Gifting Season Guide: Winter 2018
Peruse our recommendations for gifts that are unique, made by local artists, and/or are eco-friendly! For all budgets.
As far as we’re concerned, ‘gifting season’ generally encompasses Fall-Winter, with many different holidays and other cultural celebrations going on during this time. Another thing about this season… it often means travelling and spending time with loved ones in their homes, and it can be customary to bring a little thoughtful gift along now and then to such gatherings, especially if it’s the first season spent in a new home (truly housewarming).
It’s true that gifting should always be with the recipient in mind and never a selfish act! Focusing on unique, locally made, eco-friendly, and experiential gifts, here’s our Silk and Sage Design 2018 Gift Guide, with various price ranges for all budgets:
$5 and Under
A Thoughtful, Hand-Written Card With Fun Imagery and/or Original Artwork.
This is a classic that never gets old. The act of sending cards has waxed and waned through the years, but it’s definitely on the upswing in our opinion. Even for the smallest budget, sending your loved ones a genuinely thoughtful message (especially if you haven’t seen them in a while) is uplifting. And if they love the artwork they can frame the card!
Check out our locally-made ATX cards in-store from Beth and a Brush, Stationery Bakery, and Sharabella Fini, ranging from $4-$5 each including an envelope for each!
$10-$20
Zinc Heart & Arrow Measuring Spoon Sets.
Practical style in the kitchen is timeless. This set of measuring spoons available in-store has your typical 1/4 tsp - 1 tbsp. increments… but in the shapes of hearts (we just can’t get over them)! And you can untie their little leather strap to separate each spoon out if you’d like. They’re classier than your basic IKEA measuring spoon sets at $18 per set. Bonus idea: write down a favorite recipe and include it with the spoon set, or snag a yummy box of cake or spiced bread mix to give with the spoon set as a gift that you can bake together.
Rifle Paper Notepads and Weekly Calendar Pads.
Who doesn’t love organization that actually works and is low-commitment? Rifle Paper notepads, grocery list pads (with a magnet for your fridge!), and weekly calendar pads can be used whenever someone wants, however they want. Various lovely designs available in-store! Notepad styles range from $10-$13.
$20-$40
Candles Are Always Winners.
Candles are perfect for many reasons. They are consumable and experiential, thus making them loved and used with delight (most people we know almost savor their candles in small doses forever until they’re burnt through). We’re all about sustainable and nontoxic candle making methods too.
Explore scents from our candles-with-a-cause local Hello George Candles that supports Austin Pets Alive!, and candles in hand-thrown reusable ceramic vessels by Hey Moon Ceramics at our Shop & Studio. Both feature soy wax, lead-free wicks, and scents that are natural and/or essential oil derived ranging from $24-$38 a piece.
Design Book(s).
Pinterest is great and all, but what’s even nicer is to have a curated selection of inspiration bound right in front of you. Design books double as coffee table look books and well-loved idea generators. We’ve got great titles in-store, from Bohemian Modern to Creative Family Home, many books with step-by-step DIY painting projects, and price ranges from $20-$38.
Hammered Copper Bowls.
Our XL hammered copper bowls are large enough to be used as tabletop centerpiece vessels, or huge serving bowls for your dinner party gatherings. Each are 14.25” in diameter and $28. They are well loved gifts and are back by popular demand… snag one (or a couple) at our Shop & Studio as giftables while they last!
A Well-Made Mug.
We have a lovely selection of mugs for coffee and tea this season, many of which actually fit into cupholders and of course also fit well in the hand. Visit us for our complete current selection including works by Spako Clay, with price ranges from $24-$36 each. Bonus gift idea: add a tea ball or infuser, and/or a tea or coffee you know your giftee will love!
$50-$85
Captivating Throw Blankets.
For those with boho-chic, relaxed, and traveler vibes, throw blankets are an easy and timeless gift. We opt for ones that have been hand made, upcycled, sustainable, and made with care and compensation for the makers. Use them on the couch, on the bed, or take them to outdoor events (like picnics, concerts). Explore our one-of-a-kind kantha quilts, indigo, and mudcloth textiles in-store, ranging from $70-$80 each.
Image courtesy of Carla Aston’s blog to show the possibilities!
*Limited Edition Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan Charleston Collection Color Boxed Sets.
A brand new arrival! These could be quite perfect for the painters in your life that seem to have just about everything. The new collaboration with Charleston Trust reveals 3 new colors: Firle (a chartreuse-y green yellow), Rodmell (an eggplant-y purple), and Tilton (a rich golden yellow). Each boxed set comes with a Project Pot of one of the new Chalk Paint® colors plus 2 Project Pots of colors that are complementary to it on the color wheel, plus a small pot of Clear Wax and an inspiration booklet! So cute yet sophisticated, for $48.95 per boxed set.
$85-$150
Chalk Paint® Mini Project Pack.
This is a gift that’s perfect for DIY and upcycling beginners. The Project Pack comes with 2 small Pots of Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint (you choose the colors) and Soft Waxes (Clear and Dark Brown), and a small Natural Bristle Brush. Bonus gift idea: add on a Small Wax Brush and/or an Annie Sloan design book that we feature in-store. Ranges $84.95-$149.95 for the different options.
Our Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint Starter Kit
We decided to create an unofficial starter kit for MMSMP, to make it easy for those who are just getting started with or trying to gift some Milk Paint. Everything you need is in this kit, and we feature the Basic Kit plus one with a Wax Brush option. Ranges $98-$122 for different options.
$150+
Original Fine Artwork.
