Our 2014 List of Uncommon Gifts

We live in a world today where people make things far more complicated than they need to be—including the holidays. Instead of enjoying the journey to find the perfect gift for that special person, the season seems to bring stress and obligation leading to convenient supermarket gift cards and the obligatory wish list sweater. We think it’s time to put a little soul back into the giving season and rekindle the inspiration around the magical exchange of goods.

Here’s our 2014 list of uncommon gifts that we hope will help you tell a story to the people you love. And if you don’t find something from the list below, we hope that you’ll go on your own search for the perfect uncommon gifts.

THE FOOD TRUCK DIEHARD
The Portlandia Cookbook brings together delicious recipes for your freegan, organic foodie.

THE DREAMER
Uncommonly smart in every way, the Stay-brella will impress the design-fiend  and the pragmatist on your list (and keep them dry too).

THE LIBRARIAN
Handmade by Minneapolis-based Frostbeard Studio, the Old Books soy wax candle that smells of old books, is sure to satisfy the special book lover in your life.

THE CLEAN FREAK
Spark laughter and instantaneous love with this lovely agave almond scented Life-Sized Brick of Ramen Noodles Soap. It looks identical to the real thing, only much better smelling.

THE HYDRATION JUNKIE
Add a little bit of design to the perfectly hydrated life with the leak-proof portability of the Memobottle that fits in just about any bag.

TEA FANATIC
The Deep Tea Diver makes brewing a cuppa that much more exciting.

THE WEEKENDER
For the person you know who packs more into their weekend than others do in a month—the FEED Backpack is the perfect gift. It does more than just hold that special someone’s stuff—it provides 75 meals for children in American schools.

THE WINO
Because conventional wine racks are boring, spice-up your oenophile’s collection with the Wine-O-Saur Wooden Dinosaur Wine Rack . 

THE PEN PAL
Write that down with these sweet paper gems by Sable & Snow designed by our very own Production Manager, Katie Schultz.

THE GARDENER
This Porcelain Berry Basket inspires garden cheer, showcasing the spirit of fresh picks from the garden throughout the year.

THE SWEETIE
A taste jamboree for your mouth. Pies In A Jar are sure to satisfy that sweets lover in your life.

THE PERSON WHO PUTS KETCHUP ON EVERYTHING
Spice up their life with homemade New Jersey Ketchup from First Field.

THE ACCESSORIES ADDICT
These adorable Wearable Dioramas are among our favorites on our curated list because they’re so damn cute and sure to make even the fully-accessorized smile.

THE ART LOVER
Naughty and Nice has the perfect array of art prints—because everyone needs a little something special to don their walls.