Christmas is right around the corner, and coming up with the perfect gift is hard. So I’ve compiled a list of my top Christmas Gifts for 2015. Now you could break this down into a ton of sublists: Best Christmas Gifts for men, best Christmas gifts for women, top Christmas gifts for kids, and on and on.
To make it more simple, I’ve tried to pick cool and unique leather Christmas gifts that fit just about everyone. I think they are all pretty cool, so the order isn’t super important. Please note that since most of the artisans featured in this article handcraft all their products, it is wise to order significantly before Christmas to ensure you receive it in time.
So without further ado here are the Leather Facts Top Christmas Gifts for 2015:
#10- Hair Wraps/Bowtie
I put two in one here since they are fairly gender specific, and equality is important.
For Women: There are these cool little hair wraps, or ponytail holders, or braid wraps, or whatever you want to call them. They have a bunch of different colors, sizes, and styles, so you can get one that fits the person that the gift is for. They are a nice little trinket that lets a girl have something a little different with her hairstyle.
I will note that these can also be used for men with long hair or beards.
Click here to see the full collection of hair wraps.
For Men: Bowties are starting to make a comeback in the world of fashion. It seems like 10 years ago, you would rarely ever see a bow tie, but I have started to see more and more people wearing them. If you are wanting something a little different to stand out, a leather bow tie could be the way to go.
You can see one very nice one here, and some other cool options here.
#9- Leather Journal
There are a lot of creative people in the world. Some people like to journal, some like to write stories, some like to draw. And those are just a few of the many popular creative pursuits people have.
A great gift for the creative person in your life would be a personalized leather journal. The options here are pretty much endless, but I’ll show you some of my favorite leather journals.
The one that you see to the right is an example of some of the coolest leather journals I have ever seen. They are the epitome of quality and craftsmanship. This is just one of the many styles. The options are really nearly endless. If you want a 3D lizard or horse on the cover of your journal, that is available.Be sure to check out the hundreds of other options that are available on Etsy at SmyrnaCraft or ALittlePresent. There is sure to be something to fit just about anyone.
#8- Personalized Wallet
Because of the personalization, this is once again a gift for everyone. Nothing says “I love you and care about you” more than literally being able to write “I love you” on the wallet!
Haoi, the maker of these wallets, is a phenomenal leatherworker, and allows you to add an inscription of up to 130 words! Add your loved one’s favorite song lyrics, quote, scripture, or even an inside joke to create a gift that is more than just a nice wallet. It turns it into a reminder of your love.
Click here to see Haoi’s full selection of different styles and options.
If you don’t care for personalization, you can also take a look at some of our more thorough wallet reviews.
#7- Monogrammed Leather Coasters
Now I know that you don’t usually make an effort to add coasters to your wish list, but they are something that pretty much everyone is happy to receive. That is especially true with these coasters.
Like many of the items we’ve looked at, a lot of the appeal is in the personalizing. Having your guests set their drinks on monogrammed coasters creates an immediate air of style and class.
If the horseshoe/western theme doesn’t fit with your intended recipient’s style, they have a plainer variety available as well.
If you think these are cool, you can see more from this maker here, and check out our friends over at SaddleBack.
#6- Leather Gloves
I don’t know about you, but here in Wyoming, it gets cold. Gloves are always a good idea. And these gloves are some of the best that I’ve seen.
The two glovemakers that I’ve picked out are located in Romania and Poland, which are both countries that are familiar with frigid temperatures. These two handcraft their gloves from very fine leather.
Deerskin and peccary leather, some of the finest leathers on the European market, are employed in making these gloves, and the option of having them lined with cashmere or rabbit fur. With men’s and women’s styles available, they make a great gift for anyone.
To take a look at some of the best quality winter gloves in all their many varieties, visit Istvan’s shop here. If you aren’t in as cold of an environment, Kuc’s Leather Goods provides some really nice ones too, though they are less insulated.
#5- Leather Backpacks
This one doesn’t need much explaining. Backpacks are super handy, and leather backpacks are incredibly durable and versatile.
As with most leather products, you can find quality leather backpacks a ton of different places. You have probably heard me rant and rave over SaddleBack Leather, and how much I love their stuff before, and that holds true here. Aside from buying them a tortoise, this is one of the few gifts that will literally last more than a lifetime.
