#LongLiveIndieBiz - Christmas Gift Guide
Everyone’s favourite monthly celebration of indie brands is here, with jingle bells on!
If you’re new around here, every month we share a few of the independent businesses who’ve caught our eye, here on the blog and on IG using #LongLiveIndieBiz.
Hopefully this will provide some inspo for your Christmas shopping so grab a cuppa (tea or mulled wine, no judgement), sit back, and enjoy…
Adinkra Socks (£9.99) by Afropop Socks
VERMILION clay face mask (£5) by Oak&Soap
House Portrait Decoration (£40) by Imogen Partridge
The Positive Student Planner (£24) by The Positive Planner
Yeah, we went there. We’re kicking off a Christmas Gift Guide with the most cliché gift of all: SOCKS. But not just any socks! Afropop Socks are inspired by African designs, made from 75% cotton, available in a variety of sizes for men, women and kids AND they donate a portion of every sale to Access UK, a charity that provides careers, guidance and training support to young Black and Minority Ethnic people.
Oak&Soap make beautiful bath products with 100% recycled packaging, zero plastics and no harmful chemicals or parabens. This clay face mask contains kaolin and green tea to help prevent acne, manage dry skin, absorb oil as well as protecting your skin from UV damage and premature ageing. Erm, sign us up please! It comes as a powder to mix with water as and when you need it. Hurray for less waste!
These hand painted decorations by Imogen Partridge are so gorgeous that the lucky recipients will probably want to display them year round! It’s the perfect way to immortalise a new home or remember a favourite holiday destination or wedding venue, and a great gift for hard-to-buy-for folks. Even the supplies have been mindfully chosen, from ceramics discs made with renewable energy, to hand-dyed silk ribbon.
Struggling to think of something worthwhile to gift the teenagers in your life? The Positive Planner’s Student Planner is the first dedicated student wellbeing planner, and was co-developed with leading UK mental health charity Samaritans. We really could’ve done with these as students! As well as daily, weekly and monthly planning tools, it contains expert wellbeing tips, meal planning and budgeting advice, mood and habit trackers and so much more!
The Indy Box (from £25) by The Indy Box
Mini Circle Necklace (£38) by Mela Jewellery
Counting Sheep (from £10.95) by Albion Candle Co.
Giant Recycled Tote (£75) by Minus Cloud Nine
The Indy Box's mission is to revolutionise the beauty subscription box world. Founder Becky learned that most major boxes don't pay fair prices for the products that they feature every month, which is extremely damaging to smaller, independent brands…So she made her own! Each Indy Box contains five innovative products with 60% off the RRP. You can purchase or gift a one-off, pre-pay for 3, 6 or 12 months, or set up a rolling monthly subscription.
Mela Jewellery create truly handmade, eco-conscious, minimal jewellery to wear everyday. The Mini Circle Necklace is the smallest and lightest in the collection, and is made from recycled sterling silver. You know we love to know how things are made here at Untld Project, and we’re obsessed with watching owner Deepa at work, over on Instagram!
You might’ve noticed we’re big fans of scented candles over here! Perfect for getting in the zone while working, or for (trying to!) switch off and relax. The calming blend of lavender and tonka has made this Counting Sheep candle from Albion Candle Co. a firm fav. As well as planting a tree for every candle sold, Albion have created a number of limited edition scents to raise funds for charities such as Manchester Mind and Breast Cancer Now.
Charlotte started Minus Cloud Nine during her final year of university while suffering from PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Her goal is for people to have open, honest conversations about mental health and share photos of themselves wearing the brand and use the #WhyIWearTheCloud hashtag to tell their story. This gorge Giant Tote Bag is waterproof and washable, and made from factory waste. Perfect for books and laptops and it includes a large water bottle pouch to remind you to keep hydrated!
Monthly Digital Sewing Pack Gift (£10 per month) by In a Haystack
Card Wallet in Cognac (£50) by MW Makes
Lucky Frog Ceramic Ornament (£25) by Alex Sickling
In a Haystack’s digital sewing subscription is perfect for crafters who don’t want - or don’t have space for - more “stuff” or are trying to work their way through their stash! Each monthly pack contains a PDF pattern from an independent pattern designer, discounts for fabric shops, pattern printing and other crafty treats, as well as interviews, tips and tricks, and lots more to explore!
MW Makes creates leather goods for the everyday. Influenced by a background in architecture, each item is carefully designed with an emphasis on simple geometries, clean lines and functionality. This card wallet is perfect for gifting and can be personalised with a monogram. The oak tanned leather is made at the last remaining oak tannery in the UK and uses traditional processes to create this luxury leather.
Alex Sickling’s ceramics just makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I think we all know someone who’d like to receive this thoroughly charming lucky frog ornament as a gift! Clue: If you can’t think of anyone, it’s probably you.
Last but not least, we had to give a shout out to Hobbycraft Plus. We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with Hobbycraft on this brand new subscription service dedicated to supporting small craft businesses and passionate makers. With discounts across the Hobbycraft range, an upgrade to next day delivery, and a whole host of other Hobbycraft benefits (read all about them here), you’ll also get three free seminars with yours truly, AND a whopping £80 discount on our Virtual PR Academy. It’s the perfect gift for a small business owner, or a fantastic investment to help make 2023 your best year yet!
Indie Christmas Cards
As a cheeky little bonus this month, we thought we’d share some of the small business holiday cards that we’ll be sending this year.
It wasn’t a conscious decision to pick entirely pink cards, but I guess the heart wants what it wants…
Happy Holidays Fam Greetings Card (£3) by The Not So Lonely Hearts Club
Hot Chocolate Holiday Card (£3) by Nicola Rowlands
Cat Christmas Card (£3) by Jasmine Chin
Ify & Isaiah Reach for the Star Mini Kitschmas Card (£2) by Kitsch Noir
Wanna be a part of our monthly round ups? No worries babes, simply use the #LongLiveIndieBiz hashtag on IG and we’ll give you a cheeky shout out in one of our future blog posts!