2017 Christmas Gift Guide — The Ultimate List

Cochrane artist Stacey Bru’s charming comics series about living with anxiety is a great introduction to the world of zines and makes for a cool stocking stuffer.

$5 at Phoenix Comics, 1325 9 Ave. S.E., 587-352-9870, phoenix-comics.ca

This tiny Danesco grater is a workhorse that produces delicate shavings of ginger, parmesan or whatever else you need a soupon of. And it’s something they’ll use more o en than they think.

$5.95 at Savour Fine Foods, 1331 9 Ave. S.E., 403-532-8222, savourfinefoods.com

A bag of pretty pastel meringues tied with a bow will make your sweetie smile on Christmas morning.

$6.25 from Sucre Patisserie & Cafe, 1007 8 St. S.W., 587-352-5505, sucrecafe.com

For the citrus lover in your life, these preserved lemons from CRMR Kitchen are packed with  flavour. Use then anytime you’d use regular lemons, especially stuffed into roast chicken.

$6.50 at Urban Butcher, Willow Park Village, 403- 245-6662 (and two other locations), urbanbutcher.ca

Wine and chocolate? Yes please! Cococo’s Canadian Icewine Truffles are the treat every wine and chocolate lover wants in their stocking.

$10 for a package of three at Cococo Chocolatiers, Bankers Hall, 403-288-3010, (and nine other Calgary locations), cococochocolatiers.com

This liquorice comes in salty or sweet, black or red, caramel and chocolate coated. It’s a Scandanavian treat sold in Calgary at Piece on Peace where you can get all sorts of gifts including jewellery, pyjamas, pantry items and beauty products.

Lakrids liquorice starts at $11 at Piece on Peace, 5 Spruce Centre S.W., 403-663-9433, pieceonpeace.com

The Touch Organic Tea Floral Label Collection is beautifully packaged tea and offers 20 pyramid bags in  flavours such as jasmine, passionfruit or ginger orange.

$11.50 at Marlow Floralworks, 2101 4 St. S.W., 403-228-6335, marlowfloralworks.com

photograph courtesy of lannie rae gourmet

These pancake and waffle mixes are blended in Cochrane and sold at a few places in Calgary and the surrounding area, including Greater Goods. Winter flavours include pumpkin pie, cherry amaretto and rum and eggnog. Give them as a gift and buy a few for yourself for those cozy, pyjama days between Christmas and New Year.

$12 at various locations, lannierae.com

Canadiana kitsch is oh so cool right now. Get it on the rocks with Drake General Store’s printed bar glasses.

$12 each at the pop-up store in the Hudson’s Bay Downtown, 200 8 Ave. S.W., 403-262-0345, thebay.com

Unlike that other cold remedy, Organic Cold 911 tastes great and it works.

$12 at David’s Tea, multiple locations, davidstea.com

Keep your coins purr-fectly safe in this cat coin purse imported from Asia.

$12.99 at Unique, 1, 338 10 St. N.W., 403-245-6778

Locally made Bar Country dehydrated cocktails are all you need for a cocktail party on the go. Just add water, booze and shake.

$15 for a package of six (a variety of cocktails available) at Meraki Supply Co., 103, 305 10 St. N.W., merakisupplyco.com 

A full-sized pinball machine is tough to fit under the tree, so go for this table model instead.

$15.75 at the Glenbow Museum Shop, 130 9 Ave. S.E. (Stephen Avenue entrance), 403- 268-4119, glenbow.org/shop

These earrings were all made through the Trade Alternative Reform Action or TARA program in India. The community development and business program works with hundreds of artisans to sell their products internationally, while being paid fair wages.

$16 each at Ten Thousand Villages, 220 Crowchild Tr. N.W., 403-270-0631 and 8318 Fairmount Dr. S.E., 403-255-0553, tenthousandvillages.ca

This is salty and sweet heaven that can be drizzled on almost anything to make it a extra special.

$16 at Luke’s Drug Mart, 112 4 St. N.E., 403-266-4142, lukesdrugmart.com

It’s a candle, it’s a massage oil – it’s relaxation in a jar and it’s locally made in Okotoks with soy wax, shea, hemp oil and essential oils. Burn the Sweet Dreams Natura Soy Massage Candle then use the melted wax for a soothing massage.

$19 at Kensington Florist. 3, 1145 Kensington Cr. N.W., 403-270- 4026, kensingtonflorist.com

photograph courtesy of mind the minimal

Etsy seller Mind the Minimal creates these concrete planters that tap into the mountain trend and would look lovely on a co-workers desk.

