The Out of Hours Festive Gift Guide
Welcome to the Big Festive Gift Guide, rounding up the coolest side projects of 2020. These makers are working around the clock to produce these products, out of hours. These creative products are made by producers, teachers, creative directors, graphic designers, partnership managers, lawyers, software developers, commercial managers and more.
If you’re thinking of starting your own side project, join us here.
PRODUCTS
Tangerine Collective - Homeware
Tangerine Collective are new to our list this year. Vibrant multi coloured candles, in all shapes and sizes, designed & hand poured in North London. They’re totally vegan too. Check them out below.
Bundle Of Sticks - Magazine
This project of love, from John Furno, documents the coming out stories of people across the world. John writes: “this is the voice of a global community who want and need to be heard, voices who feel unrepresented and unsafe to walk the streets.” Issue two brings together 19 unique voices, all sharing their experience of coming out. These stories are especially unique as they have been shared during a difficult and unsettling time due to the outbreak of Coronavirus.
TANAKA - Soaps
Tanaka featured on our list last year, and they’ve gone from strength to strength this year. Founded in 2019 by Leonara Manyangadze, and stocked across the UK, TANAKA is a handmade soap brand. Tanaka is a Zimbabwean Shona name, meaning ‘we are good’. A collection of handmade luxury soaps intended to soothe, calm and heal with unique scents and rave reviews.
EVKA Home - Homeware
EVKA home serve up what they call “Quality stüff without the flüff”. EVKA Home is founded by Ewa, who works at Propercorn in the day, and creates homeware at night. They sell everything from calendars, incense burners, prints to pots (picture left). Be quick with this one, as last UK orders will be on Dec. 7th!
Recess Living - Lifestyle
If you’re looking to gift a slice of calm in 2021, look no further than Recess Living. Run by Nina Elegba, Recess Living is a London-based, events and lifestyle company that creates experiences, stories, and connections so you can enjoy a guilt-free timeout. Check out their collection of products here:
Flowers and The Dog - Homeware
Lockdown side project Flowers and The Dog developed in the first few months of social distancing. “I spent a lot of time at home and decided to start a 100-day creative challenge to cope with the new norm.” This creative challenge evolved into a series of illustrations about the story of the Dog and some flowers, always up to new adventures. A great comfort in lockdown, and now you can shop all of their HK-based products here:
Fulfilled - Bodycare
Fulfilled are another brand we featured last year. They’ve had a fantastic year, having been featured in Stylist, Harper Bazaar and Vegan Living. If you’re worried about single-use plastic, they are an excellent alternative, coming in Aluminium (and refillable) bottles, you can choose from shampoo, conditioner or shower gel at a fraction of the plastic. Check out their festive sets here:
Rejig - Puzzles
Rejig is a new type of puzzle, modernising the humble puzzle into something worthy of your coolest shelf dislays. They have three editions for launch, and less than 6 months after launching have been featured in OK! Magazine as a recommended gift idea. The perfect something for the hard-to-buy relative. Check them out here:
Sunflower Jam - Jewellery
If you’re based in the states, and can’t get to Antique stores at the moment, take a virtual amble over to Sunflower Jam. Based in Brooklyn, they create solid gold tiny treasures for everyday - as well as selling beautiful vintage finds, all out of hours.
London Sock Exchange - Fashion
A second year on the Gift Guide for side project London Sock Exchange, who have had another big year, partnering with none other that 007 to create unique James Bond-themed socks… For your feet only. Check out the range here:
Month of Sundays - Books
You may remember Month of Sundays for their beautiful Childhood Journals. They’ve since set their hand to some other staples, applying their signature high quality style they’ve created notebooks and travel journals. A thoughtful gift for anyone who’s looking for a fresh start in 2021. (The shop is now sold out but will be back in stock next year!)
Saskia Lucy - Jewellery
During Lockdown, quarantined in the Isle of White, Saskia created a whole range of beautiful jewellery for a very reasonable price, with lots of rainbow pieces like these. Check out their many themed gifts here:
ULTIMATUM - Fashion
Ultimatum is a new street wear brand inspired by the founders’ Nepalese origins. Taking inspiration from a small mystical land nestled in the Himalayas, the stories and its people, they wanted to tell these stories before it was too late.
This LPD tee pays tribute to Mahakabi (The Great Poet) Laxmi Prasad Devkota who was an influential poet, playwright, novelist and scholar. Check them out here:
Ensoi - Fashion
Ensoi, named after the French ‘en soi’, meaning 'in itself', and ‘en soie’, which means ‘made of silk’, sell luxury slips, silk trousers and camis, with built-in bra’s.
Their supply chain is transparent, their workers are paid fairly, and they aim to make every element of the business as sustainable as they can, from fibre to fastenings, packaging and beyond.
What Wondrous Shapes We Are - Book
Ashwin Chacko is a multi disciplined illustrator, who created What Wondrous Shapes We Are as a side project. He writes`; “today more than ever body image is a huge issue that our generation faces, my wife struggles with anorexia. I wanted to create a story to teach children about their value and address this in a fun and humorous way.” Check it out here:
PRINTS
Dani White Design
If anyone needs a pat on the back for surviving this year (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) consider getting them one of Dani’s gold star badges: a perfect gift for anyone who has survived some tough things this year. Her store also has a whole host of cards and prints to gift to friends.
Room Fifty
Room Fifty is a one-stop shop of dreams, featuring exclusive prints by 50 of the best artists in the world, from just £20, with 50% of profits going to the artist. Co-run by deputy Creative Director of The Guardian, and featured on Elle Decoration and The Sunday Times, you can be sure that there will be something to suit your* (*your friends’ and families’) home. Take a look here:
Headless Greg
D&AD New Blood One To Watch, Scotland-based Greg creates his own projects in his own time. Some great abstract prints to adorn friends’ and families’ walls. Check them out here:
Casual Chronicles
Casual Chronicles, a project from consultant Emma George, started as a travel art diary, before becoming somewhere to document the many weird and wonderful people who make our cities unforgettable.
It turned a new page in the pandemic. Travel wasn’t an option and people fled the streets to be safe and snug at home. So, her paintings moved from people to dreamy places – a way to transport people to some holidays from home.
Woodism
At the age of three Woody was diagnosed with high functioning autism. As he developed he seemed to have a unique way of viewing the world and expressing himself. So Woody’s dad began creating linocut carvings of some of his original phrases as a way of holding on to Woody’s touching words. Check out their cards and prints here, with profits going to Ambitious About Autisim:
Thanks for reading! If you’re thinking of starting your own side project, join the next cohort here.