Playful yummy bakes for modern home bakers
Tamika runs Afro Puff Ltd and makes Afro-centric children’s clothing using a variety of African print fabrics. Learn about the inspiration behind Tamika’s designs, see tons of her brilliant products and read her passion for shopping small here. Check out Afro Puff Ltd on Instagram …
Birthdays seem to come round so fast, at least it always seems like they do. If you’re anything like us, it can seem daunting to come up with thoughtful and unique gift ideas each year that they’ll love. If this sounds familiar, our unique gift …
Kirsty runs Topbroidery, a small business based in Glasgow, Scotland, specialising in Polymer Clay Earrings. Unique Jewellery, Keepsakes and Embroidery. Topbroidery also provide personalised gifts too. Learn more about the range of clothing, jewellery and keepsakes Toproidery offers; how it all began with ‘groatie-buckies’ and why she thinks it’s so crucial to shop small when you can.
Check out Topbroidery on Instagram.
I started my Etsy business back in 2018 when I was living up the top of Scotland. I was walking along John O’Groats beach one day and found these shells called ‘groatie-buckies’ that were said to bring good luck to anyone who had them. So, I decided to start making keepsakes from them including ‘groatie-buckie’ bracelets and ‘beach-in-a-bottle’ wedding favours. This was all I sold on my Etsy site until 2020 when we went into the COVID-19 lockdown.
To give me something to do, I really started to focus on making things and found that it was something I really enjoyed doing. I first started with embroidery and then, polymer clay earrings and jewellery. I’ve recently started working with air-dry clay which I’m finding quite difficult to work with, but you might start seeing clay products popping up on my Etsy page in the future when I’ve mastered the technique!
I believe it’s important to support small businesses because you’re supporting individual people who have incredible talent, rather than funding one company who dominates the market and stunts healthy competition for unique and new ideas to be developed. I believe small businesses are the future.
There are so many benefits to buying from small businesses. You can find a more personalised gift and the small businesses tend to take greater care to ensure the product is up to a high standard. The wrapping of the gift and the hand-written notes you can receive are lovely and add more of a personal touch to your order and also. They also tend to be more sustainable and eco-friendly than big conglomerates.
A great gift is one that has been picked out with a specific person in mind, something that is thoughtful, unique and useful. I personally love when a gift evokes an emotion in the receiver!
If you are in Scotland, Maia gifts and Papyrus Gifts in Glasgow are both fantastic small gift shops which offer really unique products. They also have websites so you can shop online.
Etsy and Not On The High Street are also great places to find personalised gifts.
I’m really passionate about travelling. So, the best gift(s) I ever received was a beautiful journal to document my adventures and the cutest travel inspired savings pot (from Maia gifts) to save for my next trip!
I loved reading about how Topbroidery began and I imagine that will resonate with a lot of small businesses across the country; a spark of inspiration that takes a hobby or interest into something very special.
Browsing through Toproidery on Etsy it’s obvious the thoughtfulness and talent that Kirsty brings to her products. I am a bit of a magpie when it comes to jewellery, so my eye immediately went to the earrings. Such original designs.
It’s lovely to see the groatie-buckie items still available too. Cowrie shells have such significance all across the world, used as currency and symbols of good luck and it was interesting to hear this story about it’s tradition in Scotland which I didn’t know before.
Looking for more gift inspiration? Join our mailing list for gift ideas and small business recommendations, so you’re never stumped for ideas again.
Interested in other unique finds? Check out my Indie Birthday gift ideas – for all the quirky, fun gals in your life or Cute Valentine’s gifts – ideas under £25
On the hunt for Birthday ideas? Try my Vegan Birthday Hamper – EmmaBakes gift ideas
Birthdays seem to come round so fast, at least it always seems like they do. If you’re anything like us, it can seem daunting to come up with thoughtful and unique ideas each year that they’ll love. Our Indie Birthday gift ideas collection should help …
Valentine’s just has a way of sneaking up on you. It feels like no sooner have we celebrated New Year than its February 1st and eyes turn to Valentine’s Day. Be it celebrating love for that special someone or for all of the special besties …
New Year. New you. Christmas, as joyful as it can be, is over for another year and it’s time to look forward to everything that the new year will bring and happily say goodbye to that big to-do gift list that might have been hanging over you. Then, we take another look and see that Valentine’s day is creeping up just behind and before you know it, it’s February and we need inspiration fast. This collection of cute Valentine’s gifts, ideas under £25 should help you out. Lots of thoughtful ideas from small businesses that would make anyone feel special, and fab for Palentines and Galentines too. Great for sharing lots of love this year. Take a look.
