From indulgent treats to unique finds and more, here’s a list of creative Christmas gifts that your family and friends will surely love.

Christmas is fast approaching and we are all in a rush to get the perfect presents. With celebrations and get-togethers being planned as early as now, it’s a must that we bring thoughtful tidings—no matter how small. To help you complete your list, here are 8 local brands run by fierce lady bosses that offer unique Christmas gift ideas.

Choose from mouthwatering mains and desserts, exquisite plating options, elegant home decors, wearable works of art, and the cutest candles in this curated list!

Gastronomic Delights

Miss B’s Kitchen (IG: @missb_infusedhoney)

Run by twin sisters Regina and Bianca, Miss B’s Kitchen (MBK) had its humble start in the Lopez’s home kitchen. “I buried myself in recipe books, experimented, and tweaked the ingredients until I was satisfied with the final product,” shares Regina.

The interest became a full-blown enterprise—quite by chance—at the start of the pandemic. “Bianca was craving for ube cheese pan de sal. She totally loved the first batch [that] I baked and urged me to start a business.” Soon after, the sisters did, and Regina has not stopped producing the billowy (now, multi-flavored) bread ever since.

Almost all items in the menu are meant for sharing and intentionally so, as the food is meant to be consumed together with family and friends. And this season, MBK will offer free satin Furoshiki wrapping for all boxed purchases. Bianca, who is in charge of marketing, adds, “We want the people to have a feel-good unboxing experience. It’s also our way of thanking our loyal customers who want to gift our products to loved ones.”

Find more appetizing desserts at @missb_infusedhoney on Instagram or visit the brand’s brick and mortar store along Road 1, in Project 6, Quezon City. Tubbed desserts are also available via Shopee.

Tableworthy Gourmet Platters (IG: @tableworthy)

Preparing your Christmas menu? Look no further! Tableworthy Gourmet Platters (TGP) by Jecelle Chung Tycangco offers epicurean feasts that are sure to please even the most discerning of palates. A food lover and world wanderer, Jecelle would enroll in short culinary courses in every country she visits.

“I wanted to bring international flavors back to Manila to serve to relatives and friends [and] I was really surprised by the overwhelming response,” she shares. Her delicious kitchen creations garnered excellent reviews from impressed diners and soon, everybody started placing orders. To date, the neoteric cook presently boasts of a full pre-order menu. Amazing!

Feast your eyes on rich and savory dishes from @tableworthy on Instagram, Tableworthy Manila on Facebook, or order directly thru 09956542337.

Curated Collections

Fairy Home Finds (IG: @fairyhomefinds)

Armed with an entrepreneurial spirit, Porsche Ingal immediately saw the potential in home products during the pandemic. “Families were locked inside their houses and women turned to online shopping as a way to relieve stress,” she shares. “I thought of curating quality but affordable items for the home. Within weeks of putting up the virtual store, it had attracted numerous customers who have turned into regular buyers.”

There’s something for everyone at Fairy Home Finds—whether you are a newbie platita or a seasoned home decorator. The brand has a complete line-up of products needed for a whole table set-up like dinnerware, glassware, table napkins, and linens, as well as an array of home décor selections like vases, jars, pillows, and blankets.

Visit @fairyhomefinds on Instagram to start your journey in tablescaping and decorating.

Tablescapes Manila (IG: @tablescapesmnl)

A common love for creating beautiful spaces prompted 3 ex-corporate women to start their own businesses.  In particular, they noticed that a heightened enthusiasm in decorating tables had swept the metro, so they took advantage of the demand. “We source our items—both from local and international suppliers. One rule of thumb we follow is that we only sell what we ourselves would put on our tables, “ says Pinky De Gracia.

Aside from curated pieces, the brand has also invested in making perusing and purchasing an enjoyable experience for buyers. Thus, the Tablescapes Manila website is easily navigable. Plus, it’s a veritable one-stop shop for all your dining needs.

This season, clients may opt to customize their gift boxes. Feel free to mix and match goblets and plates—no need to buy in sets. The label offers a wide variety of cutlery, goblets, plates, tea sets, trays, table napkins, tumblers, and more.

Find the brand on Instagram @tablescapesmnl and visit their website to view the full catalog.

Artemis Luxe (IG: @artemisluxeph)

Named after the owner’s daughter Artemis, this home brand offers products that are functional, modern, and affordable. “My vision in starting Artemis Luxe is to help people spruce up their homes with quality decors that are stylish yet won’t break the bank,” says owner Jasslyn Tan.

What’s more, the brand’s catalog showcases candle warmers, coasters, scented soy candles, trays, and tufted stools. Mompreneur Jass adds, “I wanted to start with basic elements that can easily be mixed and matched with existing items in the home. With the right pieces, all you need is creativity and imagination to achieve inspired spaces.”

Find the brand @artemisluxeph on Instagram.

Artists’ Corner

Happy Light Manila (IG: @happylightmnl)

Light up your homes with one-of-kind lamps from Happy Light Manila! Merry and bright seem to be the most appropriate description for Rupert and Pepper Henson’s handcrafted products, as both of them love happy hour and had collected many liquor bottles over the years.

Rupert has a natural gift for tinkering with gadgets, while Pepper loves decorating their home. Combining their talents, the husband and wife team repurposed the bottles into light stands and topped them with beautiful fabrics. The result? Unconventional and eye-catching lamps, which have since then, adorned many beautiful abodes.

“Recently, we started custom designing for clients who would send us their own liquor vessels and have us top it with textiles from our ever-changing fabric collection. Each bottle is unique, made with love and meant to bring a spark of joy to every place,” says Pepper. 

For more lamp designs, check out @happylightmnl on Instagram.

Lupe (IG: @finallylupe)

Guadalupe “Meg” Yandoc rediscovered her love for painting and planting at the onset of the quarantine in 2020. “My artworks gave me a sense of calm and kept me sane during these uncertain times. Whereas I was unsuccessful in growing any kind of plant before, I found that with patience and nurturing, I could bring beautiful greens to life—both in my garden and on canvass,” narrates Meg.

She translated her acrylic creations into wearable works of art like aprons, kimonos, and sarongs and posted them on her social platforms. Not long after, she got requests for journals, notebooks, and more apparel. Finally, at 45, the accidental businesswoman found herself going back to doing what she loves most and is now taking herself seriously as an artist.

Lupe’s collection is an amalgamation of creativity, purposeful design, and eco-consciousness. In the future, the painter wants to render endangered and extinct species of flora to raise environmental awareness. Meg also hopes to collaborate with other artists with similar advocacies.

For more uniquely verdant finds, visit @finallylupe on Instagram.

We Bake Candle (IG: @webakecandleph)

Cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, fruit tarts, Ice cream cones, strawberry pies, vanilla cakes…. no, this is not a list of items from a café or malt shop. These, rather, are candle creations by the ultra-talented wax artist Nerrie Lour Monsale.

“The French macarons are my bestselling products to date,” she shares. “I’ve always been a crafter and I wanted to create visually appealing products that look and smell like real desserts. My team and I can make anything and everything, [but] I chose to focus on food designs because it awakens all of our senses.”

The detailed work that goes into each candle is something that the owner is truly proud of. She makes her own molds, does the free-hand carving, and mixes different scents to suit her designs. A client even asked her to recreate the dalgona candy (in wax) used in the honeycomb challenge of Squid Game and she delivered!

Order your own wax sculptures from @webakecandleph on Instagram.

Have a blessed Christmas, everyone!

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