Ideas for Local Christmas/New Year Gifts

The answer is to give a gift of Radol'ca creativity – handmade products – with an emphasis on giving presents that are made locally and that come from the heart.  The Radol'ca area has long been a place of creative people, and we are proud to be able to say that it is still the case today. We have searched the internet and found creators, artists and makers of handicrafts who put their heart, soul and youthful enthusiasm into creating exceptional products that make perfect presents for Christmas and New Year. To help you in choosing the right gift, below you will find some more specific ideas for what to give women and men.

Choose to give locally made products as gifts this December, or why not gift yourself or your family something exceptional. Your purchase will both help support Radol'ca's creativity and delight those who receive unique handmade products. In addition to the products described below, Radol'ca's creators will be delighted to tailor their products to the colours and size you require. And, of course, the presents listed below not only make ideal Christmas/New Year gifts, but can also be given as birthday presents or personalised gifts for other occasions such as anniversaries.

CATEGORIES: small gifts for women / handbags, bags, rucksacks and toiletry bags / products for the home and household / clothing and footwear / eco presents / culinary gifts / christmas presents for men / gifts that remind one of Radovljica

small gifts for women

Female friends, girlfriends and wives are always delighted to receive specially chosen items that were obviously not bought in the corner shop! One of the products made by Laura Bolcina from Kamna Gorica makes a perfect gift for women. Under the Laurel brand name, she makes stylish items from artificial leather such as keyrings, practical phone charging pockets (if you don't yet know what they are: from now on you will be able to use them to charge your phone from any socket), and hairbands.

For Christmas you can give your friends handmade hairslides made by Sweet cik-cak or simple keyrings made by EniArt.

Women also always welcome new items of jewellery, which make a great choice for Christmas/New Year gifts. The designer and artist Maja Zaplotnik creates beautiful necklaces, earrings and rings from glass.

Handbags, bags, rucksacks and toiletry bags

If the woman in your life likes to be 'chic' then be sure to buy her a handbag, rucksack or purse made by Tanja Vogelnik under the brandname Šikamina. Ladies and businesswomen will also be delighted to receive such a handbag since they are elegant and handy, and you can also order them in various colour combinations made to meet your requirements.

The brand Manus, offers an entirely different style of bags, which have been made for over 25 years in Radovljica. The recognisable brand of products from real leather that Anemari Laureni creates under the brandname feature hand-painted details that ensure that every item is unique. In addition to men's and ladies' bags, men's wallets and ladies' purses and coin purses are also available.

EniArt also produce rucksacks, while the bags and rucksacks made by Sweet Cik-Cak are ideal for the young and young at heart. If you are a jeans wearer, then we recommend bags by Tereza Kourilova.

Since a toiletry, or small cosmetics bag, is usually also part of every lady's bag, they make excellent Christmas/New Year gifts. Manus makes them from leather, while  Šikamina and Laurel produce them from artificial leather. BriGa uses 100% cotton for her toiletries. IWhy not also fill a bag with some of the natural cosmetics found in the gift shop at the Radovljica Alchemy and Pharmacy Museum, which are currently available via its website.

Products for the home and household

Cute pieces of equipment or dishes bring warmth and a pleasant atmosphere to kitchens, particularly if they are given from the heart and for the right reason. Their value is priceless, since they are a daily reminder of the person who gifted them to us.

Although our kitchen shelves are usually already full, a handmade unique ceramic coffee mug is something entirely different to those found on the shelves of shops. Space can be found in every kitchen for a beautiful new mug! And what is it best to fill such a mug with? Homemade tea and a jar of honey make great gifts too!

Mugs for tea and coffee, bowls for a morning dose of cereal with home-produced milk and honey, and ceramic butter dish with a wooden knife – all of these items are made by Marko and Mateja under the brandname 6thSenseArt. And to ensure that bowls don't remain empty, you can fill them with a unique package of homemade cereal, dried fruit and/or freshly baked biscuits.

The products made by the Radovljica ceramist Vanja Bajt are playful in their own way. She makes typical rounded and brightly coloured decorative animal figurines, national costumes, bells, angels and even nativity scenes as well as the Three Good Men (St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Ded Moroz). When we recently looked at the online gallery we were impressed by the ceramic funnels for jam, and cute soap dishes, which will brighten up every bathroom, while her trivets are ideal for rustic-style kitchens.

