At Wild Clouds, we think Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year to shop small.
Small and local independents are your go-to for unique, ethically-sourced gifts this holiday season. There’s something so special in knowing you’ve found the perfect present for a loved one and supported a small business with your purchase.
If you’re looking to avoid the last-minute present dash, we’ve curated a small but mighty gift guide for the entire household. The best gifts are those with thought behind them and our guide features a carefully selected range of gifts from small, conscious businesses. We can’t think of a better way to show somebody you care than by gifting a present that is kind to the planet and the people who made it!
Green fingers
Add a touch of green this Christmas with a plant, or two! Earth and Vine is a black-owned plant and aromatherapy store helping people reconnect with nature. Whether your recipient is a seasoned planter or a novice, Earth and Vine sell a lush variety of plants and succulents.
What’s a plant without a planter? POTR pots are designed with the environment in mind from start to finish. Arriving at your door flat packed, POTR’s origami-shaped pots are made from recycled plastic waste and feature an ingenious self-watering mechanism.
Coffee drinkers
Gift cards for local, independent coffee shops are a real crowd pleaser, but if you’re after something more tangible, Change Please are a social enterprise specialising in award-winning coffee. For every bag of ground beans or coffee subscription you buy, 100% of the profits help people experiencing homelessness find housing, training and living wage jobs. Terrone & Co are another ethical coffee brand worth putting on your radar. We have our eye on the Christmas hamper which includes a personalised bag of coffee, limited edition tea mix and a reusable cup for on the go.
Bookworms
There are tons of amazing book subscriptions out there for the avid page turners in your life. If you don’t know where to start, BookBar - yes, a London-based book store that serves wine! - provide a Shelf Medicate consultation service, complete with a tailored list of book recommendations. Their carefully curated Prescription Bundles also make great gifts.
Verso Books are currently offering 50% off their monthly Book Club subscription which delivers critically-acclaimed, intersectional reads straight to your door. If you like that, you’ll also be a fan of feminist book subscription service, Books That Matter. Every month, your lucky recipient will receive a box containing an empowering read from a female author, 3-5 gifts from independent creatives and a collectable bookmark. They also run the Brave Girls Book Club for any young feminists in the family.
Adventurers
Experience gifts are perfect for the thrill seekers and that-friend-who-has-everything. Film fanatics will love the Everyman Cinema gift voucher - who doesn’t enjoy sipping wine and eating pizza while watching an indie title?!
If you’re looking to create unforgettable memories, browse over 250 experience gifts on Not On The High Street. With loads of locations and small businesses to choose from, you can whisk your gift recipient away on a romantic stay, accompany them to a local music event or create art together. The possibilities are endless!
Do-gooders
If you’re hunting for the perfect feel-good present, charity donations on your recipient’s behalf go down a treat. Gift someone experiencing homeless a Christmas to remember by donating to Crisis. £29 provides access to a safe place to stay, hot meals and a Christmas dinner and year-round support, including training and education. Choose Love also sell gifts with heart. On their online store, you can choose from a range of urgently-needed products and services and see how they’ll help asylum-seekers.
For something high-tech, Treedom sells gifts for loved ones and the planet. Simply adopt a tree of your choice across the globe, dedicate it to your recipient and they’ll be sent progress reports on their tree and its environmental and social benefits for the local community.
Deep sleepers
Everybody loves a fresh pair of pyjamas at Christmas. Luckily for you, we sell versatile, mix-and-match loungewear sets, which are locally made using an organic cotton and linen blend. They pair perfectly with our matching eye masks which are made from fabric off cuts.
Why not set the mood with a calming sleep spray? MadeByCoopers have the perfect remedy with their lavender, frankincense and chamomile pillow mist. It’s 100% natural, cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and free from nasties.
For extra comfort, Oh Lydia Intimates marry practicability and playfulness with their modern underwear sets. Brightly coloured and available in classic fits, Oh Lydia Intimates is redefining sexiness, placing sustainability at the top of the list.
Foodies
Christmas is one big, loving food fest. For the tasty people in your life, you can’t go wrong with vouchers for a favourite restaurant or local cooking classes.
If your recipient has a sweet tooth, we recommend H!P Chocolate’s letterbox tasting pack. Containing four deliciously naughty flavours made from oat milk, you wouldn’t even know it’s dairy-free!
Why not make cooking easier with Solidteknics' bestselling skillet. Designed to be durable and high-performing, this award-winning iron frying pan also comes with a multi-century warranty so you’ll only have to buy it once. FYI, Buy Me Once is an amazing online marketplace for long-lasting, intentional products and is bursting with gift ideas.
Scent lovers
You’ll receive all the compliments with Eden Perfumes. Available online or in their Brighton store, Eden’s speciality is veganising popular perfumes and aftershaves so you can smell like your favourite celebs without the cruelty.
It’s unconventional but we love Wild’s Christmas starter pack. Wild is a zero-waste, natural deodorant brand looking to shake-up the throwaway culture of bathroom products. Their starter pack includes a reusable, personalised case and a scent refill of your choice which is wrapped in compostable packaging.
Candles are always a winner and a hobo + co candle is no different. Hand-poured in rural Lincolnshire, each candle comes beautifully packaged in a recyclable tin or jar. Plus, the soy wax has a cleaner, healthier and longer burn time than traditional petroleum-based paraffin candles.
Fashionistas
Now it wouldn’t be a Wild Clouds gift guide without a few honourable fashion mentions. Give classic jeans a modern twist with upcycling brand, Rita Jeans. Rita reimagines secondhand jeans with striking bleach designs and can even transform your own unwanted denim.
We’re huge secondhand lovers and have been obsessing over Margot & Lux Vintage. Owner Holly searches for high-quality, trendy vintage pieces so you don’t have to and sells them online and in her Manchester store. Vintage shopping has never been so dreamy.
Add a touch of bling this Christmas with Wild Fawn. Their collection of minimal jewellery is sustainably and ethically made in London using eco-friendly methods, recycled metal and plastic-free packaging. Each piece is designed to be long-wearing and understated.
Stocking fillers
Socks are a given at Christmas and we think ethically-made socks should be too. Enter Critically Endangered whose socks save species. For every pair of socks sold, 10% is donated to WWF and your purchase helps the World Land Trust protect 20 metres squared of rainforest. The socks in question are made from 85% GOTS-certified organic cotton so they’re kind on your feet too.
We have to shout out our zero-waste scrunchies, which are made using the fabric off cuts in our production. Available in whimsical designs, each scrunchie is made in London by a social enterprise providing supportive employment opportunities for women who faced barriers to employment. And if that wasn’t enough, they’re also made from organic cotton and rubber elastic and are printed with azo-free dyes.
Far from a crap present, fill stockings with toilet paper from Who Gives A Crap, the toilet paper brand that donates 50% of profits to build toilets and improve sanitation in the Global South. Their toilet paper is made from 100% bamboo and comes wrapped in artist-designed patterns, so it feels like Christmas every time you unwrap a new roll.
