25 Days of Etsy Christmas (2013). Day Seven. For The Trekker.

Today's list is for the Star Trek fan on your list. 

1. This set of three Star Trek inspired wine glasses are $70.32 CAD at Impulsive Creativity, a shop based in New Mexico. 

2. This beautifully handcrafted leather laptop bag can be found at World of Leathercraft for $279.10 CAD.

3. This great set of Star Trek coasters are from Apocalypse Fabrication and they are $35.70 CAD.

4. Alien Aviary has these earrings for $6.49 CAD. This is another great shop for sci-fi fans and gamers.

5. This Enterprise ornament is from Ginger Pots, a fantastic shop based in Philly. If you are into unique, hand-painted Christmas ornaments, you really need to check them out. I featured their Spock ornament last year and am pretty sure I'll pick up a set of Nintendo ones for my son, this year.

6. Off the Cuff Quotes has a few Star Trek bracelets like this friendship one, which is going for $12.98 CAD.

7. For the Trekker with a cat, I recommend this catnip gift set from Miso Handmade for $21.64 CAD.

8. This cuff link and tie clip set from Southern Living 26 is $32.92 CAD and, given their assortment of geek-friendly gifts and their current 2-for-1 promotion, you should check them out!

9. This Star Trek stocking is $23.80 CAD at Christmas Create.

10. And finally, check out these Star Trek collage handmade shoes by elizabeth rose shoes. $108.18 CAD.

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25 Days of Etsy Christmas (2013). Day Five. For The Beer Drinker.

Today's recommendations are for the beer drinker on your list. Enjoy!

1. Out of all the beer sampling paddles on Etsy, I chose this one because it comes with the glasses and also serves as a charcuterie board. Get it for $42.98 CAD at JT Woodworks.

2. Beer soap. Is there ever a lot of it on Etsy. I'm particularly thrilled about all of the Guinness soap out there but that's not necessarily everyone's bag. I've decided to share this six pack gift set because of the variety, the great packaging and because, if I'm going to post beer soap at all, I might as well link it to The Beer Soap Company. $45.13 CAD.

3. I posted this awesome, hand stamped towel set last year but it just had to make it to this year's beer lovers' list as well. You can order them from Nesta Home for $32.24 CAD.

4. A great stocking stuffer for the beer drinker(s) on your list is this set of reusable silicone bottle caps from Bonnie Brewing Bites, in NYC. $6.07 CAD for 6.

5. For the person who loves trying a variety of new beers, I recommend the Beer Book. It's made by Twine Bindery and has space for 100 beer logs. $15.04 CAD.

6. There are hundreds of beer related prints on Etsy but I like this one from Native Vermont Studio. $41.82 CAD.

7. Another great stocking stuffer or addition to a gourmet beer-themed basket is this craft beer spice rub by Baker's Bark, a shop based in Georgia. $6.38 CAD.

8. How about a set of custom printed pint glasses? You can get a set of 8 for $102.95 CAD Vital, a great shop based in Denver.

9. Another shop from Colorado that I must recommend is Great Lakes Reclaimed. Check out their handmade beer carrier, which is going for $39.68 CAD.

10. And last but certainly not least, for the more adventurous and creative beer enthusiast on your list, why not surprise them with this dry hop starter kit so that they can try making their own beer? Hop Shots is selling the aforementioned kit for $26.00 CAD but it's worth taking some time to check their shop out. There's a variety of aromas, flavours and kit sizes.

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25 Days of Etsy Christmas (2013). Day Four. For the Wine Lover.

Support small businesses and hard-working artisans by keeping an eye on my 25 Days of Etsy series! Today, gift ideas for the wine drinker(s) on your list.

1. I absolutely love this recycled wine rack by JNM Rustic Designs. It's $112.60 CAD and you can choose between three finishes. Do be careful to take a look at shipping prices but understand that shipping something of this size costs what it does and that this shop charges less for the same type of rack than some others do.

2. This honeycomb wine cork coaster set is $23.59 CAD at Lizzie Joe Designs.

3. These melted wine bottle serving dishes come in three styles and are $24.65 CAD at Rehabulous, a shop based in Hoboken, New Jersey. I recommend taking a few moments to peruse this shop if you're into creatively recycleded goods!

4. Engrave Me This is a shop based in Santa Rosa, California. In addition to offering up a nice variety of personalized gifts, such as this bamboo wine box with etched glasses, they add little touches that matter. They can gift wrap this for you and send it to its final destination, but only after they've sent you a photo of what the final product looks like. The wine box with glasses is going for $84.72 CAD.

5. I posted this bicycle wine rack in last year's list but it's just too fabulous not to share with you again. It's going for $29.00 CAD and, as an extra bonus,oopsmark is a local shop, based right here in Montréal.

6. If you're thinking of giving someone the gift of actual wine, why not present them with a couple of bottles in this leather and felt wine bag by Filzkraft? $26.86 CAD.

7. If you want to give someone the gift of four etched wine glasses, here is one way of going about it: First, purchase a set of glasses or four like these from All That Glitters Design Store ($16.12 CAD). Then...

