Unusual and unique Christmas gift ideas in Eastwood and Kimberley

By doing your festive shopping on your doorstep this Christmas, you will be supporting local trade and will have truley original presents under your tree for your loved ones.

Not Just Crafty in Eastwood is the perfect place to pick up a unique Christmas gift.

From handbags to personalised bottles and jars, it really does have it all.

And as well as leaving with a gift for you loved one, you will also leave with a free gift for yourself.

Shop manager Carol Marks-Smith said: “We’re offering free goodie bags right up until December 23 bags filled with things like candles and sweets.

“We wanted to thank our loyal customers because without them we would not survive.”

Carol’s shop sells items handmade by nine different local crafters.

She sells jewellery, knitted cushions, handbags, animal doorstops, scarves and broaches to name a few.

And new in for the festive season she is selling special vintage cutlery.

You can even buy personalised made to order jars and bottles that can be used for anyhting from saving money to storing juices and oils in the kitchen.

Carol said: “We are providing a service that you can’t really get elsewhere.”

Firetop Mountain, also in the craft workshop area of the town, sells toys, games and crafts.

You can buy traditional wooden toys, knitting kits and reading sets for the kids and get all you stocking fillers, as well as picking up a traditioonal board game to play on Christmas Day.

Sanders Mesnwear in Nottingham Road has everything you could wish for when it comes to dads, uncles and brothers.

The shops sell ties, cuff links, wallets, hankerchiefs and of course top of the range shirts.

Shop worker Andy Hunt said: “We sell quality, value for money, unique items. It’s not something you will see other people wearing.”

Mr Hunt said it was crucial people used their local shops if they wanted them to survive.

“It keeps the town centre alive. Without the independent stores that have been around for years and years your town centre and sense of community would be gone. We would just be left with city centres and retail parks. You would lose that friendly service.”

There’s an abundance of card shops in Eastwood selling lots of Christmas gift ideas.

At Paper Kisses, as well as picking up your cards, you can also get over 30 differently fragranced candles and Thorntons chocolates.

Manager Julie Cooper said she had just as much variety as the card shops in Nottingham.

Whilst there are fewer shops over in Kimberley, there is still plenty of opportunity to pick up an unusual gift.

AC Crafts in James Street which opened in May this year sells all sorts of bits and bobs that would interest a keen crafter.

Manager Pat Burgess says she offers good knowledge of what she sells, which you often don’t get when going to the big chain stores.

“People get a personal service. We know what we are selling and give good advice,” she said.

“With a lot of the big companies staff just don’t have the knowledge about the products. So customers get good advice when they shop locally.”

Pat sells everything for making handmade cards, personalised printed ribbon, an array of wools and is making special craft gift bags up for Christmas.

“We can make a nice little kit up geared around what people are interested in and what their budgets are.” she said.

For members of the family interested in unusual furniture Lotus Home Interiors is the place to go, and for a lovely box of chocolates nip down to Petite Boutique de Chocolat, also in James Street.

Last week Eastwood MP Gloria De Piero backed a campaign to celebrate the contributions made by smaller businesses.

Gloria was urging residents to shop small and eat local ahead of Small Business Saturday last weekend, which celebrated the contribution of entrepreneurs and small firms.

The MP – who has just ordered her Christmas turkey from Jack Wood butchers – said she was a huge fan of the local high street and was encouraging people to shop local in the run up to Christmas.

She said: “Small independent businesses like Jack Wood are the lifeblood of our high streets and it’s vital we get behind them and show how much

we value the service they provide.”