If you are operating on a lower budget, and don’t mind losing the 100 year warranty that SaddleBack offers, there are some other cheaper option. One of those options is the backpack provided by Mahi Leather. For those on a budget, they provide one of the best products for a low price.
I also really like Mahi Leather because they donate a portion of each sale to a charity.
Click here to view SaddleBack’s whole selection of backpack’s, or visit Mahi Leather here.
#4- Cord Wrapper
This one is pretty unique. It is another one that we don’t think of all the time.
In our world, cords and chargers are getting so prevalent that you can easily end up with a giant mess tangled up in your bag or pocket.
A few different innovative leathercrafters decided to make a quick and easy fix for all our cord organization needs. The concept is pretty simple, a well crafted piece of leather with some for of snap to hold the cords together.
Once again our friends at SaddleBack make both large and small versions in a variety of colors, and point out that these can double as beard wraps. I guess that means you could probably swing them as the hair wraps from #10 as well.
Click here to see all of SaddleBack’s Cord Wraps!
#3- Briefcase/Messenger Bag
This is similar to a backpack, but it just brings with it a more business professional look.
Once again, SaddleBack is one of the most popular suppliers for briefcases and messenger bags, because they are spacious and have that beautiful 100 year warranty, effectively making it a Christmas present for the grandkids as well!
I also like to support smaller, less well known, independent craftsman. One of these craftsman is a guy by the name of Dani. Him and his team are based out of Europe, and they are awesome!
They make some incredibly high quality bags as well, and do so at a cheaper price than bigger companies like SaddleBack. They have kind of the same motive of travelers that love exploration and created a product that could explore with them.
Click here to explore Dani’s full line of bags, and then head over to SaddleBack to see some more!
#2- Luggage Tags
Here we see another small trinket that many people overlook, but when personalized can be a very meaningful and sentimental gift.
John and Anne at Leather Made Nice make a variety of personalized luggage tags. Aside from the “couples tags” you see on the right, they have quote tags, humorous tags, and many others.
They are all very high quality, and come in 7 different colors. Plus John and Anne are incredibly helpful, and great to do business with. If you have any questions or issues, they will definitely help you out.
There are lots of other sellers that don’t offer their level of customization, but when it comes to gifts, I always recommend the personal touch.
To view Leather Made Nice’s whole selection of personalized luggage tags, click here.
#1- Leather Cell Phone Wallet Cases
I’ll have to be careful not to go overboard on this one, because there are so many fun options. I’ve written about cell phone cases quite a bit before, both in our standard reviews, and in a “cases that look like books” article.
I’m going to try and keep it basic to a few major types and price tiers.
Low Price: A picture is worth a thousand words, just check out these awesome cases here.
Medium Price: You know I love correcting misconceptions, and one that is widely believed is that everything made in China is cheap quality. Well that is definitely not the case with leather phone cases.
There are two phenomenal craftsman that will custom make you a wallet case in your favorite color, regardless of what model of phone you have. They are very responsive, and wonderful to work with.
One is Amy’s Leather Design. You can see a large variety of her work here.If none of those are interesting to you, click here to see some of the options available at Jin’s shop.
Higher Price: If you have a bit of a higher budget, you start having a lot of really fun options. One that I’ve written about before is StoryLeather, who follow the philosophy that we all have a story, and they try to make phone cases that tell your story. Kind of a fun ideal. You get to customize everything, but it does cost a pretty penny.
Click here to start the step by step process of designing your own phone case.
Anything Else?
I know that there are tons of other cool leather gifts out there. If you have a favorite that didn’t make it onto this list, let me know in the comments, and I’ll start doing some research on it.
If you are still looking for that perfect gift, and none of these really fit the bill, either leave a comment, or send me a message. I will do everything in my power and work with you one on one to help you find the perfect gift.
Last of all, if you thought any of the items on this list were interesting or cool, share the Christmas joy with your friends using the social media bar on the right. You could save the day by helping with their gift search.
These are such original xmas gift ideas, I love the leather journal with the lizard on it! Nothing beats that smell of nice new leather.