$19.60 on Etsy, etsy.com

photograph courtesy of williams-sonoma.

The Harry Potter fan in your life will appreciate a spatula with the emblem of their house on the silicon head. Now, you just have to figure out if giftee belongs to Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin or Gryffindor.

$19.95 at Williams-Sonoma, CF Chinook Centre, 403-410-9191, williams-sonoma.ca

A solid cast-iron pirate-face dish can hold loose change, keys or whatever else your matey has laying around.

$19.95 at Stuff, 102, 709 11 Ave. S.W., 403-209-2606, stuff4him.ca

photograph courtesy of the library store

The Calgary Public Library Foundation has a store full of all sorts of bookish swag, including T-shirts, socks, mugs, bookmarks and posters. This one is an 11×17 print of the famous Star Wars location. You can also buy sets of three or four prints for $40 or $50. The store is online and in the East Village.

$20 at the Library Store, 429 8 Ave. S.E., 403-221-2002, librarystore.ca

While this is a great gift for the hirsute hombre in your life, it’s his bathroom sink that will really appreciate the beard bib’s knack for catching shavings.

$20 at Kent of Inglewood, 1319 9 Ave. S.E., 403-457-1595, kentofinglewood.com

This golden metallic lantern makes a stylish addition to any well-curated shelf with its clean, geometric lines, or use it with a pillar candle to create a warm cozy vibe in any room.

$20 at La Maison Simons, The Core Shopping Centre, 403-697- 1840, simons.ca

Multi-coloured and multi- practical, this Rainbow Multi Tool Set has a multitude of uses.

$22 at Indigo and Chapters, multiple locations, chapters.indigo. com

A great introduction to the world of woolcraft, this easy needle felting kit will produce a furry, felted friend that fits in the palm of their hand.

$24 at 28 Blankets, 1317 9 Ave. S.E., 403-263-8088, 28blankets.com

Hand screen-printed using non-toxic water-based inks, this tea towel by Fine Mesh features all the YYC landmarks that give this city its character.

$24 at Plant, 1327 9 Ave. S.E., 403-585-4226, plantshop.ca

photograph courtesy of homesense

Put a pin in this cork globe from HomeSense. Give it to the person in your life who has a serious case of wanderlust so they can track where they have been and where they want to go.

$24.99 at HomeSense, multiple locations, homesense.ca

These candles are hand-poured in Calgary by Holly Singer and come in scents like French laundry, suede and citrus. The Dandy smells like mahogany, firewood and pine, which is very Christmassy. You’ll find them around Calgary at stores including Meraki Supply Co., 27 Boutique and Our Daily Brett. We picked one up at Outside the Shape

$25 at Outside the Shape, 122 10 Ave. S.E., 403-540-9993, milkjar.ca

Dishwasher-safe and virtually indestructible, these RSVP Endurance stainless steel martini vessels make a beautiful and practical addition to the modern bar cart.

$25 each at Compleat Cook, Willow Park Village, 403-278-1220, compleatcook.ca

Local make-up academy Artists Within has its own line of products and the AW03 matte lip colours have some- thing of a cult following. You can’t go wrong with the classic “Ruby” red for Christmas, or the more neutral “Flirt” – a good colour for any season.

$26 at Artists Within, 306, 822 11 Ave. S.W., 403-208-0034, artistswithin.com

This pig paper towel holder adds a certain rustic charm to the kitchen counter that regular spindle holders can’t match.

$29 at Urban Barn, 2500 4 St. S.W., 403-245-1031, urbanbarn.com

image courtesy of lee valley tools

Lee Valley is a go-to source for kitchen gadgets that solve all the annoyances you have while cooking, like having to stay by a pot to keep stirring. This auto-stirrer will do it for you. Watch the video to see how it works. If you are trying to avoid lines and crowds, order your Lee Valley products in advance and pick them up at the door around the side.

$29.50 at Lee Valley Tools, 7261 11 St. S.E., 403-253-2066, leevalley.com

The Burton Beeracuda is the best thing to happen to six-packs since, well, anything. The insulated “over-the- shoulder beverage holder” fits six cans end-to-end and features an attached koozie up front for when you want a cold-one close at hand.

