The Rachel’s List Xmas Gift Guide 2016

by Rachel Smith
02 December 2016

It’s that time again – our annual gift guide for creative friends and family, people who work from home, or yourself! If you’re new to Rachel’s List, you might want to take a peek at our gift guides from previous years – 2015, 2014 and 2013 (although not all the gifts may still be available).

Desk organiser, from Etsy store MadeFromGoodDeeds, $89.95.

I know I always include a desk organiser in the gift guide, or some kind of wooden organisational thingummy-bob, but there’s a reason – firstly, they’re beautiful, secondly, I’m a huge lover of anything wooden and chunky and real, and thirdly, I’m big believer in order when it comes to your home office. I hardly ever achieve it, but I’m keeping the dream alive. This one ships from Canberra. Runner up: this baby, which is raised above your keyboard AND includes a slot for your cuppa.

GRID-IT! Accessory organiser by Cocoon Innovations, from $24.95

You can probably see a theme developing here… organisation! However, this IS something I want from Santa this year, mainly because I’ve started to escape my home office a lot more to work in cafes, libraries and other places. I love the change of scenery, but I hate digging through my bag to find cords, chargers, devices, batteries… often finding them smeared with peanut butter or playdough. So I’ve had my eye on this little beauty for a while. I get somewhere, I take out my Grid IT! and everything I need is strapped securely in place. Genuis

Anger Management in a Matchbox, from Hard To Find, $20 

Includes a ball of putty you can chuck against the wall, cue cards to help you chill, a breath control aid balloon and a stretchy smiley man to complain to when your editor decides at the last minute to ask for a full re-write of something you put to bed a week ago. Yup.

Giant Eraser pencil case, from Quirksy, $19.95

For a journalist, I have a very bad habit of being caught without a pen. It’s happened a lot. And I think a giant eraser pencil case that lives in my bag might well help. I like the retro vibe of it too and think it would probably make a unique little gift for kids going back to school as well. This control panel pencil case, $14.95, comes a close second

Wrapt Up Single Cord Clamps, from Officeworks, $4.88 for a six-pack 

I’ve never found a cord system that looks good and actually works to keep the cords out of my sight. I’ve given up on the latter, but I do dig these stylish cord clamps and while some might find it the world’s most boring present, any organisation-obsessed nerd like myself would be quite chuffed finding it in their stocking.

Books, books, books

So many books, so little time. Top of my list this year is Roslyn Petelin’s How Writing Works: A Field Guide to Effective Writing, a fantastic tome for those of us always striving to become better at what we do, with sections on everything from digital writing and social media, to writing for academia and specific genres. A Sticky Note Guide to Life by Chaz Hutton offers something a little lighter, but trust me, you’ll want to nick off somewhere to read this and chortle on Christmas Day. Similarly, Fucking Apostrophes, written by Simon Griffin, is both a hilarious and informative little stocking stuffer for any sub-editor – or, anyone continually annoyed by the lack of attention to detail in pretty much everything you read online these days.

Writer’s Block Tote, from CafePress, $23

At last count I have about 5 canvas totes cluttering up the coatrack in my front hallway, and none of them are as awesome as this one. Definitely something cute to make a creative friend (or yourself) smile when it’s time to procrastinate and head to the supermarket. Runner-ups in the tote category include the Be Bold Or Italic shopping bag, perfect for typography lovers, and the book ba, both from Quirksy, $22.95.

The Cord Roll from Afternoons with Albert, $75

When I first spotted this leather cord roll at a handmade expo, I thought it was really cute. It was actually designed by an airline pilot who, as a kid, used to spend afternoons with his granddad Albert, who liked to tinker away and make useful things. The fact that it rolls up and takes next to no room in your bag is great, especially if you only have one or two cords to keep track of. There’s a little zippered section too for USB keys or coins.

Stone Power Bank, from Navy Crockett, $89

Something I’ve learned when it comes to power banks is that you get what you pay for. And if you’re paying peanuts for a portable mobile charger that lets you down by not having enough power to charge your phone right before an important interview, you’ll know what I’m talking about. This bank has oodles of power (10400mAh) and features a beautiful design that actually does look like a smooth stone. Available in slate or grey.

Got any good gift ideas for creative people? We’d love to hear them in the comments!