2015 Unique Holiday Gift Guide

As Hanukkah and Christmas loom near, it’s important to start shopping for our friends and loved ones as well. With so many cool and customizable products out there, I enjoy putting thought into the presents I buy rather than slapping a bow on something really generic and calling it a day. This week, I’d like to share my holiday gift guide for all types of friends.

Most of these products are ones that I either personally own, have sampled, or have purchased for someone else in the past. The best part? You can purchase any of these online from the comfort of your own home! No need to start any fist-fights at the mall this year. 🙂

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small compensation.

The Animal Lover: A custom-made shirt from Pop Your Pup!

Pop Your Pup creates graphic T-shirts featuring pop art designs of your pets. Choose a shirt style and background color, submit a photo of your pet, and the graphic artists at Pop Your Pup will work their magic to make a one-of-a-kind shirt. The turn-around time is awesome, and 10% of proceeds are donated to local Humane Societies. I’ve ordered two of these shirts for birthday presents already, and they were a huge hit!

The Friend with School Spirit: A bottle of his or her school’s Masik Collegiate Fragrance.

Masik Collegiate Fragrances is the brainchild of Katie Masik, who wanted to create perfumes and colognes that evoked memories of certain colleges and universities. Last year, I reviewed their University of Florida perfume and their Florida State University cologne. Although I’m not a Gator fan, I still sometimes wear the UF perfume! The scents are inspired by the buildings, traditions and local plant-life of each university. Click here for a list of all schools represented so far to see if your friend’s school is listed!

The Sweet Tooth: A box of Wondermade‘s handcrafted marshmallows.

This café is based in Downtown Sanford, where patrons can buy marshmallow skewers and s’mores of all flavors that they can pair with coffee or hot chocolate. Wondermade also has an online store, where consumers from near and far can buy boxes of marshmallows in Christmas and fall flavors, as well as other unique flavors. I love to support local businesses, especially ones with such delicious products!

The Healthy Chick: A piece of (totally inedible) Organic Fruit Jewelry.

Organic Fruit Jewelry is exactly what it sounds like — real fruit dried and preserved into jewelry! This is an eclectic and fun gift, and no two necklaces/earring sets are exactly alike. I’m obsessed with the lemon slice necklace and will definitely be investing in mine soon!

The Single Friend: A copy of The Mathematics of Love by Hannah Fry.

I’m a nerd at heart, so reading a book that relates mathematical concepts to dating and marriage was obviously right up my alley. This is a great read for anyone — single or not — who wants to see just how applicable these theories and formulas are to our lives. I was never a math lover in school, but I really enjoyed this book! (Check out the related TED Talk if you’re curious.)

The Sports Fan: A personalized highway distance sign to your friend’s favorite team’s stadium/arena.

I absolutely love these stadium signs as a way to support your favorite team! You choose your team’s venue from the Travelsigns Etsy shop, and plug in the number of miles between there and your home. This a great gift for that guy in your life who still hasn’t put anything up on his wall.

The Harry Potter Nerd: This Golden Snitch bracelet from Ashley Bridget.

Seriously, have you seen anything prettier? The Ashley Bridget website features other Harry Potter jewelry as well, along with other gorgeous pieces from their NFL, collegiate, sorority, fairy tale and other collections. 🙂

The Career Guy or Girl: A customized business card case.

You can find these anywhere, depending on your friend’s preferences, but I purchased mine from the ChicMonogram store on Etsy. This is a great gift for someone who recently graduated from college and is just starting a new job. For nearly my entire first year at my current job, I didn’t have a business card case, and instead found myself carrying the cards around at networking events like the unpolished peasant I was. With my personalized business card case, I have something to store my business cards and it makes for a great conversation piece!

The Fancy Friend: Anything from the Downton Abbey collection at World Market.

I am in love with this collection’s 2-tiered serving stand and tea spoons, and I don’t even watch Downton Abbey! Buy a few items from this set for your tea-loving friends who like to entertain.

How are you shopping for the holidays? Share your favorite finds in the comments section below!