Gifting well means looking past the immediate gratification of delivering something splashy and thinking carefully about the recipient – are they likely to use it? How will it fit into their daily life? At Christmas, it’s also worth considering how the gift will play into the warm, sunny months ahead. With that in mind, here is our comprehensive guide to purchases in every price range that will appeal to all kinds of tastes, whether it’s skincare, servingware, clothing or a drop of wine.
Plus, we’re offering the chance for one lucky reader to take home all the gifts in this guide, so you’ve got a treasure trove of gifts to give your loved ones (or keep for yourself). Enter your details below for a chance to win.
You won’t disappoint anyone with a bottle of wine. This dry, easy-drinking Clare Valley riesling from the respected Pikes cellar goes perfectly with seafood or a bit of spice; at RRP $18, it’s affordable too. The zesty lemon-lime kick at the end makes it a bright accompaniment to summer lunching.
Not all pepper is created equal, which you’ll know once you’ve tried Pep. This Aussie company sources premium peppercorns from Cambodia’s tropical Memot region. It’s single origin and surprisingly complex in both aroma and flavour. Plus the cute refillable glass grinder ($19.95) is one you’ll want to keep.
Whatever the occasion, Melbourne word gifting brand Short Talk has a card to suit. Whether you want to say “You’ve got this”, “Mum you’re magic” or just “Shut the front door”, these $8 cards do the job with simple, elegant graphic design on high quality paper stock. And yes, there’s a Christmas range too.
Unfamiliar with the Christmas pickle? It’s an American holiday tradition (apocryphally attributed to German immigrants) in which a pickle-shaped decoration is hidden on a Christmas tree, and its discoverer is granted good luck in the year to come. So of course Adelaide designers Daniel To and Emma Aiston have added a pickle ($25) to their playful range, which includes colourful homewares, furniture, wristwatches and a collection of charms.
Melbourne-based beauty label Kit does a thoughtful, vegan-friendly range of skincare essentials with botanicals and natural fragrances. The Lip Kit is the Mecca-owned label’s “kissing balm”. Designed for all skin types, it’s made from Australian river mint, sea buckthorn oil, cocoa seed butter and hemp seed oil. And at $22, it’s a thrifty way to moisten all the dry lips out there – until that next kiss comes along.
Cabbage might not be the first place your mind goes when planning your Christmas gifts, but hear us out. Melbourne fermentation specialists Acide do a jar of pickled red cabbage ($16.50) with apple cider vinegar and mixed spices, levelling up an already winning formula. It makes for a versatile side with eye-catching colour and, like all Acide products, it’s handmade for a one-off result.
Sewn and dyed by hand in Melbourne, this silk organza scrunchie looks like a luscious blooming rose. Priced at $19.95, it has a sustainable backstory too – made from discarded or clearance fabric. This red-and-gold standout starts in the “mini” size and is suitable for kids, but Gliese does a range of colours and sizes up to and including “mega”.
This reliable drop – the first of Penfolds’s numbered Bin range from the winery’s experimental era in the 1950s – is a great choice for cellaring or for Christmas lunch. The RRP $50 wine is designed to showcase Australian shiraz, with grapes sourced from several regions. Its robust, lasting notes of dried fruit and tobacco play well with strong cheeses and hearty centrepieces like red meat.
Equal parts adorable and durable, this waist apron ($40) in 100 per cent French linen evokes a rambling kitchen garden or charming French cafe. Hand-embroidered with the words “Sunday Lunch” in red block letters, the recipient will be breaking it out for leisurely end-of-weekend roasts in no time. It’s classic.
Few veggies lend themselves so well to candle status as the noble asparagus spear. These unscented olive-toned dinner candles ($39) are hand-poured in collaboration with an Indonesian candlemaker. A winking conversation piece, they’re made with plant-based wax and a simple cotton wick, and should burn for around nine hours each.
From Sydney label Black Blaze, the Gem collection is minimal but fun, featuring black clay pieces handcrafted into playful geometric shapes with light graphic touches. The dinner plate ($39) is octagonal with sloping edges, in a wheat colourway with black detailing, including an artfully scrawled “Bon Appetit”. After gifting this one, you might just be tempted to build the rest of the collection, which includes bowls, side plates, linen napkins and a rustic knife-and-fork set in antique brass iron.
If you’re going to buy socks for Christmas, make sure there’s something special about them. Comfortable yet functional, these $28 socks feature a spiral grip pattern at the heel and ball of the foot. That makes them absolutely ready to go for Pilates, yoga and other dynamic pursuits, while the knitted cotton-polyester blend still feels soft and stylish all the way. Available in sea green, deep ocean, lemon cream and pebble grey.
Made in India from recycled nylon, Eaubags wine totes cut an especially vibrant figure in summer. Colour combinations include watermelon, desert, pistachio & chocolate, and orange & citrus. Available for $49 each, these scream picnic but can also be used for proper dinner parties or any occasion that calls for wine (i.e. any occasion).