$29.99 at the Source Snowboards and Skateboards, 738 11 Ave. S.W., 403-270-3719, sourceboards.com

Arborist toques have a vintage vibe. We’re partial to the Alberta toque, but you can also show your devotion to other provinces.

$30 at Steeling Home, 1010 17 Ave. S.W., 403-245-0777, steelinghome.ca

Lawren Harris is a Group of Seven member who’s enjoying a bit of a comeback. While his prints might be too expensive for most, these fine bone china mugs do an excellent job of bringing Harris’s work home.

$32 at Tea Trader, 1228A 9 Ave. S.E., 403-264-0728, teatrader.com

High-quality metal makes these measuring spoons practical, while the hand-applied enamel with vintage designs adds a little fun to your cookware.

$38 at Steeling Home, 1010 17 Ave. S.W., 403-245- 0777, steelinghome.ca

Available in a wide range of surreal photo-collage scenes, Pullin lycra underpants will keep you both smiling.

$40 at James & Dickson Clothiers, 1130 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403- 262-2214, jamesanddickson.com

Yeti is the it brand of cooler right now. The Yeti 18 Rambler vacuum bottle (pictured here in trendy seafoam) keeps cold beverages extra cold and hot beverages extra hot – ideal for either the dedicated home juicer or coffee nut who prefers to tote their own brew.

$40 at MEC, 830 10 Ave. S.W., 403-269-2420, mec.ca

This slim oval flask is the perfect size and shape to keep in a pocket.

$42 at Purr Fine Clothing & Accessories, 1220 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403-270- 3585 (and two other locations), purrclothing.ca

Be pretty in pastel knits by The Lemon Collection.

$50 at BLU’s, Southcentre Mall, 403-225-8315, and Banker’s Hall, blus.com 

These Sardinha knife rests have been gracing Portuguese tables since 1884. With styles ranging from traditional fish to funky cityscapes, they’re sure to make any table display pop.

$50 each at Inspirati, 2207 4 St. S.W., 403-244-4443, inspirati.ca

Brooks Brothers Royall Mandarin lotion eau de toilette is like a dash of summery warmth during the months when your guy needs it most.

$52 at Brooks Brothers, The Core Shopping Centre, 403-441- 0841, brooksbrothers.com

Designed by Manitoba artist Shirley Lloyd-Davies and then embroidered by a family in the Kashmir region of India, these pillow covers are a traditional craft  and a work of art rolled up into one great gift.

$56 at Maana Imports and Gifts, 1132 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403- 283-6537, mananaimports.com

More than 200 characters combine to form personal affirmations, general reminders or favourite puns on this home-sized Modernspeak message board.

$65 at Krickets, 2306 4 St. S.W., 403-244-9330, facebook.com/kricketscalgary

Inspired by ’60s and ’70s studio potteries, A Question of Eagles handmade ceramic pots will elevate any indoor plant installation.

From $70 at Fieldstudy, 102, 1812 4 St. S.W., 587-356-2134, fieldstudyshop.com

Diffusers are like marriages – in theory, you should only need one. So, make sure the scent-spreader you give is a stylish addition that will fit in with your giftee’s home decor by choosing an Aroma- Gem Ultrasonic diffuser in black, silver or gold.

$80 at Saje, 880 16 Ave. S.W., 403-475-7263, saje.com

It’s a crossbow that shoots marshmallows. ‘Nuff said.

$82 at The Uncommons, 1325A 9 Ave. S.E., 587-353-9337, theuncommons.ca

These handcrafted petrified wood coasters, made from Alberta’s official stone, have been 60 to 90 million years in the making, and combine the natural beauty of wood with the cool, durable nature of stone.

$83 at West Elm, 868 16 Ave. S.W., 403-245-1373, westelm.ca

Bring the spa home with luxurious “deep relax” Himalayan bath salts.

$89 at Stillwater Spa at Hyatt Regency Calgary, 700 Centre St. S.E., 403-537- 4474, hyatt.com

This Castarde XO Willow Park Select Armagnac, France’s  first brandy, is so good Willow Park bought a whole barrel of it to sell exclusively at its store.

$91.49 at Willow Park Wines and Spirits, Willow Park Village, 403-296-1640, willowpark.net

The Secrid Crisple wallet combines peace of mind and convenience into one handy little package. It keeps credit cards safe from RFID scanners and a handy mechanism pops cards out so you don’t have to open it each time you want to pay for something.

