WHY STATIONERY IS ALWAYS THE PERFECT GIFT IDEA
I know I’m a little bit biased, but stationery is one of the best options for a gift, especially when you aren’t sure what to buy.
We have all been there, ten days before Christmas, feeling the panic because we haven’t bought someone on our list a present yet and will be seeing them soon. Suddenly we start searching for the most random of things we would never have looked at before, you know what I mean right? Photo-books / personalised socks / one of those ‘Where’s Wally’ things where they replace Wally with the family pet (actually, I would like that I reckon!)…
You rush around the shops, throwing the biggest waste of money into your basket in a panic… ‘toilet’ books you’ve seen a thousand times before, puzzle cubes and giant beer glasses, knowing deep down that you are just wasting your money, and berating yourself for not thinking about this sooner. Then you have a great idea and rush home to ‘name a star’ for that special auntie you only see at Christmas time. We have all been there and it sucks to feel like that.
For me, Christmas isn’t about materialistic things. Although gifts are truly special to me, it shouldn’t be about how much money is spent, or the size of the gift, but the thought that went into it. I would prefer something smaller and useful to me than a load of ‘fluff’ that is fun for an hour on Christmas Day and then just gets put in a cupboard. The idea of creating so much waste, just because of a last minute, adrenaline-fueled panic buy, doesn’t sit right with me.
Obviously I am selling stationery for a living, so naturally I lean into that more than the average person as the ideal gift option (!), but even before Leaf Lane Studio existed, I was super happy to receive a notebook or a pen or something I would use every single day.
A to-do list is the most perfect thing for most people, even if they don’t use it for work, as it makes a useful tick-off shopping list option or pad to keep in the kitchen when there is something that needs scribbling down. Notebooks are another ‘quick win’ because everyone needs to jot things down. Honestly, stationery is the way forward!
I have pulled together some gorgeous options for you below and split them into my usual nature inspired catagories! There are some cute bits to look at from Leaf Lane Studio and a couple of other small businesses I love too. I have also thrown in some art prints, because I also think these make great gifts. I have my eye on one in particular and will be buying it when my office gets updated next year!
Let’s jump on in…
These eco friendly, recycled pencils from the Etsy shop ‘Smallkind’ would make the perfect stocking stuffer, and are only £5.00 for the set. This is such a sweet small business, which stocks everything for the planet loving person (which should be all of us right?).
If you want a notepad that lasts you a while, my 200 writable page notebooks will be your best pal. The pages are lined and the paper is so smooth to write on too. Choose from three designs, including the Wildflower (pictured), Cottage Garden and Enchanted Garden. These will be so well received and make lovely secret santa gifts and stocking fillers too.
My wall planner (£15 including U.K shipping) sold out so fast last year, and this years is on track to do the same! The 2022 design is a lovely, vibrant leafy pattern and is made from the most stunning paper. It is super thick and sturdy but will hang on the wall using washi tape easily, or why not buy a poster frame to hang it, such as this one from Etsy. This would make the ideal gift for someone who works from home or a busy family who need a birds-eye view of their year!
This lovely, leafy combo consists of my two all time best sellers in one Christmas gift set! You get the luxury A5 lined pad and the popular A6 to-do list for just £11.50 (including free festive gift wrap!). You really can’t go wrong with this set, or shop them individually here!
This cheeky art print, from the amazing Hand and Palm, has been on my ‘must buy’ list for so long now. It is available in several sizes and, in my opinion, is a must have for those of us with sweary-friends! I honestly love it so much. It would look cute in a home office I think, which is why I intend to buy an A2 version for my office when I decorate it in the New Year!
I had to pop another print from Hand and Palm in because I am a huge fan, which you can probably tell! I adore the loose painting style and think it is fun, playful and perfect to jazz up a room. Prints start from £16 and there are SO many to choose from, so head over to have a little look!
This cute pencil case/make up bag, can be personalised with your loved ones name and would make an adorable gift. You can find this on the Etsy shop ‘Stitched GB’ for just £10. Why not fill it with pens and other lovely stationery to make it even more special!
