I am fascinated by fairytales and the dark themes embedded within them. I guess you could say I have a twisted side to me that not everyone sees on a day-to-day basis. And that is why these eerily beautiful paper dolls and artwork by Amy Earles really got me excited. This set on the left below was actually a commissioned anniversary gift. How clever and unique! I love personal gifts that reflect the receiver or the relationship you have with them. I think a paper doll set makes a special wedding or anniversary gift.

Her illustrations are amazing too! You can check them out at her Flickr stream or at her blog.

{images from Amy Earles on Flickr}

This cute solid perfume is packaged in a lovely hand carved African Blackwood case. It’s perfectly compact, and suitable for touchups :) My favourite part is how sustainable it is. The case is a made of a natural wood while the perfume scent is infused into an organic beeswax.

With lovely perfumes and packages by Tammy Frazer, it would make a cute bridesmaids gift, no?

{image from The Die Line}

Julene Harrison makes amazing custom hand-cut paper designs. The artwork is delicate and detailed. A framed custom design will make a unique and memorable gift for a special couple :)

{photos from Made By Julene}

These Lapland bracelets originate from the Sami culture of Northern Europe, but have been catching on in North America with many celebrities and fashion icons. Perhaps they will make their way into your wedding as bridesmaids gifts or an accessory?

Here are some handmade ones from Etsy seller, SwedArt. They carry a wide selection of patterns in various coloured leathers too, including special metallic leathers that are simply gorgeous. The bracelets are made out of genuine reindeer leather and pewter to create these intricate designs.

{images from Vogue and SwedArt on Etsy}

Both Tiny Prints and Beau-coup offer a refreshing idea for wedding favours: little personalized mint tins. With a variety of colours and designs to choose from, you can allow your guests to remember the wonderful time they had at your event every time they go to freshen their breath.

{photos from Tiny Prints and Beau-coup}

We are so excited to be a part of Creature Comforts’ 18 Days of Festive Freebies & Holiday Tutorials! As we are still a fairly new blog, we contacted Creature Comforts in November to participate in a fabulous holiday project, as well get a little feature. It was great fun making these calendars, and I hope you enjoy this gift idea too.

CLICK HERE to view our tutorial for these pocket calendars.

The creator and founder of Creature Comforts, Ez, also happens to behind the brand, Nice Package, which we featured when we first started this blog. The 18-day series we are a part of will continue until December 24th. There have been some amazing downloads and tutorials, so don’t forget to visit to check out more handmade and free ideas.

Thank you so much, Ez, for including us.

PS. After you make a set of pocket calendars, don’t forget to email us your photos. We’d love to see the results ;)

I’m going to share this story with you, only because I am sure that my 70-year-old grandmother does not read blogs. So, I always know when my grandmother has been to a wedding or banquet of some sort, because our house will have a lot of flowers. She will always feel entitled to taking home the host’s floral decorations at the end of the night, because she believes they paid good money for it, and they can’t possibly have a use for it after anyway. One time she came to visit my school residence, and she brought all these roses to decorate my room. My friends that visited after were convinced that I was keeping a secret beau, even when I was single and not dating at the time.

So the point of that story, was to tell you how much people in general (like my grandmother) like flowers and plants. Everyone prefers a little life in their space, if not a companion then in the form of a pet or a plant. On top of being eco-friendly, it’s a good idea to give your guests a memorable gift that grows :) I’m an advocate of environmentally-conscious design (I know it sounds cliche, but really everyone should be!) and therefore I’m really excited to be sharing these gift ideas with you.

UK Designer, Jamie Wieck has a business card, A Bloomin’ Designer, that is creative and delightful to receive. This design has received a lot of attention on the internet, for being so simple and so clever. Just a plain paper pocket, and some seeds inside, can leave a smile on your guests’ faces.

