Think outside the gift-wrapped box
Tired of giving holiday socks and sweaters to your family and friends? Looking to give a gift that’s special, a gift that no one else will have? From manicures and light-up knitting needles to quaking alarm clocks and furniture makeovers, the following gift suggestions are far from typical, but they just might make the perfect present.
Art-Enfant carries toys and games you might not find at a big chain. Most of their products have an educational component but, more important for grandchildren, they’re fun.
Among Art-Enfant’s gift-giving possibilities are Magnitos, a magnetic building toy like Lego. It’s the first of its kind for 3 - 6 year olds and consists of balls and bars that click together magnetically. Art-Enfant owner Judi Meade likes Magnitos because they offer open-ended play. “Children get a lot of confidence and satisfaction from seeing what they’ve built,” she says. The toy helps in developing motor skills, spatial recognition and in conceptualizing ideas. And moms like it because the pieces stick together and are easy to pick up.
Rukshuk, a game based on the Inuit art of rock balancing, is challenging for all ages. You can play alone or with others, using a set of rocks to reconstruct an image given to you on a card. This new Canadian game has varying levels of difficulty.
Aux Petites Indulgences carries an eclectic mix of old and new. They offer antiques and have an in-house artisan who does artistic finishes on old furniture, so you could surprise someone by renewing a tired but beloved piece.
They also have unique gift baskets with gourmet food — ice-wine vinegars from Niagra, lemon, vanilla, bourbon and black pepper jellies for cheese, and honey imported from Bali.
Owner Dorothy Kryworuchko says of the boutique’s artisan jewelry that she looks for “unique things that are hard to find.” So, if you buy someone a pair of earrings, you know nobody else will have same ones. Accessories, glassware, decanters, dinnerware, hand-blown artisan bottles are equally unique.
Aux Petite Indulgences is located 3833 St.-Jacques St., corner Laporte. Info: (514) 504-8762 or dorothy@inndulgence.ca.
If the person you’re shopping for is a crafter, The Wool Shop, which specializes in materials and tools for knitting, crocheting, and needlework, has a wealth of gift ideas.
“One of the neatest and newest things I have is knitting needles that light up so you can knit in the dark,” says owner Beth Allatt.
For those who prefer to give handmade gifts, The Wool Shop carries DVDs for learning knitting techniques, patterns for knitting and crocheting socks, purses, and accessories and a big choice of fibers, textures and colors.
For the cutting-edge needleworker, The Wool Shop carries materials for felting, which Beth says is “big right now.” Felting consists of shrinking wool to make it look like felt and is great for making appliquées to personalize a store-bought gift like a jacket or sweater.
The Wool Shop is located 295 Blvd. St.-Jean in Plaza Pointe Claire, North of Highway 20. Info: (514) 694-6268 or petitmouton@sympatico.ca.
A gift certificate from Top Beauté is a great way to pamper a special someone.
The salon offers manicures, pedicures, haircare and waxing, and they’ll soon be doing facials and skin care. “When you give someone a gift like a manicure, it makes them feel pampered,” says Top Beauté’s Lily Tang. “With the manicure we do a hand massage, so it’s also very relaxing.”
Manicures are $15 and pedicures are $30. They also offer hand painting and airbrushing, where little pictures are painted on the nails. Top Beauté is located 55 Westminster in Montreal W. Info: (514) 484-0118.
Specializing in adapted sight and hearing technologies, Ultravision offers gifts for those who suffer from diminished hearing or eyesight. For the tecchie in your family, they offer a software program that enlarges the characters on a computer screen and a keyboard with larger letters, making surfing the net easier. Illuminated magnifiers help hobbyists who need keen eyesight for stamp or coin collecting and a TV screen enlarger is ideal for movie and TV fans. For people with hearing loss, Ultravision carries cordless TV listening systems, amplified phones and even “wake and shake” alarm clocks. Ultravision is located 5645 Côte-des-Neiges Blvd. Info: (514) 344-3988.
Gracing Sherbrooke since 1968, the Swiss Watch Shop has beautiful antique jewelry dating from 1850 to 1950. Starting at $40, pieces include diamond rings, gold bracelets and broaches set with diamonds and other precious stones.
If the person you want to surprise is a traveler, associate owner Andre Papanicolaou has the perfect suggestion. "For the gift-giving season, we import several models of the genuine Swiss army knives made in Switzerland by Wenger since 1893. They have different functions, like a money clip that will keep your cash safely in your pocket." There is one model small enough to carry on a plane, approved by the Transportation Safety Administration.
They also carry small alarm clocks made in Germany by Eurochron/ They come in 4 attractive colors, including gold, silver, charcoal and blue and are especially handy to wake the granchildren on those sleepy school-day mornings.
The shop fixes broken time pieces of all sorts, and has a pick-up service for grandfather clocks in need of repairs. Gift-wrapping is complimentary.
The Swiss Watch Shop is located 5165 Sherbrooke W., suite 103. Info: (514) 489-1444.
