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From hostess gifts to choices for your family and friends, you can’t go wrong with these home decor ideas.
Plant Inspiration‘s Wall to Table Planters
$24.95–$36.95, pictured above
That's only $1 per issue!
You may have spied Boulderite Robyn Tighe’s powder-coated steel planters at Infinite Monkey Theorem’s RiNo winery, where a living wall installation went up this past summer. Give the look yourself: All planters (made in Wheat Ridge at the Right Angle Metal Shop) come with clay saucers and pots, and the small and medium versions include wall-mounting hardware. Choose a kitchen herb or succulent from your local garden shop for an extra personal touch. You can place your order online or check them out in person at the new River North Workshop, located at 3040 Blake St., in the Backyard on Blake.
Idea Chíc‘s Parcel Post Seasonal Subscription
$30 per season or $108 for the year
Idea Chíc’s lovely letterpress cards and stationery may look so good sitting on your recipient’s desk that they’ll have trouble sending them to someone else. But if you opt for a whole year’s worth of the Glendale shop’s new Parcel Post subscription, their stock will be replenished seasonally with a wide variety of goods. This winter’s box (pictured), for example, includes a notepad, three cards, gift tags, an evergreen pine sachet, a New Year’s–themed gift bag, and a holiday tea tin. (We love this gift for college students or families spread across the country.)
Sasquatch & Co.‘s Soy Candles
$18 each
These hand-poured soy candles are inspired by the scents of the forest, and your purchase comes full circle as five percent of the sales help protect national parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park. Maker Jeff Sloan’s modern label design and branding make it especially appealing for the male holiday hosts in your life. Pick one up—the blue spruce version is Sloan’s best-seller—at this year’s ManCraft market on December 4, or order through the Denverite’s Etsy shop.
Michael Aram Palm Menorah
$425
This 14-inch-tall menorah may not have been made in Colorado—designer Michael Aram splits his time between New York City and New Delhi—but its nature-inspired aesthetic feels right at home in the Centennial State, which is perhaps why Denver Botanic Gardens picked it up this season for its Shop at the Gardens (1007 York St.). The curated collection is open to the public, no garden admission required, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (members get 10 percent off all purchases). Consider this antique goldtone and marble piece an instant family heirloom.
Shabby Alpaca‘s Wool Dryer Balls
$22 for three
Slightly smaller than baseballs, these triple-felted, colorfast wool dryer balls from the mother-daughter team behind Castle Rock’s Shabby Alpaca are perfect for stuffing stockings. In addition to reducing drying time by 10 to 25 percent (use three to five in each load; they last for years), these adorable laundry-room staples let you ditch chemical-laden dryer sheets or softener. Worried your recipients will miss the scents of their old go-tos? Simply slip in a bottle of essential oil, which they can add to the balls before each use.
Spunky Fluff‘s Wood Signs
$16.50–$125
Can you tell we have our own long-neglected laundry space on the brain? Cheeky cut-wood signs from Spunky Fluff—made in the self-described “girliest woodworking shop in Denver”—are just the thing to liven up any empty wall. Color and saying combinations are nearly endless, and prices vary widely depending on size. (We’re also loving the “Sea Level Is For Sissies” version for the garage or mudroom.) Check out Show of Hands gallery and gift shop’s (210 Clayton St.) collection in Cherry Creek North or order online.
Sparq Home‘s Tiny Bowl Series
$6.95–$14.95 each
Colorado-based Sparq Home’s tiny bowls are guaranteed to make a big impression on foodies and design enthusiasts. The soapstone retains temperatures, so you can use them to keep dips hot or cold; they’re also great for spices or ingredients during meal prep. We suggest buying a few and filling them with Colorado Springs’ Peak Candy Company‘s small-batch, perfectly gooey eggnog caramels (pictured at right); keep them around for when your neighbor stops by with a bottle of wine or you realize at the last minute that you need to send something to school with your kiddo for his teacher.