It’s been a busy week here at the Wee Birdy nest. I’ve been reading my favourite childhood Christmas books to Harry (can you spot the Raymond Briggs and Dick Bruna?), putting the finishing touches on the tree and decorating the house with Australian summer flowers (the brilliant red blossoms of the Flowering Gum and Christmas Bush look a treat in my vintage Bitossi and Holmegaard vases). Then there has been all the festive eating: my Mum’s stained glass Christmas Cake, the zingiest pineapple, lemon and mint frappe from Cafe Mint in Surry Hills, and a special Christmas afternoon tea at Patisse (the very pretty Bouche de Noel was decorated with fresh flowers and tiny red meringue mushrooms).
What’s been happening at your place? Are you ready for Christmas?
Ho ho hummm… got Christmas toy catalogue fatigue? Here are some fresh picks for kids that have made it to the top of my list:
1. Mike He Pinnochio Pencil Sharpener, £12 from the V&A. It’s also available instore at Ariel Books in Sydney.
2. Lego Sort & Store Head, £39.95 from John Lewis. Click here to buy.
3. When I was born by Isabel Minhos Martins, £5.59 from Wee Birdy’s UK Amazon book shop and US$10.36 from Wee Birdy’s US Amazon shop.
4. Harry Potter Knight Bus, £29.99 from Selfridges. Click here to buy.
5. Hannah rag doll, AU$99 and Barnacle Boris rag doll, AU$95, from Raggidy Rag Dolls.
6. Pattern Play, US$29.95 from Module-R.
7. Kovap Cable Car, £31 from Theo.
8. Iconic toy Melbourne tram, AU$90 from Make me Iconic.
9. Iconic toy Sydney ferry, AU$95 from Make me Iconic.
10. Sylvanian Families Beekeeper set, £14.99 from Selfridges. Click here to buy.
Want more present ideas? Check out last year’s gift guide.
And there are more goodies for children in my Amazon book shops (click here for my pick of the best children’s books in the U.S. Amazon shop or click here for my pick of the best children’s books in my U.K. Amazon store).
Have you seen Puffin Classics books? They make wonderful presents at any age.
I’ve also got some lovely Very Hungry Caterpillar presents in my Amazon book shop here.
My picks of the nicest presents for wee bubs:
1. Ella & Otto bird rattle, £12 from Burp Boutique.
2. Boo! One colour signed and numbered screenprint, limited edition of 50, £50 from A Little Bit of Art.
3. Connor 1950s vintage fairisle baby blanket, £89 from Woodchild.
4. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Wood pull toy, £14.24 from Wee Birdy’s UK Amazon shop and $14.72 from Wee Birdy’s US Amazon shop.
5. Haiku Baby by Betsy E. Snyder, £4.52 from Wee Birdy’s UK Amazon shop and $6.99 from Wee Birdy’s US Amazon shop.
6. Frog Feet Booties, £24 from Howkapow.
7. Baby Lapin lamp, £62 from Lapin & Me. Also available from Lark, AU$180 in Australia.
8. Liandlo Blue Farm organic onesie, AU$29.95 from Baby goes Retro. Also available in long sleeves from Love it Love it Love it, £20 in the UK.
9. Scruffy Dog Joey handmade red leather shoes, AU$49.95, from Tiny Steps.
10. Mermaid Sleeping Bag, £95 from Howkapow.
11. Moo box, AU$12.95, from Seed.
Want more present ideas? Check out last year’s gift guide.
And there are more goodies for babies in my Amazon book shops (click here for baby presents in my U.S. Amazon store or click here for my pick of the best children’s books in my U.K. Amazon store).
I’ve also got more Very Hungry Caterpillar presents in my Amazon book shop here.
If you’re shopping for a baby or child this Christmas, there are few presents lovelier than something custom-made. Parents love the whole idea of a treasured keepsake and pre-schoolers get quite a kick out of having something with their name – or even better, face – on it. But tread warily when it comes to personalised baby stuff. The web is literally stuffed with naff bears with machine-embroidered names and dodgy ‘nappy cake’ novelty gifts (seriously, can we just ban the whole concept of a ‘nappy cake’?). You also need to allow enough time for production and delivery – so now is a good time to order online.
Here are some really lovely ideas to get you started…
1. Custom-made name print
It’s been a few years since the world discovered the charming work of Dutch designer Nina Invorm, and I’m still as nuts about her bright folky stuff as ever. These custom name prints for girls (with strawberries, top of page) and boys (with apples, above) feature colourful bunting with the child’s name in Nina’s inimitable handcut alphabet. You can also order extra prints and postcards of your design. US$38.82 from Nina Invorm’s Etsy shop.
2. Personalised Wire Hanger (above left)
A fabulously original present – and a lovely way to display baby’s special outfit in their bedroom. US$15 from Lila Frances’ Etsy shop.
3. Personalised Wooden Name Puzzle (above right)
Wooden puzzles look great, last forever and are wonderfully tactile in tiny hands. A wooden name puzzle? Even better. AU$26.95 from Mooo.
