The Best Gifts for Every Price Range (and 5 to Avoid)

With its adorable, friendly face, there’s something so Canadian about a stag. (We’re nice people, what can we say.) Add Oka cheese from Quebec to this rustic serving platter and local maple shortbread and you’ll have a patriotic party plate in a jiffy.

Wooden Serving Plate, $25.

It’s a rite of passage during the holidays that your home must smell like one of the following: juniper, peppercorns, cinnamon, orange peels and wet dog (ok, maybe not the last one, unless Rover refuses to be towel-dried after diving in the snow like he did last xmas), but we digress. Isn’t this candle lovely? The shine, the scent. It’s a pretty gift.

Capri Blue Cinnamon Noir Jar Candle, $30.

These plush Peruvian blankets by Blacksaw are stylish to the max and they’re eco-friendly too! Fashioned from factory off-cuts that would have languished in a landfill, the blankets are made up of a blend of alpaca, wool, cotton and reclaimed mixed fibres. We love the antique white-blanket stitching on the rolled hems.

The Siempre 100% Recycled Blanket, $363. Also available at Holt Renfrew.

Crunch, crunch, crunch. That’s the sound of satisfaction after you give your hostess a bag (or three) of PUR’s new Toronto Mix, a healthier snack for the season that comes packaged in a pretty gold bag. If caramel and sea salt isn’t a favourite, the brand has a new sea salt, as well as a sweet and salty version.

PUR’s “Toronto Mix” Popcorn, $5.

A black-and-white print of a snake plant is exactly what your plant-killing friend needs during the holidays. It’s cheeky, plus the original artwork printed on 100lb felt paper looks sharp framed.

Snake Plant Art Print by Renske Werner, $38.

A trio of maple, oak and walnut minimalist candlesicks are a sculptural Scandinavian choice for a mantel, a shelf or a console. Made in Montreal by La Fabrique Deco, each candlestick is hand-turned and shipping is free in Canada.

Handturned Trio of Minimalist Wood Candlesticks, $120.

A stack of gourmet seasonal cookies is always a good idea (unless that person hates chocolate, in which case, more for you). Peppermint with a delectable buttercream flecked with bits of candy cane. Yes, please!

Peppermint Sandwich Cookies, $14. Available only within the Greater Toronto Area.

Fun and functional – plus at $42 it won’t hurt the wallet – this adorable alarm clock from the Drake General Store adds vivid colour and a retro design to a dresser. For grown-up kids only.

Schylling Lego Brick Alarm Clock, $42.

Got a friend who can’t tell a margarita from a manhattan? This gadget remedies that. The Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig whips up brews and ciders and mixes cocktails with the push of a button. Pop in a pod – from an Old Fashioned to a Mojito – and the robot mixologist does the rest. We can’t promise it’ll listen to your woeful dating tales like a good bartender, though.
Drinkworks Home Bar by Keurig, starting at $299.

Everyone loves a thoughtful gift. This super-cute idea is from Etsy’s BoundLove makes custom pet portraits. Just upload an image of your friend’s adorable French bulldog (or labrador retriever, arguably the best dog on the planet) and wait for the mail to arrive.

Custom Dog Portrait, $25.

For the bar star who has everything, may we suggest a gorgeous brass opener designed by FS Standards? With its contemporary good looks, these pieces by the Brooklyn-based studio are almost too nice to stow away in a drawer.

FS Objects Crest Bottle Opener, $64.

Bringing texture, shape and functionality to a room, you can’t go wrong with a handmade sisal and nylon lidded basket from Africa that’s 29 inches high and has limitless storage possibilities. Put balls of yarn in it, a bunch of blankets or any sundry doodads you need hidden from view.
The Sisal Basket, $295.

A striking Casa Cubista vase handmade in Portugal makes an ideal gift for the design lover in your life. Be a good bud and pop in a winter bud before gifting.

Casa Cubista Mini Horizontal Bud Vase, $19.

With its metallic Art Dec-inspired pattern, this handcrafted pillow from India makes a cushy gift for that occasional chair that needs a little something-something.

Deco Tile Cushion Cover, $59.

Got a pro photographer or someone snap-happy on your list? This handsome vessel is the ideal purchase. Be a real pal and fill up the flask with good bourbon and you’re good to go.

Camera-Shaped Flask, $20.

This handsome hunk of walnut elevates everyone’s favourite device, cradling it just-so to match that stylish home office. The design also amplifies the sound emitted by the device’s speakers through a front opening.
Smart Phone Charging Station and Amplifier, $69.

Ok, so don’t go saving up your pennies for this incredible machine unless you really like that person on your list. Who wouldn’t want to receive a Dyson air purifier as the temperatures plummet and the furnace turns your home into DryAirVille? The unit removes 99.97% of air pollutants and allergens.

The Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Air Purifier, $699.

This set of pre-lit ceramic houses is adorable for the Scandi-decor enthusiast. Serene and sweet, they’re a lovely little detail to add to a mantel-scape.

LED-Lit Ceramic House, $22.

Protect your furry pal’s paws this winter (along with your floors) with these durable and weather-resistant dog boots that are not only stylish, but quite comfortable-looking too.

Summit Trex Dog Boots in Meadow Green, $67.

Don’t over-think it. Sometimes a cheery mug (and your smiling mug) is all you need to give this season. We like the bright message on this mason-jar cup. Spiked eggnog not included.

Holiday time “holiday Cheer” Mason Jar Mug, $3.

Medicate with metallics! The Full Dose Coasters alternate this trippy motif on black or gilded backgrounds. In mind-altering packaging, they make a cheeky (or tongue-in-cheeky) host or hostess gift.

Jonathan Adler Full Dose Coasters, $68.

An embossed wooden rolling pin is exactly what the baker on your list wants and doesn’t know it yet. Masterful cookies made at home? Yes, please.

Decorative Pastry Roller, $25.

Related: Flour 101: Your Guide to Mastering Holiday Baking

Gift vouchers are great if you’re sure your friend wants a specific item, but mostly they end up lost in a purse, only to be recovered years later among the detritus of gum, coins and old receipts.

Look, we love a bout of frenetic cleaning, but implements to scrub house send the wrong message. As in: Hey, your house is disgustingly messy. Not exactly a cheery sentiment!

Skipping ropes, dumb bells, stomach-flatteners. Don’t even think of reaching for one of these. The message you’re sending: you need to up your fitness game. Just don’t. Unless you’re dealing with an athlete, then gym gifts are fiiine.

True story: an office co-worker gave a colleague a set of briefs one year and it bordered on call-the-HR-department awkward. Unless you’re the significant other, it’s best to leave the skivvies on the shop shelf.

You might think you’re a comedian, but buying someone a preachy “how to be a better person” book isn’t all that funny. The holidays bring out the sensitive in all of us, so better to reach for fiction instead.