Home For Christmas: 42 Liverpool Gifts

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There are, we know, hundreds of talented makers and artists, kitchen-table producers and independent businesses in and around Liverpool. We simply can’t do them all justice in one feature. So, instead, we’ve tried to give a good overview of the best for you to browse. From beer to bangles, make-up to mugs, we think we’ve got it covered…

Peaches and Cream

The only place to get those smokey eyes and luscious lips. Same goes for you, girls. Make-over vouchers, and goodies galore in this gorgeous Dale Street parlour. Online shop for cool gifts too (pic above).

Lunya Hampers

Have a Catalan Christmas - treat someone to one of Lunya’s fabulous Iberian hampers, and feast on white Muga Rioja or Con Class red wine, Iberico bellota meats and hams, Villarejo Rosemary cheese, Spanish olives, spider crab and sherry pate, and lots more…

Sutton Soaps

Not just soaps (but they’re great) but luxury body washes, scrubs, bubble baths and all manner of artisanal bathtime treats to splash out on.

Bluecoat Display Centre

We love the Bluecoat Display Centre, with its carefully curated selection of original handmade objects, prints and jewellery. New work includes John Brunsdon framed etchings, Emma Williams’ dainty bowls, Lesley Lister silk scarves, silver jewellery by Linda Chu, exquisite glass by Jane Charles, and our favourite, Mikael Nilsson’s striking and lifelike wooden hooded crows, watch those claws, Santa! (pic right)

Level Up

Got a loveable gaming nerd in your life? Level Up could well be nativity nirvana - dive into their retro gaming den on Renshaw Street for consoles, accessories and games. And, should your thumbs need a rest, grab some cool Avengers comics too.

Liverpool Cheese Company

Don’t you dare buy that sweaty, vapid cheese selection from M&S, get yourself down to Wooton, and buy their carefully sourced seasonal cheese collections, all beautifully gift wrapped, with biscuits and chutney.

For Alice With Love

Yes, we love a nice bit of cake, and to go with Laura’s Little Bakery’s seasonal goodies, their two-tier vintage tea-set cake stand is just the ticket.

Independent Print

Percy Gulliver’s Print Shop has already left its indelible stain on our heart - but you can grab Gary (Horse) McGarvey’s razor-sharp gig posters, and hosts of other blisteringly cool art at this prints, zines, cards and illustrations fair at the Shipping Forecast.

Belgravia House of Gifts

Stunningly presented hampers featuring the finest wines, deli products, nibbles and other nice things: all with an authentic sense of place. Fancy an afternoon in Tuscany? Or breakfast in the Balkans - have it giftwrapped and sent to your place.

Scumbags and handybags

Ilsa Parry’s latest addition to her design stable, these funky bags are made from 100% Jute plant fibres, waterproof, ethically produced and easily renewable. For everyday use choose from “teabag, holdall and baguette” in pink or natural and for something with a bit more attitude, make a statement with “bumbag, gasbag and ratbag”.

Liverpool Cathedral

Support Liverpool Cathedral. Yes, women are allowed to shop here - the Laity will allow it - and plump for this squishily satisfying set of bean bag baby Jesus and mates. No amount of excess Christmas cheer will result in you accidentally beheading the Virgin Mary. Which is always nice.

Scouse Honey Products

The golden nectar may be out of stock for this year, but the busy bees at Scouse Honey Co still have a range of honey-rich lip balms and face creams. Glow with beauty - thanks to the hives at Old Swan, Waterloo, Knowsley Safari Park and Liverpool City Centre!

Karen Edwards

Lovely, limited edition letterpress hand-printed creations, from a scouse lexicography to cute vintage cars, beautifully framed and bold enough to make any wall a bit of a statement.

Candles at Purlesque

You can count on Purlesque coming up with the goods at Christmas, and their shop, at Whitechapel’s Pop Boutique, is a storehouse of soft and cuddly wonders. But we especially like their beeswax candles, all handmade and popped in a vintage tea-cup.

Vintage Pout

What is it with Liverpool and lips? We seem to have a surfeit of emollients to smear around our winter-chapped smackers. And with Vintage Pout, the glamour of the golden age of Hollywood is combined with modern, hard-nosed science to present a glitzy range of couture lip balms.

Music Consortium

Record vouchers. Remember them? Now, more than ever, they’re a music-lover’s must-have, as vinyl comes charging back into fashion. Support your local record shop - same goes for Probe, with its racks stuffed full of rare, warm and wonderful LPs from the past half century, at Bluecoat.

A la Mode Fashion

From vibrant fascinators to customised vintage dresses and shiny leather shoes, this fantastic little shop (next to the Bluecoat) is a treasure house of wonders, for him and her, all beautifully colour co-ordinated, and customised - should you require - to your liking.

Landbaby

Always worth a browse in this warm and cuddly Bluecoat shop - with brooches, bags, embroidered goodies and art books too tempting not to take home.

Sophie Green

Sophie’s smile-inducing, primary colour paintings are always in demand, so check out her show at the Penny Lane Gallery until the new year, to stock up on her superlambananas and supercool penguins.