4. Personalised art print
Who wouldn’t want their name on a red double-decker bus? These bold and bright prints by London-based design studio Ruka-Ruka feature retro-inspired illustrations in big bold colours, and would make a fun addition to a little person’s room. The Venn diagram prints in different variations of CMY are also very clever. New parents would love the mama, papa and baby print. £25 from Ruka-Ruka.
5. Personalised stamp
Kids will love having a rubber stamp in their own likeness, which they can use as an ex-libris or to sign off on thank-you cards and letters. US$15.50 from Love Sprouts’ Etsy shop.
6. Custom boy and girl dolls
Super-adorable dolls for boys and girls can be customised with your choice of skin and hair colour and style, and can be further personalised with an initial on the front and the child’s name on the back. From US$35 from Sophi and Lili.
7. Custom silhouette plate
These beautiful silhouette plates are hand-painted and feature the child’s name along with bows or ribbons and a scalloped rim in your choice of colour. The large plate is US$55, from Aedriel Originals’ Etsy shop.
8. Framed personalised paper-cut silhouette
This beautiful hand-cut botanical silhouette is a whimsical take on the traditional portrait, and is drawn from a photo you supply. £50 by Mr Yen.
9. Personalised T-shirt
These sweet rabbit and dog T-shirts can be personalised with your child’s name in the speech bubble. £20 by Littlechook from Not on the high street.com.
10. Personalised birthday cupcake stand
These sweet ceramic cake stands in milky pastels make the perfect keepsake for baby’s first birthday cake. US$34 from Jeanette Zeis Ceramics’ Etsy shop.
p.s. The custom-made plate, bowl and cushions, above, are by Etsy seller Olliegraphic. Her Etsy shop is on vacation at the moment, but it’s worth signing up for notification once she’s back. I also love PZMac‘s charming customised Liberty print cushion, which is made using your child’s photo as a reference and features their name in hand-stitched felt lettering on the back. Bookmark them for next year’s birthday presents.
UPDATE: Olliegraphic now has her very own online shop, Sarah + Abraham, which is packed with all manner of custom-made goodness for kids (think stationery, stickers, cupcake toppers and water bottles) as well as a personalised Christmas card service. Thanks to Wee Birdy reader Emma for the super tip!
Want some more bespoke baby present ideas?
How about a…
Personalised child’s apron
Personalised English oak swing
Personalised Russian doll ‘This Book Belongs To’ stamp
Personalised Santa sack
Personalised Baby’s First Christmas ceramic bauble
Personalised lamp
Customised hair clip
Personalised name and picture stamp
Personalised custom teepee
1. PAM for Covers for a Cause iPhone cover, AU$39, from Incu (ships internationally).
2. Lazy Oaf Spaced Out T Shirt, £25, from Lazy Oaf (ships internationally).
3. Tatty Devine future Mystic Cluster Bracelet, £33, from Tatty Devine (ships internationally).
4. Lazy Oaf In the Mix Blue Rucksack, £35, from Lazy Oaf (ships internationally).
5. Urbanears Plattan headphones in turquoise, 60EUR, from Urbanears (ships internationally).
6. Archie Grand Celebrities I Met and Liked notebook, AU$19.95, from NoteMaker (ships to selected international countries).
7. Lazy Oaf Pink Rosy Bear Girl's Sweatshirt, £40, from Lazy Oaf (ships internationally).
8. Marc by Marc Jacobs jumble-embossed neoprene laptop case, £45, from Net-a-porter (ships internationally).
9. Diana multi–pinhole operator camera, £46, from Selfridges.
10. Apple Notes, AU$9.95, from Raw Space (contact Raw Space for international deliveries. UK readers can purchase Apple Notes from the V&A for £4.50.
11. Painted Beauty Glide On Nail Colour Holiday 2010 Collection, AU$22 each, by Mecca Cosmetica.
This one was super-difficult to edit down into one post – there is just so much good stuff online for little kids. Hope my picks help with the wee ones.
1. Indie Rock Coloring Book by Yellow Bird Project, £5.27, from Wee Birdy's UK Amazon shop. (or US$9.95 from Wee Birdy's US Amazon shop). Both stores ship internationally.
2. Handmade cotton Socks the Fox, US$46, from Blabla (ships internationally).
3. Plastisock short sleeve 'Peace Please' T-shirt in yellow, US$24, from Vyssan Lull (only ships within the US.)
4. All About Heidi handmade leather summer shoe, available in a rainbow of colours, $39.95, from My Messy Room (ships internationally).
5. Wooden Solar System, £16.95, from Muji.
6. The Small Object Thumbprint Notecard Set by Sarah Neuburger, US$11.53, from Wee Birdy's US Amazon store (ships internationally) and £6.39 from the UK Amazon store (ships internationally).
7. Hip Stuff Groovy Maracas in blue spot, AU$12, from The Hip Infant (ships internationally).
8. 'Alphabet favourites' print, £20, from Made with Love by Mrs Booth (ships internationally).
9. Press out Giraffe, £3.95, from Muji.
10. Doggie booties, US$27, from Blabla (ships internationally).
11. Duktig 15-piece breakfast set, AU$10.04, from IKEA.
← Older posts |
Post to Facebook 
Digg it! 
Stumble this 
Add to del.icio.us 
Email this 
