And now, without further ado, I present to you, 12 fabulous gifting duos – each with something oh-so-lovely inside. Enjoy!
Let it Glow
Beautiful twisted candles from Ian Snow are such a nice treat and kind of the perfect hostess gift. Now combine that with these pretty candle holders, from one of my favourite interior shops – Graham & Green, that look like little presents themselves and you've got a simple but lovely duo.
Fancy Office Supplies
Scissors with a little saying? Why yes, please, why not? Every time someone picks them up they will be delighted with a "Cut it Out" (or one of four other options and colours). Combine that with a classy and refillable Kaweco pen (that also comes in a few colours) and the stationery-obsessed in your life will love you.
I Scream, They Scream
Who doesn't need another tote (my husband says the house doesn't, but I disagree)? This one comes in a few colours and is nice and big to tote lots around. In addition, this is THE ice cream-making bible by renowned food writer, David Lebovitz. I can attest to this after trying recipes made from it via my cousin this summer. Now to make room for an ice cream maker.
Farfalle for All
This giant yellow farfalle is actually a spoon rest for your counter. How clever and what a fun item to look at every time you put your spoon down while cooking. And then add gorgeously striped and coloured edible farfalle. They are too pretty though and I personally know I'd be so sad to cook them but imagine dinner guests' faces upon serving a bowl of them.
Books (and Writers. And Booksellers) Are Magic
Our most wonderful local bookshop, Backstory, has a new penpal book subscription where you are paired up with one of their incredible staff and then can choose how many books you want that year. Then they personally select books to be delivered to you and include a little note on WHY they think you'll like it! Have a serious literary lover on your list, then combine that with this take on Guess Who where it's all about writers – adorably designed and illustrated, of course.
Word Puzzle Geeks Unite
Nearly every day since I first played Connections from the NYTimes Games, I have been absolutely hooked. It's the last thing I do before I go to bed (I know, screens before bed…Bad!). Also, I love a Wordle (my Dad does it daily and sends me his score). Now there is a book that has the paper version of these games, plus The Mini, Spelling Bee and more. Match that with bold Blackwing Yellow and Black pencils (an ode to Bruce Lee, actually) and you've got a great set.
Baking Lovelies
You might remember I took a Bread Ahead Croissant-making class a couple of years ago. Not only was it incredible and delicious but it was one of so many baking class options that they offer. Give the baker in your life a gift voucher to choose their own class and match that with these adorable croissant earrings (they remind me of one of the bakers on GBBO this season who wore a single earring of a baked good nearly every episode he was on. I'm looking at you Ian!).
Details Delight (no raisins involved)
Panettone is THE Italian Christmas treat. The local Italian cafe nearby has at least 6 brands, all with gorgeous packaging - each more lovely than the next. It's a fun food that only comes out once a year AND it's not just the typical raisin (ick) and golden sultanas inside. This one has dark cherries AND comes in this boldly patterned packaging. Combine that with these luxe, scallop-edged side plates – perfect for making any dessert feel extra special. Whether it's Christmas or just a Tuesday afternoon.
Rosé and Chill
When we made our wedding registry many years ago, we purposely decided not to get a wine chiller. It seemed like one of those obvious items you'd add to a wedding registry but would never use. Fast forward 14 anniversaries later and we finally decided we are adults and should get one. Annoyingly we bought ours two weeks before I saw this lovely Alexandra Browne hand-painted one. But I'd totally pick this one if I had it to do all over. And don't gift an empty one – buy this patterned Dolce & Gabbana Rosé to send along with it.
Matchy Matchy
Matchbooks are having a bit of a comeback and I am loving it. In fact, my son recently noticed a small bowl of ones we have from our time in New York and asked why we had them. "Because they are awesome and a great reminder of places we've been!". These are not location-based but PaddyWax has spent a great amount of time designing the boxes, matching the match head AND colour coordinating them with their delightful candle packaging. Mix and match until your heart's content (though this duo is my fave).
Spice Up Their Life
Is it strange that I've been thinking about these spices since I first saw them two weeks ago? No? I didn't think so either. Spices MADE for the packaging and cooking obsessed, this Spice Dept. set comes in a bundle of 12 different spices, absolutely stunning-designed tins, and one is black peppercorns so I thought that this sturdy cast iron, Peugeot pepper grinder (available in 5 colours) inspired by Chinese architecture would be the perfect companion piece.
The Rolls Royce of Pencil Sharpeners
Is this Caran d'Ache pencil sharpener absolutely luxe? Is it something you'd stare at on your desk hourly? Is it something you'd look forward to using when your pencils got dull? Yes, yes, yes. Also, is this an insane amount of money to spend on a pencil sharpener (PS. It's on sale right now!)? Also yes. But this is MY gift guide, I make the rules and so I'm closing with it.
That and this oh-so-lovely boxed set of Blackwing natural pencils – my favourite pencils ever, hence why they are in this gift guide twice. Introduced to me by a dear friend who gifted me a box a few birthdays ago and I've been hooked ever since. I'd sharpen these daily just for fun.
Thanks for reading all of the Creatively Curated Gift Guide for 2025! Hope it helps your shopping this season (or maybe you’ll even bookmark some for yourself later in the year).
Whether you purchase any of these or they inspire you to think differently with a creative and colourful mindset, I'd love to hear from you! Let me know what you think and tell me what your favourite combo is.