Made by the 150-year-old champagne house Canard-Duchêne in the premier cru village of Ludes, this buttery drop expertly balances freshness and depth, and comes with a handy gift box for any occasion that calls for a luxurious touch. At RRP $55, it’s a smart gift for anyone who appreciates proper bubbly. It’s golden in colour and fruity in taste and aroma, made with pinot noir grapes from dozens of vineyard parcels.
For more recipes from beloved Melbourne restaurants, try our latest cookbook ($54.99). The sequel to the 2015 original, it’s filled with iconic dishes by the restaurants that define local dining right now – from enduring favourites like France-Soir and Stokehouse to newcomers like Manze, Julie and Toddy Shop. The 80 all-new recipes here cover breakfast, sandwiches, snacks and sides, mains and desserts, with luscious full-page photography.
Sydney brand Sun Rituals sees its towels, sarongs and headwear as portals to restorative environments. The $59 Dolomiti cap takes inspiration from the clear waters of Italy’s alpine Lago di Braies, embroidered with a calming double-swirl logo. Made from cotton twill, it’s one-size-fits-all and features an adjustable metal clasp.
This lightweight jelly moisturiser ($79) from Sydney’s Foile is designed for everyday use. Its botanical formula includes Australian rosella, prickly pear seed, snow mushroom and sea buckthorn, with active ingredients sodium hyaluronate and ascorbic acid. It comes in a sculptural pink glass bottle that can be refilled from a 50-millilitre pouch via the brand’s returns loop.
Mother’s Universal Face SPF ($55) combines cooling, hydrating skincare with protective SPF. It’s designed to be applied on top of your moisturiser, with botanicals like Kakadu plum, jojoba oil and sea buckthorn oil that won’t block your pores. Made with organic, vegan, reef-safe ingredients, it doesn’t hurt the environment either.
If you’re not familiar with designer Gemma Leslie’s Food for Everyone project, every recipe-inspired poster ($100) you buy provides 10 meals to those in need. This design depicts Melbourne chef Tom Sarafian’s hummus, spanner crab and king prawn dish in a street scene from Alexandria, Egypt, where Sarafian’s grandparents ran a restaurant when he was a child.
Baina co-founders Bailey Meredith and Anna Fahey say their towelling is inspired by “architecture, sculpture and colour theory”. The Franklin bath towel ($90, or $340 for four) has a simple stripe pattern and check embroidery that’s undeniably easy on the eye. Made from quick-drying cotton terry, it comes in colourways of caper and chalk, or fuyu (Japanese persimmon) and chalk.
If you don’t think you like tequila, you probably haven’t had Patron Silver. Handcrafted in Jalisco, Mexico, using 100 per cent blue Weber agave, it’s light, smooth and worth savouring in the handsome 700-millilitre bottle (RRP $108). And it’s not just for Margaritas – use it in place of vodka or white rum in your cocktails, or sip it neat to really appreciate the citrus notes and peppery finish.
This fragrance from pop star Troye Sivan’s perfume label Tsu Lange Yor (which means “long life” in Yiddish) was made in collaboration with US-based musician and perfumer Joey Rosin. Floral yet subtle, Sala has crisp summer mornings written all over it, thanks to notes of morning dew, freshly cut flowers and nectar. It’s $230 for a strikingly designed 50-millilitre bottle.
Melbourne creator Jackie Fazekas crafts distinctive curvy and colourful glassware for her Fitzroy North-based homewares brand Fazeek. Each piece is hand-blown – including this borosilicate glass bowl ($179), which is studded with jewel-toned cubes, conveying a touch of old-world glamour and whimsy.
These unisex bamboo pyjamas ($200) from Suku are light, loose and perfect for summer. Like all Suku garments, they’re hand-dyed, painted and sewn by craftspeople in the company’s Bali workshop – and they double as leisurewear. Let the relaxation begin.
Designed and handcrafted by Will Mann in Melbourne, Pitch Drop’s collection features brightly coloured furniture and homewares in fun tubular shapes fabricated from powder-coated steel. Its curved candle holders are a great place to start; they have quite a modern feel, while still conjuring images of childhood reveries. At $160, they’re available in six different colours.
Made by artisans in Puglia, Italy, this watermelon-inspired ceramic serving bowl ($220) is handpainted and gorgeously coloured in dreamy rows of green, red and cream. With a diameter of 25 centimetres, it can handle a side dish or a pasta entree – and its vibrant colours and summery feel make for an elegant ornamental piece.
If you’re having trouble narrowing down the options, we’re giving one lucky reader every single gift in this guide. Simply enter your details to go in the draw.
For your chance to win, enter your details before 11.59pm on December 24. Terms and conditions apply.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Liquorland. All products shot on location at Di Stasio, Carlton.
