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From our archives (originally published May 3, 2010), for your gift list consideration…

I don’t know whether to grrrrrr at the price or awww at how cute they are. Luckily, Makiko Yoshida designed them out of squishy and pliable polyurethane resin, so they’ll hold their shape whether I bear hug them or chuck them at the wall when the credit card bill comes.

Set of four, “white” or “brown”, and 2.75 inches in diameter

Knight and Queen bottle stops? Yes, please. Add these to your list of perfect stocking stuffers.

Designer : David Weeks
Made of wood and cork.
Measurements : H 3.5″ x Dia 1″

From our archives (originally published November 20, 2009), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

Two wooden parts held together with a rubber band make this unusual clipboard. The lack of metal makes it look a little more warm and friendly than traditional office supply clipboards, don’t you think?

Designed by Simon Donald for spunique. Bands may vary in colour.

From our archives (originally published on September 1, 2010), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

Designed by Lanier Graham, this modern chess set is notable for its minimal interpretation on traditional pieces. The shape of each piece mirrors its function (Knights have L shapes, Bishops slope diagonally, etc.) and the scale indicates importance. All pieces interlock neatly into a rectangular puzzle for storage.

From our archives (originally published October 2, 2007), for your gift list consideration…

This is one of the more interesting champagne glasses I’ve come across in my many days of perusing online retail stores.

“Besides the visual beauty, there is another extremely convincing argument: your drink simply doesn’t warm as fast as it would in a normal champagne glass as you are not touching it at all and if you really want it cold, chill the glasses in the freezer and create an amazing visual presentation…”

Handmade, 1.5″ (3,8 cm) wide and 9.25″ (23,5 cm) high

Set of 2.

From our archives (originally published October 2, 2007), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

I’ve been a fan of Charles and Ray ever since I first saw their designs. And, man, if you even like the Eames’ a little bit, you should take a look at the film ‘901: after 45 years of working‘ that their son, Eames Demetiros, did of their workshop being packed up for the Library of Congress. It’s pretty amazing.

Small Cards, $25.00
Medium Cards, $45.00
Giant, $50.00
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Here’s a perfect gift for a garden loving friend who perhaps only has porch or balcony space.

Imported from France.

Here’s a set of 36 colored pencils perfect for your favorite creative-type.

New design Japanese collective IDEA Idea partnered with an old school German art supply firm to create Düller. The mission: Combining Japanese notions of harmony with the German penchant for methodology. There’s parallel symmetry in the same-sized pencil box and sketchbook, and the box and book cover are made from recycled paper (harmony with Mother Earth!). Perfect for the artist or architect or design-loving doodler. The paper is specially crafted for colored pencils. There are 36 colors in this pencil box: red, orange, pink, light blue, white, yellow, yellow-green, green, purple, blue, black, brown, carnelian, vermilion, grey, pale orange, chrome yellow, ultramarine, deep green, Van Dyke brown, magenta, gold, silver, Prussian blue, rose red, sky blue, lemon yellow, emerald green, mandarin orange, wisteria violet, lilac, olive green, peacock blue, leaf green and reddish brown.

From our archives (originally published October 2, 2007), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

“Superbitus is a one-piece bomb-shaped ceramic money box. Supplied with a white marker to write the purpose of savings.”

From our archives (originally published December 1, 2008), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

I think as far as wine decanters go, this one is incredibly elegant…might be the perfect gift for a wine lover.

67 oz., Glass, Oak.

From our archives (originally published May 22, 2008), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

Incredibly affordable, these diorama kits will give enjoyment long after assembly.

‘Tatebanko is the forgotten Japanese art of creating amazing dioramas and scenic perspectives from paper. Tatebanko was popular and widely admired from the 17th century (Edo period) to the early 20th century. Then it all but disappeared. “It’s a Beautiful Day” has now revived and reinterpreted this simple and elegant Japanese art with two new paper craft kits. This kit features Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa. Beautifully designed and printed in Japan with elegant metallic accents, the kits are nicely packaged A4 size and make a diorama that is 7 1/2” W x 3 1/2” D x 4 7/8” H.’

Hokusai (left): $9.95, Buy it here.
Hiroshige: $9.95, Buy it here.

From our archives (originally published September 24, 2010), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

If you love your lemons, feast your eyes upon this citrus squeezer by Roland Kreiter. The innovative torpedo shape allows both sides to be utilized at once, making short work of enough juice for lemonade or your favorite cocktail.

Mysqueeze Citrus Squeezer was a winning entry in mydeco’s “Pure Creativity” competition juried by Philippe Starck.

Also, if you’re interested, Mark Tintner won the pure creativity competition to make a viral film based on the mysqueeze. See it on Vimeo.

Speaking from personal experience*, these paper puzzles are not for the faint of heart. They do require a bit more patience than the average puzzle, as there’s many complex parts. That said, this guitar (and violin) look amazing and could be a good gift for someone that has the willpower to finish it.

Detailed simulacrum of an actual guitar.
Instructions and display hook included.
Made in Japan.
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From our archives (originally published February 18, 2010), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

As a self-proclaimed tea junkie, it’s difficult to describe just how important certain tools in the tea making process can be. If you’re dealing in loose tea, some infusers can be irritating in that they’re hard to clean, and if they’re hard to clean, you’ll probably get fed up and not use them anymore (which is the case with several infusers in my top kitchen drawer at the moment). Now, this Teaball Teapot not only looks easy to clean, but it looks extremely nice to hold and use, and I’d say that’s almost as (if not more) important.

teaball teapot by freud uk
six-cup teaball teapot, 18/10 stainless steel with removable stainless steel infuser for leaf tea. dishwasher safe.
5.8″h; 33 ounces.
not for stovetop use!

From our archives (originally published March 14, 2008), for your gift list consideration… to see more, visit our Gift Guide.

I can picture this quite clearly upon my kitchen windowsill.

“Scandinavian in its simple, unadorned and practical design, this ceramic pot is an ingenious way of enjoying fresh herbs much like flowers: Insert a bunch in the enlarged opening, and keep hydrated by pouring water into the corner hole. The broad base ensures that all those little stalks have access to water, while allowing air to circulate so herbs keep from becoming limp and waterlogged. Easy to take apart for cleaning.”

15.75″ l x 5″ w