Another brilliant idea that I came across, was these packed succulents from Sol X Sol, Japan. They carry all sorts of gift kits, with DIY instructions to plant them later. The packaging and instructions are also really simple. They almost feel like little cupcakes in those containers.

And lastly, one of my favourite ideas is plantable paper, which means seeds were placed into the pulp when making the paper, so that after you’re done with it, you can just add water and a plant will grow out of the paper fibres. The idea is really catching on, but I don’t really know who thought of it. I first saw it from Pangea Organics‘ packaging in 2006 (probably because it was designed by IDEO, and I follow what this company does) and then I started seeing greeting cards with plantable paper from The Paper Place and Pistachio in Toronto. From Etsy, I really like these ones by Round Robin Press because they are also letterpress :) which makes me extra happy.

So if you are looking for some green gift ideas, you can consider giving a real plant that will last and grow :)

{photos from Jamie Wieck, Sol x Sol and Round Robin Press}

Alright, let’s be honest here. The holidays are fast approaching. I know, I know… it’s like Halloween just happened, but come on folks. Look around. The stores are already getting out the decorations and gift packs. So you should be prepared too. Beat the rush! You’ll be sitting back laughing, sipping some delicious hot cocoa in your Lazy Boy, while others are out sweating in their snowsuits trying to buy those last few items on their lists. (Snowsuits mainly apply to those who are Canadian, and to a few others around the world who happen to be blessed with the gift of snow during the last few months of the year). Anyway,… I thought of the perfect gift idea to start you off with, whether you’ll be in a snowsuit this year or not.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes… dun dun dun, the new home. What better to fill a new home with than the gift of scent? And delightfully comforting ones at that! Well Bliss Candles offers just that, in a massive range of fragrances. I was literally scrolling the page for 12 minutes. No, okay… that’s a bit much, but I scrolled regardless… a lot.

A few fragrances I was enticed by for the season: Amaretto Nog; Autumn Toddy; Baked Apple Pie; Black Cherry; Butter Pecan Pie; Buttered Rum; Chai Tea; Chestnuts & Brown Sugar; Cinnamon Coconut Cream; Cozy Home; Holiday Lights; Gingerbread Pumpkin; Jack Frost; Scotch Pine; Sugar Plum; Vanilla Hazelnut Mocha; White Ginger and Amber; Victorian Christmas.

Okay, so obviously I had a hard time slimming my list down. You try going through them all and not wanting to smell at least a dozen. I dare you! And they come in a variety of rustic, country mason jars, which happen to be all the rage right now.

So… start writing down all the ones you’d like to purchase and for whom. And if it is in fact a wedding gift, I’m sure the new couple will sincerely appreciate the wonderful touch you’ve added to their home.

{photos from blisscandles on Etsy}

A simple way to dress up your wedding favours, ribbons, invitations and other paper/fabric goodies is stamping.

Nothing Elegant carries all sorts of stamps with lace, floral and geometric patterns from Korea. The stamps give an ephemeral and handmade look, which really makes everything feel personalized at your wedding. It’s a great idea for a vintage-inspired wedding, and stamping is generally cheaper than having custom printed envelopes :)

Every print will look a little different, and that’s the beauty of it. You may need to set up a bit of a sweatshop with your bridesmaids and family, but the quality of the stamps will be worth the labour (trust me, I was assigned the task of stamping 1000 envelopes for our graduation show last year. And it looked amazing!)

The store also carries deco tape, fabric tape, antique lace, and cute stickers to decorate your stationary. It might seem like a four-year-old’s craft, but if you get creative, these simple tools can be a nice detail to your wedding.

{photos from Nothing Elegant}

Wendy and Andrea Ho are the sisters and team behind W.Ho Made It. They recycle antique plates and cups, and make them into wonderful jewellery stands. Each one is unique, and is matched appropriately. I love that these remind me of high tea, and are perfectly practical for storing everyday jewellery. A great gift idea for your bridesmaids ;)

{photos from W.Ho Made it on Etsy}