Decorating & Design
December 9, 2016
Our Favorite Made-In-Canada Stocking Stuffers — All $25 Or Less!
After we posted our Ultimate House & Home Holiday Gift Guide, a few readers wrote in to say they wished we’d featured more Canadian-made items. Rest assured, even though we distribute H&H across North America, we couldn’t be prouder of our heritage. And it’s no tall order to find Canadian-made gifts we love; the tough part is narrowing it down!
Here are just a few of our favorite finds from homegrown designers, brands and artisans. Bonus: The items are all $25 or less, so they’re perfect for hostess gifting, Secret Santa exchanges and stuffing stockings.
A travel candle is always appreciated. One that’s handmade, soy-based and nods to a recipient’s hometown? Foolproof. (Buy the set and split them between stockings to get the most bang for your buck.)
Fine cocktail ingredients are crowd-pleasers, especially for those who love to host (or find the season a little hectic!). These artisanal syrups are crafted by hip Montreal company ¾ oz., a standout exhibitor at the Christmas edition of Toronto’s popular One of a Kind Show & Sale.
Nova Scotia-based designer Alissa Kloet of Keephouse also made a splash at OOAK with her cool trays, linens and throw pillows. Her screen-printed Drop coasters are a practical gift and will add a touch of graphic pattern to any room.
Manitoba-born company EQ3 is known for their clean, contemporary furnishings and edgy collaborations with young designers. Pick up their sleek ceramic salt and pepper set for the modernist in your life.
These ornate pieces from Native Northwest were designed by First Nations artists, and crafted by a social enterprise that empowers women with work experience and skills development. Each beautiful, reclaimed-pine design depicts a Renewal Spirit, like the Eagle (right) by Haida artist Eric Parnell.
Tuck a handmade ceramic piece into a design lover’s stocking to make their Christmas morning. These gorgeous blue-accented tumblers by Quebec’s Aunt Magda can function as both a teacup and delicate bud vase.
Toronto’s Province Apothecary offers a range of exquisite and affordable products that are great for gifting, but their charcoal lavender incense is a standout. Fragranced with essential oils, the scent is elegant — not overbearing.
Have a reader on your list? Consider picking up a couple sachets of loose leaf tea from Acquired Taste Tea Company based in Edmonton. We think aromatic blends pair particularly well with a good book.
A pocket-sized notepad is a welcome addition to a kitchen or entryway — or wherever list-making tends to happen. We’d grab this fun patterned set from Toronto-based Avril Loreti and divide them between recipients (keeping one for ourselves, of course).
When we asked DwellStudio founder and Ottawa native Christiane Lemieux what her go-to hostess gift was, her answer was simple: fleur de sel. This Christmas, follow her lead and gift one of the interesting flavored salts — roasted garlic, smoke — available from Vancouver Island Salt Co.
The warm woodgrain and clean lines of a handmade coffee spoon from Calgary’s March8studio will elevate any morning ritual. (Each piece is treated with walnut oil and beeswax, so they’re food-safe and ready to use.)
Toronto company Binu Binu was featured in H&H’s Kitchens & Baths special issue this year, and since then, editors have been coveting founder Karen Kim’s spa-like bars of soap. The Celadon Tea Ceremony soap gets its pretty jade color and therapeutic properties from a boricha tea base, essential oils and special clays.
A tea towel is a fun way to wrap a smaller gift, whether in a stocking or under the tree. We’d roll up a few clementines in this whimsical towel from artist Kat Frick Miller, who creates all her prints in her Lunenberg, N.S., studio.
Deep Cove, B.C., home goods shop Sunnyside Tea & Home was also recently featured in H&H. Any of their unique teas, Canadian-made ceramics and natural apothecary goods would make excellent stocking stuffers, but we’re quite fond of their handmade bath salts.
Since your friends will probably be inundated with jams, jellies and chutneys this Christmas, why not gift them a charming wooden spreader from Toronto design duo (and husband and wife team) Hook & Stem? Each affordable set comes with a walnut, cherry and maple knife, so you can split them up and spread the love.
Plush, organic cotton washcloths are a luxe addition to a master or guest bath. Toronto brand Crawford Street Natural Skin Care’s cloths are made of 100% Canadian cotton and sold in handy trios.
Tandem & Co.’s handsome leather keychains make sturdy, substantial gifts. Each piece is handmade in Quebec and personalized with lettering of your choice (like your family member’s email address, should their keys ever get misplaced).
A jar of good local honey will never go unused. This raw wildflower honey from Beekeeper’s Naturals — an Ontario company committed to sustainable beekeeping — is a great pick.
Artisanal maple syrup is another staple that’s sure to please (and is especially nice to give visiting friends and family). Toronto-based Drip Maple offers maple syrup in three hues — Blonde, Copper and Amber — for three very different flavor profiles, from young and light to end-of-season rich.
Canadian brand The Sleep Shirt has the solution to a harried holiday season: soft, 100% cotton sleep masks. Choose from preppy blue or pink Oxford stripes, then gift it to the family member who hosted everyone for the holidays!