$95 at Ingear, 1127 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403- 283-9387, ingearstore.com

Pompoms aren’t just for cheerleaders anymore. Cheer up your ho-hum handbag with this furry number in the hottest colours of the season or use it as a key chain.

$98 at Michael Kors, multiple locations, michaelkors.ca

Heart pendants never seem to go out of style, and this one by Israeli designer Danon is great for layering with other necklaces or on its own.

$115 at Blue Moon Accessories, Willow Park Village, 403-278-7039

A. de Fussigny XO Fine Champagne Cognac is a classy gift for those who appreciate the finer things, and with its smart, bright-orange box you don’t have to worry about gift-wrapping.

$117 at Metrovino, 722 11 Ave. S.W., 403-205-3356, metrovino.com

This weighty Taschen tome is the ultimate coffee-table book, filled with famous faces and style icons galore.

$130 at Kit Interior Objects, 725 11 Ave. S.W., 403-508-2533, kitinteriorobjects.com

These gloves are the perfect wooly warmer for when it’s cold outside but you still need your fingers free.

$139 at Oska, Bankers Hall, 403-384-9772, calgary.oska.com

Add a pop of colour, a pinch of glam and a touch of whimsy to tea time with the Kate Spade New York Greenwich Grove Teapot.

$175 at The Bay, multiple locations, thebay.com

For the oenophile who has everything, the Forge De Laguiole bottle opener, handmade in France, is the crme de la crme of corkscrews.

$185 at Bin 905, 2311 4 St. S.W., 403-261-1600, bin905.com

A Woolrich blanket has the kind of heritage cred that rugged outdoorsy types (and those who fancy themselves rugged outdoorsy types) appreciate.

$212.95 at Hanson’s Fishing Outfitters, 813 1 St. S.W., 403- 269-9371, hansonsoutfitters.com

There are two types of guys: the guys who would be happy to find a plain, non-descript sweater under the Christmas tree and the guys who would be happy to  find this Diesel sweater featuring a Tyrannosaurus rex pushing a shopping cart under the tree.

$248 at Harry Rosen, The Core Shopping Centre, 403-294-0992, harryrosen.com

Made with real feathers sustainably sourced from birds such as peacocks and pheasants, these Brackish bowties are one-of-a-kind accessories that are sure to complement anyone’s personal plumage.

$265 at Rubaiyat, 722 17 Ave. S.W., 403-228-7192, rubaiyatcalgary.com 

Like the woman herself, Cline Dion’s collection of handbags are classy, chic and very of-the-moment.

The Vibrato Satchel is $368 at Nordstrom, Chinook Centre, 587-291-2000, nordstrom.com

The Garson vest by Canada Goose may look retro but it has all the features of modern technical outerwear so you look stylie and stay warm.

$425 at Sporting Life, Southcentre Mall, 403-313-4477, sportinglife.ca

Miu Miu’s gold wallet will make your golden girl gasp with delight on Christmas morning.

$450 at Holt Renfrew, The Core Shopping Centre, 403-269-7341, holtrenfrew.com

A seven-quart Staub cocotte in rich dark green will delight any home cook.

$450 at  The Cookbook Co. Cooks, 722 11 Ave. S.W., 403-265-6066, cookbookcooks.com

Whether it’s to be used as a toy or as a decoration, this beautiful Inuit-made mama polar bear with baby bear from Taluq Designs is a perfect commemoration for Canada 150.

$479.95 at Livingstone & Cavell Extraordinary Toys, 1124 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403-270-4165, extraordinarytoys.com

For the pour-over coffee aficionado who’s short on time and/or patience, there’s the Chemex Ottomatic Coffee Maker.

$499 at Crate and Barrel, Southcentre Mall, 403-278-7020, crateandbarrel.com

Leather-strap backpacks have been trending for a while. This hand-dyed leather Officine Creative Olds pack is a top-of-the-line example, with enough space and pockets to make it practical and fashionable.

$735 at gravitypope, 1126 17 Ave. S.W., 403-209- 0961, gravitypope.com

Start a beautiful holiday tradition with the gift of stacking rings from Wong Ken’s.

The 18K gold rings with diamonds and coloured gemstones start at $3,900. Diamond bands start at $1,245. Willow Park Village, 403-271-9267, wongkens.com

This Panthre de Cartier gold ladies watch is a reissue of a design from the 1980s, so there’s a touch of Studio 54 glam in this classic timepiece.

$28,400 at Brinkhaus, 823 6 Ave. S.W., 403-269-4800, brinkhaus.com