Showcase: Patchwork Harmony

Last Christmas I ordered this Storage Jar £18.95 from Patchwork Harmony for an old friend and she loved it. In fact, it was so nice that she very nearly got something else instead. Let's see what else they have in their Aladdin's cave this Christmas.

1. Handmade Porcelain Candleholders £18.00 (3 for £50.00)

I have some similar to this in glass that I use to decorate the garden in summer but I think I prefer this teardrop shape to the round ones I have. They seem more stable and are a better shape for hanging. There's also something very romantic about the way that firelight makes porcelain glow.

2. Mini Trays £7.50

My mum has a collection of these that she likes to ferry rounds of tea and coffee around on. They are less cumbersome than full size trays if you're just having a drink or a snack and they look lovely. I've also seen them used to decorate console and bedside tables. I avoid this however because if I leave anything shallow and flat lying around, it won't be long before my husband comes along and fills it with the contents of his pockets.

3. Cotton Drawstring Laundry Bags from £7.50

I love, love, love the typography on these simple bags and the cotton ticking-style fabric they are made from. It makes them look really clean and classic. I always fold a bag like this into my luggage when I go away but this one would also look gorgeous hanging on a pretty hook in the bathroom when not in use. 

4. Vintage Style Hooks from £4.50

Speaking of pretty hooks, they always make a nice present in their own right. Who doesn't need to hang stuff up? Ones like this that are based on vintage designs and have ceramic embellishments look really smart almost anywhere in your house. I like to put different ones on the small return of a wall in my kitchen where they have enough drop to hang aprons, shopping bags and baby bits and I have a similar one to these above the sink where I keep a hand towel. 

5. Wooden Bird Doorstop from £12.50

Even if you don't actually need to weight or wedge a door, interesting and unusual doorstops always add another layer to a room at a level that's hard to cater for. Lots of things can go on surfaces and walls but it's not so easy to find ornaments that look perfectly at home on the floor. They make quite good non-threatening presents for men too. My brother is notoriously difficult to find gifts for and our mum got him a little fabric owl doorstop a couple of Christmases ago that he was a bit confused by at first but cannot now deny has come in very useful in his flat.