8. ...Order something like this hardwood glass rack from Bandy for $16.12 CAD, buy a bottle of wine, put it all together and slide the kit into a tall gift box. Voila.

9. I love this wine bottle chandelier by Junkyard Jems. It's made from salvaged wood and upcycled wine bottles and it comes ready to be hard wired into your ceiling. $343.86 CAD.

10. If you're pretty sure about a person's decor and taste, you could also buy them some wall art. I typed "wine art" in Etsy's search engine and came up with 246 pages of items. An example: This personalized wine barrel sign from Creative by Clair is $118.20 CAD (and currently on sale).

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25 Days of Etsy Christmas (2013. Day Three. All Things Nautical.

In an effort to get people to stay out of malls this season and to support small businesses and artisans, I present you with my second annual "25 Days of Etsy Christmas". For 25 not-necessarily-consecutive days, I will suggest ten gifts, for a total of 250 gift ideas by mid-December.

Today's list is for the sailor, the retro-lover with a soft spot for all things nautical or the parents who have decorated their kid's room with similar elements.

Please note that while there is a plethora of beautiful, vintage, nautical-themed items on Etsy, I dug around for handcrafted or re-purposed items, as I'm trying to promote artisans. If ever I come up empty, I'll post a few vintage items because I'm also in support of the small business, in general. That said, I'll double-back to a shop before I post vintage.

Enjoy!

1. This set of apple red anchor hooks from Boldhouse is going for $32.38 CAD. If you like the idea of the hooks and the general style but you're not sure about these particular anchors, do check this shop out. They're offering up forty pages of bold, fun and recycled decorative items.

2. I love this chrome spyglass that comes in a rosewood box! It's $161.38 CAD at Nautical Beach Decor and, in case the name doesn't spell it out for you, this shop is an abosulte treasure trove when it comes to nautical-themed gifts.

3. This anchor coaster set is a great stocking stuffer! $8.61 CAD at Dinglewood Design & Press.

4. Let's Decorate Online, a shop based in Greece, sells this nautical sheet set for $169.89 CAD.

5. If you're more into a homemade Christmas or you want to give the sailing fanatic on your list a variety of small gifts, I recommend packaging them up in one of these natural linen storage boxes. They're $11.84 CAD each from Lost Pigeon, in China.

6. This striped tote from Bayan Hippo is really cute! $42.02 CAD.

7. I like these personalized, sterling silver stacking rings from Teri Lee Jewelry, a shop based out of California. $91.27 CAD.

8. Friendly OAK offers up a nice selection of hand printed tees, tanks, sweaters and totes. Among them, this anchor sweatshirt for $26.84 CAD.

9. Slippin' Southern is a great, wooden wall decor shop from Louisiana. I'm recommending one or two of these wooden oars, which are $50.47 CAD each.

10. I'm finishing off this list with yest another item from Nautical Beach Decor. I can't help it-- it's what they do! Check out this Atlantic sailboat model. $144.95 CAD.

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25 Days of Etsy Christmas (2013). Day One. All Things Rustic

I'm very excited to be kicking off my second annual 25 Days of Etsy Christmas. I'm quite passionate about buying from small businesses and artisans and this is the best way for me to share that with you. Last year, several Etsy sellers reported a growth in holiday sales, thanks to my series, and I hope the same can happen this year!

I will feature a different theme every day, for twenty-five (nearly) consecutive days, starting with today's rustic gift ideas.

Enjoy!

1. The Volstead Lamp by Speakeasy Lamps is $102.15 CAD.

2. This set of 5 twig pencils is available at Trees 4 The Wood for $16.15 CAD. I suggest adding these to a leatherbound or recycled sketch pad and giving them to the artist on your list. Most pre-teens/teens would also dig this ensemble. It's worth taking a look at the rest of the shop, as they sell cute gift tags and cards.

3. I like this set of three candleholders by Morgann Hill Designs.

4. If you've got a bit more to spend, this year, you should take a look at Artisan Wood, a fantastic shop based out of Texas. I'm rather taken by their Rustic King Platform Bed, which is going for $2096.77 CAD.

5. From Shab 2 Chic is a great shop based out Alabama and their faux antlers would make a great gift for someone on your list whose decor is already leaning toward rusticity. $48.38 CAD.

6. From California, Borden Specifics offers up a great variety of paper goods and household items. I will include two of their items in this list, starting with this mail box for $41.94 CAD.

7. Another great gift idea from the same shop is this set of hand painted mason jars in a wooden flower box for $83.87 CAD.

8. At Michelle Lisa's Designs, in Texas, you can find great stocking stuffers, such as this cast iron deer hook for $17.74 CAD.

9. Ticino Design, in Mississauga, Ontario, is definitely another one to look out for. Check out their beautiful reclaimed wood and glass coffee table for $780.00 CAD.

10. Last but certainly not least, I really like this wall shelf with coat hooks from Old New Again for $91.46 CAD.

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