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Gift Guide 2018 Roundup: Gifts for Everyone On Your List

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Gift Guide 2018 Issue 51 — Holiday Preparations

Gift Guide 2018 Roundup: Gifts for Everyone On Your List

Annie Quigley December 21, 2018

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for the cook, the dinner party host, the devoted dog parent, the environmental activist, the self-taught design scholar, the utilitarian, or just to fill the stockings, we’ve got you covered. Take a look:

For the Zero-Waster

for the eco conscious person or cook: these organic cotton couvre plat rou 17 — Above: For the eco-conscious person or cook: these organic cotton Couvre-Plat Round bowl covers come in three sizes from Àplat and fit our ethos of zero-plastic and no single-use disposables.

More zero-waste (and surprisingly beautiful) gifts to give this year: 14 Gifts for the Zero Waster.

For the Host or Hostess

&#8\2\20;am i the only one who thinks scented candles are not ideal a 18 — Above: “Am I the only one who thinks scented candles are not ideal as host/hostess gifts?” asks Julie. A more festive (and safe) choice to bring the host are hostess are these Marbled Christmas Crackers, made in England and filled with small gifts and a traditional paper crown; $65 for a set of six from March.

See more options in 7 House Gifts for the Host/ess, Beyond the Scented Candle.

For the Cook

for the cook (or for the person who likes to read cookbooks before bed), 19 — Above: For the cook (or for the person who likes to read cookbooks before bed), give one of this year’s most beautiful cookbooks. On our list? Aska, the darkly beautiful debut cookbook of Swedish-born, Brooklyn-based, Michelin-starred chef Fredrik Bersilius; $37.29 via Amazon.

This year’s selections are so lovely they hardly need wrapping. See more in The 11 Best Cookbooks to Give as Gifts This Year.

For the Lover of Small European Luxuries

when we travel we make a point of tucking tiny finds from europe in our suitcas 20 — Above: When we travel we make a point of tucking tiny finds from Europe in our suitcases—many of them readily available at pharmacies or corner shops, but more beautiful and well-designed versions than what was available in the US. Now, thanks to the Internet, many are available online, like this Le Baigneur Shaving Soap in a miniature porcelain case; €39 at Zangra—no plane ticket needed.

For more tiny finds like this, see 12 Petite Gifts from Europe.

For the Design Obsessed

for the person who takes design inspiration everywhere they go, give the analog 21 — Above: For the person who takes design inspiration everywhere they go, give the analog version of Pinterest: a design book. One of our favorites of the year: American Originals by interiors photographer William Abranowicz, who captures the homes of painters, poets, rock stars, designers, tastemakers, politicians, and performers for whom “the house is the ultimate form of self-expression”; $46.38 from Amazon.

For more, consult our “unscientific, highly opinionated guide to the best inspirational design books of the season” in 9 Favorite Design Books of the Year.

For the Japanese Design Enthusiast

when it comes to goods that epitomize beauty in functionality, we look to 22 — Above: When it comes to goods that epitomize beauty in functionality, we look to Japanese design. Give something beautifully made and entirely functional, like this lovely box of Sumac Candles, made of wax from sumac trees grown in Western Japan, prized for candle-making since they burn without dripping; $42 for a box of six from Nalata Nalata.

For more practical but well-designed gifts, see Gifts for the Japanese Design Enthusiast.

Tiny Finds to Fill the Stockings

&#8\2\20;opening a sack of small gifts never loses its magic,&#8\2\2\1; 23 — Above: “Opening a sack of small gifts never loses its magic,” writes Justine. We’re believers that often the tiniest gifts offer the most wonder, like these Vintage Silver Plated Spreaders, found in France; $16 each at Food52.

For more stocking stuffers, see 15 Stocking Stuffers for Under $15 (ish).

For the Practical-Minded Person

for the practical minded person on your list, a kit of necessities, beautifully 24 — Above: For the practical-minded person on your list, a kit of necessities, beautifully packaged, does the trick. This one is for shoe-shining: the Tangent Shoe Polish Kit is $56.30 from the Finnish Design Shop.

For more, see 5 Gift Kits for the Practical-Minded Person.

For the Dog (or Cat) Lover

wild one poop bag carrier peach 25

wild one poop bag carrier white 26

Above: Give the dog lover the gift of actually good-looking necessities (no multi-color garishness included), like this minimalist, neutral-colored Poop Bag Carrier; $12.

More gifts for the pet owner: Holiday Gift Guide 2018: For the Dog Lover.

Gifts That Give Back

what to get the do gooder in your life? consider a set of glassware m 27 — Above: What to get the do-gooder in your life? Consider a set of glassware made by traditional 2,000-year-old methods by Afghan glass blowers, from Ishkar, a new company on a mission to help people from conflict zones make a living (read their story here). (For the above photo, art direction and set design by Lea Mazet and photography by Timothee Chambovet, courtesy of Ishaker.)

See this and 8 more options in Holiday Gift Guide 2018: 9 Gifts That Give Back.

For Next Year

plus, an ornament wrapped up this year makes a lovely gift to enjoy next year. 28 — Above: Plus, an ornament wrapped up this year makes a lovely gift to enjoy next year. Or, opt for one striking enough to leave out year-round, no tree needed, like this architectural Twin Half Circle Brass Ornament by Ferm Living, which drapes over a tree branch (or a door knob); currently on sale for $9 from The Line.

See more of our picks in Editors’ Favorite Ornaments of 2018, Glitz and Glamour Edition.

And, for the full slew of this year’s gift guides, see:

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