Quality dish cloths are also an essential feature of every kitchen, which Sweet cikcak makes from waffle fabric.

Unique glass trays and plates make a great decorative feature for kitchens and living rooms, or perhaps glass stars and other decorations made by the glass designer Maja Zaplotnik.

The products made by Nada P. Skalar tell their own special story. Under the brandname SkalArt she creates pictures in which pebbles play the leading role. She creates the majority of pictures to order with a special message, but among the products available there are also some that will embellish the walls of every home.

Clothing and footwear

Nina Pirnat Pjekni creates playful items of clothing under the brandname Sweet cikcak, where you can find everything from tunics to jumpers and skirts, as well as cute outfits for babies and children. Her modern warm scarfs are ideal for winter, while you can also purchase gift vouchers to give as a gift that enable the receiver to choose their own favourite item.

Slippers are also among the list of classic Christmas/New Year gifts. Under the brandname EniArt Enisa Durakovič makes wonderful slippers from natural wool for men, women and children.

You can also find hand-painted men's and women's slippers made from real leather and fleece on the Manus website, where elasticated children's slippers are also available.

Eco presents

Give a gift with a thought for nature. When planning what Christmas/New Year gifts to give, nature itself will be grateful if you spare it a thought. By their very nature, handmade local products don't come in unnecessary packaging and don't cause harm to the environment through unnecessary transport, thereby helping to strengthen local companies.

You can do even more for the environment by choosing one of the products made by Tereze Kourilove ifrom Radovljica as a gift. You can see really beautiful and quality bags and aprons made from old denim here. In addition to items made from old denim we also recommend her multiple-use bags for fruit and vegetables. By the way, you can arrange with Teresa to take your old jeans to her and she will turn your waste into raw material for a wonderful product.

Under the BriGa brandname, Brigita Garter from Zgosa also creates products with a thought for nature. Whilst her products aren't actually made from recycled material, they do contribute to reducing environmental pollution. Washable muslin face cleaning cloths, which are 100% cotton and make an excellent replacement for single-use face cleaning products, make a perfect Christmas gift for women whose lifestyle is connected to nature and preserving it.

Culinary gifts

When you don't know what to give someone as a gift, culinary products are an excellent choice for Christmas/New Year presents, whether its a simple gift of honey from a local beekeeper, freshly baked biscuits or the finest fruit or herbal liqueur. Why not put together an unique gift of a culinary product combined with one of the products for the home and household.

Kmetija Pr'Turk in Rovte above Podnart offers a range of products in gift packaging (various liqueurs, honey with various additions, pollen, dried fruit), while kmetija Pr'Knapč in Lancovo produces products from hemp, and the Ekološka kmetija Darja organic farm in Mošnje offers a range of organic gifts.

You can also purchase other goods produced at farms in the area at the farmers market in front of the Farm Cooperative on Fridays and Saturdays (Kmetijska Zadruga) in Lesce. You could also put the goods into a nice cloth or denim bag, and together they make a handy present. Take a look at our list of suppliers to find out more about the range of culinary products.

What to give men in December?

We have already listed some ideas above, however, here we have once again gathered together some ideas for great Christmas/New Year presents for men. Manus, has a wide range of products for men, such as leather belts, wallets, coin purses and leather slippers. Another option are EniArt wool slippers or, for those men who like to dally in the kitchen, a denim apron from Tereze Kourilove. Perhaps it's time for a new coffee mug or a cereal bowl, which, combined with one of the culinary products that are available from our local suppliers, make a perfect present for men.

Gifts that remind one of Radovljica

In recent times, when we have been forced to remain within the limits of our municipality, we have come to realise how much we really love where we live and how we also really miss those places that we can't visit and which mean something to us. Perhaps you have relatives or friends who you would like to give presents to but they are not allowed to visit you at present. The Radovljica Tourist Information Centre can transform itself into your gift giver! Why not surprise friends and family with a gift that will remind them of Radovljica all year-round. A range of such products is available in our online store. Browse through the range of practical and decorative items, which we can also gift wrap and send direct to your chosen recipient.

Written by Kaja Beton (Radovljica Tourist Board)
December 2020