Are you close to your giftee and know their taste? Have they been eyeing a certain artist? What about local, original fine artwork? Check out our featured works from Arielle Austin (many of which are still under $150) in-store for mixed and layered abstract paintings and prints.
A Gift Certificate to a DIY Decorative Painting Class.
Set any amount and we will create a cute gift certificate for your giftee. Then they have the freedom to choose the level, date & time, and type of class to learn new DIY painting and technique skills— with Chalk Paint® , Milk Paint, crackle techniques, distressed techniques, metallics, and much more.
>> BONUS: Stocking Stuffers at Various Amounts! <<
FOLK Botanicals Essential Aromatherapy Mists in Coastal, Purify, and Wildwood- $18 ea. (locally made in small batches with dreamy botanical blends)
Spako Clay Turquoise Heart-Shaped Mini Dishes with 24k Gold- $28 ea. (locally hand-crafted, limited edition!)
Pear-Wood Spreaders, Cheese Knives, and Pastry Knives by Cooper & Claire- $17-25 ea. (locally hand-crafted, each is unique from urban salvaged wood)
And these are just the tip of the iceberg. We hope your season is cozy, and full of love with truly memorable experiences. Visit us at the Shop & Studio to explore and contact us to purchase any of our wonderful giftables listed above (ask about our shipping options). #shoplocalaustin <3
Create An Upcycled + Floral Mother's Day Gift Under $75! + GIVEAWAY!
We have a step-by-step tutorial to create the BEST Mother's Day Gift, which has upcycled and floral elements, for under $75! Enter our Mother's Day Giveaway while you're at it!
With Mother's Day right around the corner, we wanted to share a great idea for a simple gift that looks fabulous, and will make Mom feel special. Being involved in the creation of your gift makes it heartfelt, and with our tutorial you can create something similar for under $75! Of course these are general guidelines, so feel free to expand or simplify as much as you want! We'll also get into our Giveaway down below...
You'll need:
- One vase or container that's metal, glass, ceramic, wood- $0-$5 (We chose a thrifted find for $5, but you may have something at home already that can be upcycled.)
- Chalk Paint® decorative paint Project Pot color of choice- $15 (We chose Versailles for it's sagey-French appeal.)
- Sandpaper sheet or dampened textured scrubby sponge- $0 (Cost depends on whether you have some at home already or need to buy some. Use that dampened sponge to distress to save on cost!)
- Magazine, paper, newspaper, thin fabric, or tissue paper cutout- $0 (Almost everyone has something at home already that has a cool image on it that can be cut out!)
- Scissors- $0 (Again, almost everyone has a pair of scissors at home or a pair that can be borrowed from a friend or family member.)
- Chalk Paint® Image Medium / FKA Decoupage Varnish- $20.50 (This item is a bit of a splurge, however it lasts through many uses and does decoupage and image transfer in the best way, without smudging inks from printed images- however if it isn't friendly to your budget, you may forgo this part of the project!)
- Small Paintbrush- $0-$15 (Most individuals have a brush at home, however we have a range of brushes from $3 to $15 in the shop that would suit a small project well.) We chose our Annie Sloan Small Flat Brush
- Orchid, plant, or floral arrangement- $16 (We visited our neighbor, Freytag's Florist on West Anderson Ln. in Austin, for a mini Orchid so that Mom can continue to grow her gift! Shop local and sustainable- find your own favorite neighborhood florist!)
Here are the steps:
1. Apply your Chalk Paint® decorative paint color to your vase or planter surface- you may need a second coat if desired. For 'normal' surfaces, give a couple hours dry time between coats, or give 12-24 hours dry time between coats for shiny and slick metal or glass surfaces. The color we chose for our project is Versailles for its sagey-French appeal!
2. While waiting for paint to dry, cut out your image for decoupage. Try to choose something that has a generally defined outline, as opposed to something that will have tons of tiny intricate details to make it easier to cut out. We love using images from old books, magazines, newspapers, giftwrap, and even thin fabrics or tissue paper. Get crafty my friends!
3. Add a second coat of paint as needed, with the applicable dry time for your kind of surface.
4. Once dry, distress through the paint using medium grit sandpaper or a dampened scrubby sponge until you achieve a lightly aged look. Distressing looks natural over edges and raised areas.
5. Apply the Chalk Paint® Image Medium (formerly known as Decoupage Varnish) to the backside of your image, and gently press the image down onto your vase surface with one corner, and slowly press the entire image down while working out air bubbles. Apply a thin coat of your Image Medium over the cutout and let it dry. Decoupage isn't so difficult, we promise!
6. Apply 2-3 thin coats of the Image Medium total for durability. We used the Medium as a varnish over the whole vase surface as well. You may also sand the image edges down to make it feel less raised and to distress and fade the image.
7. Add your plant or flower arrangement of choice to complete the gift. We chose a lovely mini orchid from Freytag's Florist on West Anderson Ln. in Austin, so that it could be a sustainable gift that keeps growing (we added little rocks below the orchid in the vase for good drainage- always make sure to plant with proper conditions based on what you choose, and to include care instructions!). Mom can also change the planter or vase up as needed as the plant grows, and continue to repurpose the planter or vase. Remember to visit your own local florist!
The result is something truly special. Doesn't it feel great to make a gift? This is absolutely a project that can be completed within a couple of days (even within one day depending on materials used). Share your own results with us, and if you're in or near Austin stop by our Shop & Studio at 2700 W. Anderson Ln, Ste 228 for all Chalk Paint® supplies. Otherwise find your local stockist here.
Watch our tutorial video to visualize the process!
And now for our GIVEAWAY! We are excited to announce that one lucky person can win the very same decoupage vase that we created for the tutorial. To be entered to win, please complete all steps below: