10 Unusual Gift Ideas for the Holidays

Find inspired holiday gifts.

That feeling of finding just the right gift for someone. . . . Anticipating their surprise, pleasure—how touched they’ll feel that you thought of it.

Versus.

That dreary drudgery grumbling feeling of just buying something perfunctorily, distaste for this consumerist culture battling with your guilt at offering such a blah present!

As you know, sometimes people experience the gift you give them as an indication of whether you actually know and understand them. Whether you really care.

But no pressure:)

If you’re stranded on Indecision Street and don’t know where to go or what to buy this season, here to rescue you are 10 (+1) ideas. In addition to being fun in themselves, many of these support national Small Business Saturday. (That’s the day after Black Friday).

Some of these ideas work well as a gift for a couple or family too and offer a way to spend more time together.

NYC-based gifts that offer something a little different.

1. Chez-Vous Chef

Hyssop Brooklyn’s Chef Melinda Tracy will create and serve a private at-home romantic dinner or dinner party for you. Or for more ongoing support, personal chef services are available for people who need help with specialized diets, are looking to change the way they eat, or need help managing chronic health conditions. Chef Melinda also offers group ($115) & private ($150) cooking classes.

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2. Handyma’am

Handyma’am is a small team led by Katie who, with a fine arts degree in the background, is truly detail-oriented. They help with home repairs (eg patching walls, repairing trim, aligning doors), custom shelving, the leaking sink, switching out that hideous light fixture, painting interiors, hanging artwork. . . .You get the idea! All those little unfinished details about the house or office that are driving your gift-ee nuts. Contact for pricing.

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3. Moo Shoestore & Cafe, for the Vegan (& the Vegan-ish)

You won’t be surprised to learn that a Lower East Side store sells Doc Martins, but did you know you can get ‘em in vegan leather now?

It’s punk rock to be plant-based for the planet, people.

You’ll find a variety of shoe, coat, and bag styles at Moo Shoes, all vegan. If all the gift selection decision-making has tired you out, you can also order a vegan snack! Vegan-leather boots & jackets ~$100-275.

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4. Home Workout with Top NYC Fitness Coaches

https://www.meghanmcferran.com/

https://www.thelimitfit.com/

Some of the best trainers in NYC now offer streaming classes for a modest price. Sometimes these classes are live, sometimes recorded. Broadway dancer Meghan McFerran offers live and pre-recorded online classes for $19.99/mo (up to $469/yr for an all-access pass), with a fill-in-the-amount gift card option; and former Rockette Beth Nicely’s The Limit offers on-demand recorded classes for $29.99/mo and 1-hr Zoom Dance Party workouts for $20/ea.

5. Ceramics Classes (aka Clay Therapy)

Mouse Ceramics Studio in Ditmas Park offers both pottery wheel and firing facilities for members, and its annex offers classes for beginners on up. $450/course.

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6. Join the Club

This city can be frenetic. Again. Now that it’s not eerily quiet, it can be frenetic. There’s a sweet feeling about having certain spots that are, lily-pad-like, “yours.” Your café, your park perch. Your culture and entertainment go-tos. A membership to these last makes a terrific gift. Think BAM, MoMA, TFANA, the Whitney, Brooklyn Botanic, NYBG. . . . $80 and up.

7. The Painted Swan

Carroll Gardens’ Painted Swan boutique has such an delighted-by-life atmosphere that I sometimes wander in as much to browse that energy as its curation of curious objects.

Home goods like enormous cutting boards, heavy door stoppers in the shape of favorite dog breeds, small gilt-framed oil paintings by local artists, and of course vintage furniture updated in linen upholstery and Annie Sloan chalk paint are just some of the pleasures of this store. Great for the giftee who wants a little vacation to an analog aesthetic and a break from our sleek, tech-dominated world. Items start at about $15.

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8. A Garden Consult

If you’re new to having outdoor space, you may not know where to begin when it comes to turning it into a beautiful, functional garden. You want to make the most of it, and to avoid overlooking those items that will have a big impact on the success of the final result.

Help your gift recipient get their project off to a good start and solve problems from the outset with an informative 30 minute phone consultation. They will clarify their priorities, explore problems and solutions, and learn about the process and sequence of developing or renovating their garden. $149.

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9. The League of Kitchens

Cooking classes by exceptional New York City home cooks in their own kitchens, preparing the cuisine from their countries of origin. A unique way to get to know both world cuisine and our city better. Classes are offered both online (max of 13 students per class) and at the residence of the teacher (maximum 6 students per class). From $60 for online class to $195 for an immersion class. Gift cards available on the website.

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10. For the Writer

https://centerforfiction.org/shop/gift-certificate/

https://brooklynpoets.org/events/yawp/

Among the many resources for writers in NYC are Center for Fiction, which offers gift certificates for bookstore purchases or workshops starting at $25; and Brooklyn Poets, which offers a poetry workshop and live mic “Yawp” each month for $17.55 and a new schedule each season of writing workshops from $95-$545.

#Bonus. Baubles!

Not a local small business. . . . But so cheerful!

From Paris. All manner of gemstone and designs, many humorous or exuberant, romantic or frivolous. Prices start at $90 and go way up.

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PS Nope, we didn’t receive payment in exchange for these recommendations. Happy holidays!