Natalie Bosworth

Bags, cushions, decorations and brooches, made with a touch of retro, and a little whimsy. Fallen in love with season two of The Hour? We’ve got just the hair clip for you…

Little Satsuma

Little Satsuma’s ethically made goodies (palm free since 2004) are a top-drawer treat, made right here. From bath bombs to moisturisers, natural deodorants to rejuvenating balms Little Satsuma have all your major crevices sorted.

Pillbox Vintage

Accessories - a girl can’t have too many, right? Check out their Retro Sundays at Leaf and Late Night events at the Shipping Forecast - there are a couple of events this side of Christmas, so no excuse not to stock up on sequinned shoes, cashmere scarves and art deco diamante necklaces.

Dunlop Retro and Slazenger Heritage

One of Britain’s sporting heritage brands, and now designed in Liverpool, Dunlop Heritage takes its design cues from vintage Dunlop pieces and adds a bit of a fresh twist to its printed t-shirts, polos, knitwear and jackets. Same goes for Slazenger Heritage too - From Elevator studios to the world.

Caroline White

Caroline’s cool cut-out-and-make models of Liverpool’s cathedrals are this year’s must have (in our opinion) - so what will it be? Catholic or Anglican? Or, in the spirit of Christmas, why not have all two, and make your mantlepiece Hope Street?

Becka Griffin

Becka’s affectionate house portraits are justifiably popular, but there’s no time left for you to commission a bespoke piece, so why not plump for one of her lively illustrations instead? We love her cheesy alphabet. How many can you spot?

Jenny Dunlop

Textile artist Jenny Dunlop’s bright and cheerful images conjure up a city seen through teletubby glasses, and her Little Girl Giant print captures the beauty and grace of our super-sized French visitors.

Helen Dolan

Liverpool-based Dolan’s work is playful, bright and very wearable. From brushed aluminium Superlambananas to juicily coloured beads and stones, Dolan’s work is fun and - with her wooden christmas trees and shiny angels - festive too.

Olganna Bags

Retro make-up bags, clutches and fabric roll-up storage folders make for inexpensive, unique and eye-catching gifts from this funky Liverpool-based textile artist.

Nook and Willow

Trust the girls at Nook and Willow to make the perfect little black bag for the party season - and there’s plenty more where this came from: in lether, faux fur and mock-crock, these girls always rock.

Kate Sutton

Charming animal illustrations, from alpacas to owls - via the birds of New Zealand - form the heart of Kate’s lively, smile-inducing prints and cards. You’ll spot them in Liverpool’s gift shop of choice, Utility, too.

Alison Bailey Smith

Stainless steel mesh, wire reclaimed from televisions, surgical steel and recycled screws. Might not sound all that romantic - but Alison’s alchemy with recycled electrical bits and bobs turns base metals into glorious jewllery.

In The Footsteps of Giants

This beautifully designed and fully illustrated book relives the magic and the spectacle of those three unforgettable days when the giants walked among us. The book collects the best images captured by professional and amateur photographers alike.

Liverpool Organic Brewery

A few bottles of Shipwreck IPA is, really, all you need to ensure your ruddy faced gentleman caller leaves with a smile on his face this Christmas eve. Forget the mince pies. Mind you, he is driving a sleigh, so maybe the milder William Roscoe is a wiser choice. Whatever your tipple, you can be sure the food miles are low…

Pascall Willis Photography

Stunning large format prints of everything from the Crosby iron men to the Sefton dunes and the lonely chapels of the North Wales coast from this acclaimed photographer. Limited edition signed prints available from their website or from Made-Here in the Met Quarter. (Main pic, top of piece).

Morrissey International Airport

For the Smiths obsessive in your life, Liverpool author Dickie Felton delves into the ultra-dedicated world of the super-fan. Morrissey has a fanbase that follows him to the ends of the earth. But who are these people? And what motivates them to travel thousands of miles to watch this grumpy Mancunian guru? When Morrissey embarked on a tour of far off places, fan Dickie Felton decided to follow. This is his story…

Alison Hine

Textile artist Alison Hine uses the shapes and textures of woven cloth to inform her bright, chunkily patterned mugs - each one handprinted and complete with matching gift tag.

Theresia Cadwallader

Beautifully textured jewellery using polished stones, gleaming copper, porcelain and polymer - in striking designs and limited editions. Custom made pieces to order, too (see them at the next Oxton Art Fair, December 1-2)

Don’t forget, of course, Made-Here (the Met Quarter’s Liverpool-made gift store), the Pop Up Christmas festival they’re running, with everyone from local artists’ agency Dot Art to Alison Appleton’s gorgeous green tea sets.

Our great Cow & Co (not Liverpool-made gifts, but a Liverpool-made business specialising in design-led stuff you just won’t find anywhere else in the city, online and in Cleveland Square), and support our local galleries too, by checking out the great stuff in the shops at the Museum of Liverpool, Open Eye and the Tate: always worth a browse, in our experience.

And, for a decent selection of Liverpool greetings cards, and decorations, have a look at The Liverpool Gift Company.

There. Don’t say we never give you anything…

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