Wish List: Christmas gifts under €25

Faith Ryan says it’s time to use ‘tasteful economy’ and offers a list of gifts under €25— not bad, eh?

Sat, 12 Dec, 2015 - 00:00

Glow Festival – don’t miss this year’s fun with the wonderland in Bishop Lucey Park — foodie and craft stalls, live music performances and Ireland’s tallest Ferris Wheel.

This year kids and adults can enjoy a visit to Santa’s Workshop in the park and can post their letters to Santa. Wheel operates to January 10th from 12- 9pm, excluding Christmas Day.

Early Closing Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. (Image: Clare Keogh)

Intricate, adult colouring books are huge news this season and make ideal presents for anyone hollowed out by a long year at work, study or happenings on the home front.

Ensure you gift the colouring pencils or pens too.

Match the difficulty level to the ability level of your recipient. Peter Pauper editions €7.95, pencils €12.95, Kilkenny.

This charming House of Fraser room-set featuring gorgeous decorations from the Dundrum flagship store, has a number of ideas to steal. Use a hula hoop (no more than €5-€10 in any Euro store) and wrap in real or faux ivy.

Suspend from ribbon or rustic twine at three points, and finish with a twist of LED battery string lights. We love their hessian table cloth and impromptu log stool too, (sand well to avoid splinters to your pudding).

You cannot go wrong with lovely glass-ware, and these sophisticated beauties Malika from the house of LSA, are reduced at Debenhams to just €25 for two stems.

Wrap up as a pair for a friend or beautiful couple — job done. Brown Thomas

Presentation can make all the difference to a well thought out inexpensive gift and adding a small touch is easy.

This wooden letter gift-tag is just €1 at April & the Bear. Source holly sustainably, from a small cutting in your own garden, or use fake, and leave the real berries to the birds.

For those who need a regular hit of caffeine and find chocolate scrumptious, this gift set will be difficult to resist.

Includes Fixx mug, award winning Fixx Coffee 60g (2) and Great Taste Winner Wilkies Organic Dark Bean to Bar Chocolate 14g (2) presented in drawstring organza pouch.

The chocolate is made from 100% Criolla cocoa beans, a delicacy that only accounts for 2% of the world’s chocolate production, €19.50. hancockandabberton.com, (formerly Irish firm Café de Cuba)

Tulip bulbs are tough contenders and can be planted until the ground is well and truly frozen.

Put together a selection in three to five colours. Gift in a pot if you think a container would suit better or keep it simple in a nice wood crate with a bow. Prices from €1.99 per bulb.

Bulb planter €5.99, Woodies DIY or any good garden centre.

West Cork Crafts are now online.

I love this understated little handcrafted beauty, part of a collection in Maritime Pine Created from sustainably-sourced timber locally by maker Richard Henderson €6.50-€7.50, westcorkcrafts.ie.

Visit the co-operative shop at 61 Townshend Street, Skibbereen.

Roasting garlic enhances its delicious flavour so this sweet little terracotta baker is a lovely gift for the pocket at a Christmas get together. €15.75. Anvil Home