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 …
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 …
Sophie runs PopUp Poetry, a shop passionateabout 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 Sophie began her business and her top tips and recommendations on how to buy the best gifts for any occasion.
Tell us a little bit about your company? What do you offer?
Hey my name is Sophie, originally from Yorkshire (God’s Own Country!) but having moved to pastures new for University, I have now been a permanent resident in Liverpool for over 12 years. Where does time go!
My gift hampers include hand (or wand) poured Candles, Soaps, handmade Bath Bombs, knitted Pet creatures, hand painted and hand drawn illustrations / infographics and hand written poetry.
All of these items are related to each theme of the Hamper – you will find a felt avocado pet in your Vegan Hamper, and a dead man soap in your magic one! I like to promote the positive impacts of veganism in my products and everything in the Hampers is eco friendly, sustainable & the materials are either sourced locally or grown in my garden – from the lavender in my soaps to the ‘Grow Your Own Sunflower’ extracted from seeds taken from Sunflowers grown in my garden to go into my Isolation Hamper.
My making process is the best part of the job – I have a fantastic sturdy wooden workbench in my studio, and this is where I create my candles, soaps and bath bombs. I have an induction hob in my studio; this is where I use pans, candle / soap jugs and double boilers to melt and cast my soaps and candles. I use my lavender, calendula flowers & seeds to use in the soaps & candles, and I use the most organic & cruelty free soaps, fragrances & essential oils in the process.
The knitted & felted goods are created from sustainable materials, crafted by hand & are all unique. The hand drawn and handwritten items are constructed in the studio also – I handwrite all my labels, images, and infographics, and take care to always provide this personalisation in my work to make it very personal and special.
The eco element of my business is the most important part of what I do, and all my materials are sustainable, encouraged to be reused, and can be broken down naturally. My packaging includes eco-friendly tape, rescued unwanted card, kraft paper & packaging materials saved from various deliveries as a means of securing your package in transit, and even my business card is made from recycled card.
Visit the PopUp Poetry shop on Etsy and take a look at Sophie’s range of sustainable gift hampers. Including:
* My Little Magic Hamper
* My Halloween Hamper
* My Vegan Hamper
* My Little Christmas Eve Box
* My Horror Hamper
…and many more!
How did you get into creating personalised poetry, hampers and gifts?
My business actually began as a personalised writing service, where I would write custom poems or speeches for people, especially for Weddings. It was around Christmas one year where I decided to create personalised Santa Letter/Poems, and added the choice of a Gift Set to accompany these. When these proved popular, I decided to expand on this idea and began my journey making novel and themed Hampers, based around the idea of the ‘cosy night in’ – Gift Boxes full of comforts, treats and some kind of fun activity.
Every Hamper still includes a poem that fits with the theme and has been written by myself – from the poem about being a wonderful human in my Vegan Hamper, to my ‘spell’ in the Halloween one.
I actually was working in a full time job when I first opened my shop as a side hustle, and carried on like this for a few years, but when I first starting making my Hampers I was predominantly advertising and selling them on Facebook, and it was one of my close friends who told me to literally ‘just go for it’ and set up an Etsy shop – and this is where things really started to happen for the business. I have a habit of overthinking just about anything and everything but following the advice that it doesn’t have to be perfect, just get it out there, I took the plunge and gave it a go!
When I actually decided to leave my full time job and run my business full time instead, trying to explain to my parents and family why I would leave a place of security and certainty for risk and the unknown was really scary, but hopefully they are now just proud of what I have managed to create and bring to life!
Why do you think it’s important to support small businesses?
Supporting small businesses is so important – it brings community together, it raises up the power of the individuals and gives freedom to creatives to create some wonderful ideas and pieces which have so much more heart than corporations or big businesses like Amazon. It keeps the wonderful highstreet alive, it shows that huge heartless corporations don’t have to rule our lives.
With small businesses, items are made from the heart, there is a real human there putting love and care into everything they make and do, and your product will be wonderfully unique to you. Finally and perhaps most importantly, it promotes the fact that anyone can be an entrepreneur, have a dream, or can bring to life the greatest ideas and imaginations and make the world a better place.
What do you think makes a great gift?
A great gift is creating or finding something for someone that just ‘gets them’, that you are so EXCITED for them to see and you are counting down the days until you know they will open it or experience it. I am also a big ambassador for sustainability and the environment so for me a great gift is from a shop that has considered and used materials that are kind to the planet, made to last or made from quality & organic materials that are good for you, the world and the recipient.
A great gift is something that makes everyone along the process feel good – from the maker, to the buyer, to the receiver – good vibes all along 🙂
What are your top tips for finding the right gift for someone?
Give yourself plenty of time to get the right thing, start looking early, and begin with giving yourself some inspiration by window shopping first, and make sure once you find it, get it with plenty of time to spare. However if you get a gut feeling about something at a Fayre or Market etc and you find yourself feeling excited about seeing that persons face if you gave it to them, then just go for it!!
I also like to keep a list on my phone when Christmas shopping to remind myself what I’ve already got so far so I don’t overbuy!!
Finally, my last piece of advice would be think about the lifespan of the purchase – from an eco friendly perspective, try and get gifts that aren’t single use or novel that will never be used again after that one occasion (unless it’s something like chocolate!!), or will fall apart quickly, and also what it will look like at the end of it’s life, ie. will it biodegrade or will it be more plastic to go into the ocean? I know it’s not a cheerful topic but conscious shopping is the way forward – and knowing something will last someone for a really long time, is fabulous quality and will itself be value for money, it’ll be a valued gift, and it shows the thought and time you have put in for this person 🙂
What are your recommendations for favourite places to buy gifts?