Let’s introduce you to the makers of each of these brilliantly unique gift ideas:
All of these brilliant, unique and cute Valentine’s gift ideas are all available on Etsy and all created by small independent businesses. Show the love in more ways than one this Valentine’s by shopping small and getting something truly memorable for pals, gals or that special someone.
Looking for more unique gift ideas for special occasions? Pop your email here to join our mailing list so you won’t miss out ever again.
Looking for other gift ideas? Check out my Vegan self-care from Etsy. Taking care of yourself and our environment. Win, win. or perhaps my Vegan Birthday Hamper – EmmaBakes gift ideas – lots of gift inspiration to be had
Meet Bity Booker, a folk musician and illustrator. Bity Booker art shop offers a unique art prints, illustrations and handmade gifts including paper mache magnets and brooches. Learn more about how lockdown inspired her to begin her shop, her opinions on gift giving and supporting …
Scrub is a small company based in Nottinghamshire, with 5 ladies producing a selection of handmade relaxing bath products alongside body and home fragrances too. Learn more about their beginnings, their recommendations for great gift ideas and more about their collection. Find The Scrub Shop …
Breakfast is my favourite meal by far, I think that’s got something to do with my impatience to get eating again from the night before. I admit, I don’t always have the time or headspace to make breakfast from scratch but whenever I do make homemade granola I am never disappointed and if you’re looking for homemade breakfast ideas this is one for you.
Granola is very simple to make, just a bit of mixing and baking and the ingredients do so much work for you and make something gorgeously tasty, that lasts for months and is just the most versatile food. Breakfast, desserts, snacking you name it, granola will be there for you.
I have called this my get up and go granola because it has so much of the good stuff in it that it’ll start your day off the right way. I love the combination of apricots, cranberries, banana and the hit of orange zest but the beauty of granola is that you can add whatever you want. This is your breakfast after all.
I’ve used cup measurements here, which isn’t usual for me, but for a very simple reason; sometimes, particularly in the morning, you don’t want to get the scales out and it feels so liberating to use cups and add the mix straight into the bowl as you go. Easy peasy.
½ cup apricots
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup banana chips
4 cups rolled oats
½ cup mixed nuts
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest 1 orange (optional)
1 egg white (can leave out if you want to make this vegan)
Makes a large jar of granola which will keep in an airtight container for a few months
Preheat the oven to 180°C, GM4.
In a large bowl mix the oats, nuts, seeds, salt and spices together.
In a jug, combine the wet ingredients (maple syrup, vanilla extract, vegetable oil) and pour into the dry ingredients.
Take the egg, and separate the whites and lightly whisk into the granola mixture.
Stir everything to combine.
Add the mix to a lined baking tray and cook in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Half way through the cooking time, toss the mix around so that it browns evenly and very importantly tightly press down on the mixture and put it back in the oven to finish cooking. This will help the granola go really crispy when it’s cool.
The granola mix will be golden brown when cooked. Another important tip – let the granola completely cool in the baking tray before breaking up into pieces and storing and this will also help the granola to be incredibly crunchy and break into large chunks.
Before storing, chop the apricots into small chunks and add this alongside the dried cranberries, banana chips and orange zest and add to the granola and stir to combine.
Store in an airtight jar or container which will last for a few months, ready for you to use whenever you like.
Looking for more brunchtime inspiration? Check out BBC brunch ideas – some brilliant recipes here.
Fancy something to go with your granola? Why not try my Cardamom and vanilla baked fruit
Looking for other healthy recipes? Check out my Cinnamon oat and banana pancakes with spiced plums, the perfect winter breakfast filled with all the good stuff.
Sophie runs PopUp Poetry, a shop passionate about creating fun, sustainable gift hampers that are one of a kind, with a touch of magic that don’t cost the Earth (in every sense!). Learn more about her handmade, eco friendly and magic inspired Gift Hampers, how …