Christmas is creeping up on us very quickly, so I thought now would be the perfect time to put together a little ‘last minute gift guide’ to give you a few ideas for some lovely pressies!

We know that sometimes it can become a big chore rather than a pleasure, worrying about presents and finding the inspiration to buy something a little different. Here at Cotes Mill we have sourced an amazing selection of unusual gifts, not just Christmassy things but all sorts of interesting and beautiful bits and bobs. We have products old and new that you will not find in the normal high street shops, things that will make giving presents fun. There is something for everyone here; vintage pieces, antique furniture, beautiful linen cushions and bags, handmade stationery, our new hand thrown ceramics which we’ve made here at the Mill, a beautifully unusual selection of books and some Christmas cards to make you smile. Whether it’s a small gift you’re after, or something really special, we’re sure you’ll find it here.

So here’s a few of our favourite gift ideas which are all for sale here at Cotes Mill…

1. Lots of lovely sewing stuff – prices starting from £3

Pretty ribbons, threads, vintage scissors & lovely bits of fabric, perfect for your crafty friend.

2. Hand thrown pots from deVOL’s brand new Ceramics Collection – prices starting from £15

Each pot is hand made from local clays in our little ceramics studio, each one is unique and very special. Perfect for a warming cup of green tea or a yummy bowl of noodles.

Also available at our London showroom 

3. Crocheted baby shoes by Fog Linen – £20

Probably the cutest baby shoes I’ve ever seen, they’re so soft and small and such a lovely gift for the little babies in your family.

4. Sunday Suppers book – £25   Lovely linen napkins – from £5

A gift idea for your foody friend. The recipes in this book are lovely and the pictures are even lovelier… it’s the perfect read for a cosy, chilled out Sunday afternoon.

5. Rapha city cycling guides – £4 each   Bicycle Journal – £12.95

We’ve all got that one friend who’s totally obsessed with cycling! We know they’re going to love these…

6. Chopping boards with bowls by deVOL – from £50 

For your friend who loves hosting dinner parties. These boards are handmade here at Cotes Mill and are great for serving bread, cheese and cured meats… oh, and they look pretty cool sat on the table too.

7. Handmade pink silk bunting – £35

The prettiest bunting ever and definitely too special to save just for parties! It’s handmade here at Cotes Mill from lovely dusky pink silk from The Pink Pantaloon Co. 

8. Baileys candles – £14 each

You can never go wrong with a lovely candle. These ones from Baileys look simple and stylish and smell really good too. They come in lots of unusual scents, there’s ‘thyme’ ‘fig’ and ‘orange blossom’ but I think my fave is the ‘mown grass’ one, mmm!

9. Cabin Porn book – £20 & lots of little vintage gifts for men

This one made us giggle… but honestly ‘Cabin Porn’ is a fascinating little book with some amazing cabins from all over the world. The perfect gift for your man!

10. Daisy Chains – £4    Linen bags by deVOL – £25     Vintage maps – range of prices

These little daisy chains are made from silk and soft yarns, you join them all together to make little bracelets, necklaces or hair bands… so sweet! And we hand make these linen bags here at Cotes Mill, there’s some plain and simple ones and some with vintage lace details.

So there we have it, ten cool and quirky little gift ideas.

Cotes Mill is just a mile out of Loughborough on the A60 past the railway station, we have loads of parking here, acres of beautiful grounds and we are very happy for you to while away a morning exploring the showrooms and ticking off your Christmas present list one by one. We hope to see you soon!

You will find us here: Cotes Mill, Nottingham Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 5TL – 01509 261000 

And you can view our Christmas opening times here.