Maybe you could pop some washi tape, like my Wildflower patterned tape, in the pencil case (above). Washi tape is so useful to have around. I use mine for decorating envelopes, planner pages as well as for things like hanging light-weight prints or postcards on my wall. It is also useful for people who paint because it makes a lovely masking tape that isn’t overly sticky!
How absolutely gorgeous is this floral 2022 wall calendar (£22.00) by Annie Dornan Smith? I love her style and she has the most stunning pieces in her store, so definitely check her out. She also has a desk version which may be handy for home workers too.
This mini print (A6) is one of mine! Part of the Cottage Garden collection, this little quote is one of my favourites. You could use this as a postcard (it comes with a Kraft envelope) or display it as a print. I think popping smaller, affordable gifts like this in a Christmas stocking or in with other things is a lovely idea. Cards and postcards are a useful one for most people to keep in their drawers for those special occasions.
I have a variety of to-do lists and planner pads available starting from £4.25. This one is from my latest collection called ‘Enchanted Garden’ and I love it because it is so vibrant and happy. You just can’t go wrong with a to-do list or jotter pad! You can find all of mine here.
If you are looking for something a bit different from a standard notepad, how about this luxury letter writing kit (£17.00) from my Cottage Garden collection? This special Christmas gift set contains one luxury A5 lined pad and ten beautiful, matching envelopes, lined with the Cottage Garden pattern. Each envelope was hand-finished by me so you can rest assured they are of a really high standard. This would be an ideal gift for friends who have pen pals, or just to keep in the drawer to write little notes to all your favourite humans!
Staying on the letter writing theme, I adore this paper and envelope set from Bonbi Forest on Etsy, isn’t it lovely? The set contains 12 pieces of floral writing paper and six envelopes.
If you like bright and colourful stationery then you will like my Enchanted Garden washi tape. As I mentioned before, washi tape is so useful to have in the house because it has so many uses! I love to use it in place of sellotape when wrapping presents. I will just use simple, brown paper and make it look pretty with a patterned washi tape. I am yet to meet a stationery addict who doesn’t love washi!
With the New Year incoming, you can guarantee a planner pad, like the one pictured from my Enchanted Garden collection or this one from my Wildflower collection, would be a well received Christmas gift! My pads are so smooth, with really thick paper and so many useful sections that they fast become a must-have for my lovely customers! Pair them with a to-do list or notebook for the ultimate stationery gift or see my Christmas gift sets to buy them together at a slightly discounted rate.
Perfect for the ‘pink’ fans out there, this notebook (£9.00) is beautifully thick and a must have to get you through the week, whether you are working, studying or trying to manage the family commitments! Pop a notebook under the tree and you will be a popular person this Christmas Day!
Free gift wrapping with all Christmas gift sets from Leaf Lane Studio this year!
I think a lovely, and really thoughtful, idea for a ‘main’ Christmas gift is to curate a lovely box of goodies for your loved one. Think about several things they will really like and pop them in one box! Something for your girl friends could be some of their favourite chocolate, a mini bottle of wine, some socks, a face mask, a beautifully scented candle and a notebook. Wouldn’t that just be so special?
If you are looking for a truly unique and really special stationery gift, why not get my stationery advent calendar as a main present? I can always remove the numbered tags for you so that it takes the ‘advent’ away from it. It is already wrapped in a stunning, hand-printed paper with matching tissue paper and twine, so there need be no effort on your part! It would make any stationery lovers day to receive a whole box of treats! If you would like to know more about that just click right here!
There you have it, my favourite (affordable) stationery Christmas gifts! I will be popping up another post next week with a range of other small business goodies, with the most wonderful gift ideas to cover a variety of budgets. Please do consider shopping small this year because it honestly makes a difference and keeps us afloat in the quiet New Year period when everyone is shopping the Amazon sale!
PS: I have just put together four 2022 printable wall calendars and here is the best news… they are FREE! If you would like to download one (or all four) just click here!