I would say seek out small businesses and makers – follow them on social media to keep up with offers they may have, find local fayres / markets / stalls and go see what they’re selling. Learn about what they make, how they make them and what they’re all about – you will literally make their day.
Visit your highstreet and go check out those little independent shops. Try Etsy, Not on the Highstreet, Numonday, Folksy where there is a plethora of independents all who make fantastic individual items and gifts.
Check out Vinted, Olio, Depop, Facebook Marketplace as well, where you can get handmade items or quality second hand goods too.
One of my favourite gifting sites currently is Lisa Angel UK – an independent buyer who showcases the works of so many talented individuals based around the UK right now, and I have just got a solar powered light up glass dinosaur night light I am head over heels for!!
What is the best gift you have ever received?
This may sound daft but possibly my bright yellow raincoat – I wear this every single day and have done for years. It’s lasted the test of time so well, stayed waterproof, is lightweight and so colourful it makes me smile every day when I wear it. However we do have a recent contender in a gift from my partner for my birthday this year – it is a full length mirror which opens up and has a massive jewellery & make up storage cupboard inside – I have literally managed to store everything in there and it is organisation heaven. It also rotates 360 degrees round and there is storage at the back too, where I can pop my hairdryer!!
Neither of those may sound fun but they’ve been game changers for me, and they are both gifts that have had me in mind, and they’ve got me down to a tee!
I love the individuality, thoughtfulness and creativity in all of Sophie’s hampers. They are truly unique, handmade, multisensory gifts that are bound to bring a smile to someone’s face. The handwritten notes, homely gifts and attention to detail really show how much love she puts into products and I’m sure this is reflected in people’s reactions when they open them. I love how they are all like a box of curiosities that you can sift through and really take time to appreciate each gift in the hamper.
Sam runs Childstar Samantha, a small business that specialises in creating colourful illustrations, art, homeware and apparel to make people smile. From sassy cats, typographic designs to jungle vibes and kid’s illustration, there will be something for you. Learn more about her range of playful …
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Claire and Janet, at Fancytatcrafts specialise in upcycling gift ideas. They create new and beautiful gifts and homewares by upcycling pre-loved or neglected stuff. Learn more about this inspirational Kent based mother and daughter team of creative crafters, their growing small business and their sustainable approach to design.
Find Fancytatcrafts on Instagram to see all of their beautiful upcycled designs.
Tell us a little bit about your company? What do you offer?
Our philosophy at Fancytatcrafts is to reuse wherever possible.We make desk tidies from floppy disks, phone stands from vinyl records and bracelets from left over bits of coloured pencils.
Our products are lovingly handmade by us from unwanted or salvaged objects and are often unique or limited edition due to the availability of materials.
How did you get into creating upcycling gift ideas?
As lifelong hoarders of useful knickknacks which ‘might come in handy one day’ we thoroughly enjoy finding new uses for so many interesting bits and pieces. Reusing what we already have also prevents us from needing to invest in more things.
In February 2013 we joined forces to breathe new life into our extensive collection of objet-d’art and inspire our friends and neighbours to upcycle and reuse. We both have a strong desire to be considerate of our environmental impact and to not be wasteful.
‘Fancy Tat’ became our way of showcasing and sharing the upcycled loveliness of our ever expanding collection.
Why do you think it’s important to support small businesses?
The nature of small businesses varies enormously. The local ‘bricks and mortar’ establishments such as the grocery shop, bakery, butcher and beautician add colour to the identity of each community and convenience to local shoppers.
Small online businesses run from a home office or studio, such as our own, produce a uniquely creative variety of products. New ideas created by unique individuals will always impact on the future of society as well as enable buyers to find tailor made gifts for their friends and family.
Interior design is trending toward the creation of distinctive character homes with conscious consideration of the environment. Many small businesses are perfectly placed to enable this bespoke approach to design.
What do you think makes a great gift?
Something that perfectly suits the unique character and interests of the recipient.
What are your top tips for finding the right gift for someone?
Find out what interests and inspires the person you are buying the gift for.
Search online for a small business designer-maker able to provide or produce the perfect gift for you. Many inspired makers are more than willing to discuss bespoke commissions.
What are your recommendations for favourite places to buy gifts?
So many. Here’s some:
Etsy
Amazon Handmade UK
Local Craft Shops
Charity Shops
Craft Fairs
Fellow makers
What is the best gift you have ever received?
Janet: A handmade bespoke silver necklace made by a small business designer-maker. The two silver hearts attached to the chain are imprinted with the fingerprints of my husband and daughter. A truly unique and bespoke handmade gift.
Claire: My husband spent several years searching for a particular toy fish (from Finding Nemo) that was no longer on the market. He eventually found a second hand one! Totally made my Christmas that year.
It’s clear that Claire and Janet have such a passion and commitment to upcycled design. You can see this so clearly from how they describe their business, their choice of favourite gifts and of course browsing through their Etsy shop, take a look! Some of my favourites here have to be their upcycled CD tea tight and decorative pansy sets, so beautiful. I also have my eye on the vintage sheet music series. It’s all so unique and individual and that, in my mind, is something that makes supporting small businesses so perfect, it means that you can gift and decorate your house with special objects that speak to you. Knowing that they support the environment, is just another added bonus.
Want to learn about other small businesses that have a sustainable ethos? See my interview with Jungle Culture.
Looking for more eco friendly gift inspiration? Check out my curated Etsy list of vegan sellers for more ideas.
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