from a small yet eco-friendly and specialised business. I’ve been loving my candle from Easton Candle Company lately, which also made for a great gift for my family.

I feel like I often forget how long winter really is until it’s March, and I’m wondering when the sun will come out again (well, not in Madrid, but it certainly felt that way in Berlin). Indoor entertainment is crucial during the cold, rainy months of the year. I find board games really fun to play at Christmas with the family, such as Party & Co., Codenames, Parcheesi or Mexican Train.

While I don’t know if they come from the most sustainable sources, I know they have a very long shelf-life, as you buy them once and have them for a lifetime (who doesn’t have an old Monopoly or Clue on their shelf?) But after Christmas, once you’re in winter for the long run, I like to have a good puzzle in hand. I love this one from Jour Férié. I think that they would look really beautiful framed.

In Japan, origami also piqued my curiosity, and I’m hooked. I started with these kids' packs that I make for my son from Djeco, but really, I bought them for myself. If you are crafty enough, an origami crib mobile can become a beautiful, sentimental piece of decor and make a great gift.

When I first wrote this, I hesitated to add it to the list. It’s also the segue into a funny family anecdote I tell below—why wouldn’t you gift a piece of your art to someone you love? Maybe that is a subscription to your Substack, a chair, a soap, a framed photo, a collage, a necklace, a quirky piece of ceramic…It could even be a song or a dance (as I used to do when I was a kid). Art doesn’t have to be a painting that has to be framed. Little kids love to gift their squiggly drawings to adults, and they start them already knowing who the picture will be for, knowing that the adult will be overtly happy and touched to receive it. So why not do this as adults?

The anecdote happened in a year when, before becoming a mother, I was not only trying to be eco-conscious but also zero-waste. I proposed to my family that we not spend any money or buy gifts, and instead make something with our own hands. Everyone was a little mad at me for suggesting it, given that I am the only one with an art background, and others can barely draw a stickman, but when the time to exchange gifts came, oh my god, the laughs we had explaining some very questionable art to each other.

As a stretch, I bought my sister her first and only bamboo toothbrush, and I remember her puzzled face very well. All she said was “a toothbrush”, half-statement, half-question and utter disappointment. Since then, I’m banned from making “creative” suggestions for Christmas.

Something we’ve been doing in my family for years now is Secret Santa, because if not, it gets very exhausting to buy a gift for everyone, or it gets awkward if you only get a few presents for your favourite cousins and nothing for your uncles. We tend to put a price cap on it too, so that everyone gets a similar range of gifts and can adjust to our different incomes.

It pains me to write this one because I’m a paper lover, but it has to be said. The sheer amount of paper waste that is produced on Christmas Day is absurd and, when you think about it globally, a little unsettling. Most papers contain dyes, inks, and coatings that cannot be recycled, making them just as single-use as the supermarket plastic bag. But, there are ways around it, of course—I don’t want to be a downer because I love the art of gift-wrapping, so, if you still want to stick to paper, brown wrapping paper without stickers, glitter or the like, is the most recyclable option.

Then comes the paper gift bag, which can be reused and passed down to others. Finally, there’s a Japanese technique called Furosiki, where you wrap gifts in a linen or a pretty fabric, which is the most sustainable option. You can also get crafty by reusing old boxes, wrapping them in cloth to make them look pretty, or getting crafty with new and creative ideas.

Because words like conscious, sustainable, and organic are thrown into the mix so loosely these days, I would instead look for keywords like “support small businesses”, “fair trade”, “locally produced”, or more official stamps like Ecocert, COPAE, B Corp, or cruelty-free and vegan certification. When it comes to websites, dig into their “about us” or “our values” pages to see how transparent they are about their supply chain and production.

Markets and small stores are often outside main shopping streets, as well as specialised stores for kitchenware or home goods, where you have a better chance of finding the products I suggest above.

When it comes to online stores, Etsy is perfect for finding a handmade gift. Or add the above keywords to Google, plus the name of your town (or city or country), and I’m sure Google Maps will work its magic and discover places near you.

Honestly, my favourite part of Christmas, or in our case Reyes morning, is to eat roscón in our pyjamas, drink hot chocolate, take the family album and reminisce on family memories. Who knows, I might gift someone a little dance if they are lucky!

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