I have been wearing leather jackets since I was about 13 years old. I always enjoyed customizing my leather jackets too, ya know like attaching studs to them and stuff.
Hannah.
The customization is definitely the part that I like the most about leather gifts. It makes it so the gift is a lot more personal.
I love leather in all it’s forms. What a great list of gift ideas. Who in the world would use anything but a leather wallet. What would be the point of material? That saddleback messenger bag is the BOMB!
Really well done, thanks for this listing:)
I’ve often wondered about that myself. I see people paying a ton of money for a cloth wallet and just think “That is going to last less than a year. Why are you doing this to yourself?”. But most the time they don’t ask for my opinion.
Hi Dallin , you are a leather lover.I believe this hair wrapper is a very special gift for my wife.There is no doubt on that.
Is this Etsy shop yours?..The wrapper is available in the red colour , at 16 euros.Very fair price , I have to deal with the shipping now.
Smart and unique propositions for this Christmas , good job.I will be returning for more leather goodies.
The Etsy shop is not mine, though I am in contact with the shop owner, so if you have any questions or need to work anything out, just let me know. Be sure to share the article with your friends if you thought it was helpful!
Hi Dallin, I like your site. I thought the wallets with their own message is a great gift idea! I personally really like leather messanger bags and the ones you pictured look really great. As far as the leather bow ties; I remember wearing leather ties in the 1980’s but I don’t think I could pull it off again.
Glad to be of help Angel! Not everyone can pull of the leather tie, but that’s alright. You can just stick to the messenger bags nowadays.
Hi Dallin, this is a great list and there are quite a few things on here that I would have never thought of. I particularly like the luggage tag idea as a small gift for my wife. I also really like the look of the leather coaster but I have one concern.
We have an antique table that has a leather top. It is horrible about water rings so it left me wondering how leather coasters might fare. Do you have any insight on this? Are they treated somehow to keep them from getting stained?
Great question Christian. The leather isn’t treated in any way, but you also don’t have to worry about staining with them. When they get wet, they will get slightly darker as they absorb the water, but after drying they will return to their original color. If you are really concerned about it, you can treat them occasionally with leather conditioner, but the makers of the coasters said they have been using theirs for several years without any sign of staining.
Thanks, Dallin. I think that seals the deal for me. I will probably get those for my wife for Christmas.
Sounds Great! Just as a heads up, their deadline for Christmas orders to arrive on time is December 7th. If you want them in time to wrap them all nice and put them under the tree, it is probably wise to order earlier.
Hello!
Thank you so much for this excellent and highly informative article, I have to tell you that I came across not a moment to soon!
As a person that is always struggling with what to get my friends and family for Christmas, and always seems to be shopping at the last minute, this is really going to help me out.
You really can’t go wrong with leather anything for a gift, because they are usually very high quality products that are going to last for years and years into the future!
I can already see that I will be able to make purchases for several of my loved ones right from this list alone, you have no doubt saved me a ton of time and probably a couple headaches as well!
For that I thank you!
I’m glad it was helpful. I tried to come up with gift ideas that are universal, so you can do a lot of your shopping in one place! Let me know if you have any questions, or need a gift idea for anyone in particular.
These are really cool gift ideas. Leather makes everything three times nicer. Personally, my ideal christmas gift would be the saddleback messenger bag – have been wanting one for a while now. I don’t know how someone could use a wallet that isn’t leather. My favourite jacket is also leather.
Great propositions Dallin
Hi Dallin,
Thanks for the post. Loving the Christmas gift ideas, they’re really classy! Do you have any tips on caring for leather products?
Sienna
I do. We have a whole section on various types of leather care that you can read about here. If you need help with any specific product care, or want advice on a damaged item, let me know and I’d be happy to help.
What’s up Dallin. I love these gift ideas. They all are very good ideas. I see so many things I could use for myself, I may just do some personal gifting and forget about everybody else! Seriously, thanks for providing some inspiration. You are right, coming up with good gift ideas can be difficult. You have certainly provided me with some help.
William
Ok I seriously love those. It reminds me of my uncle who passed away and made leather custom gifts back when he lived in africa (rhodesia – zimbabwe).
I might have to drop my relatives a hint or 2 🙂
Thanks Dave!
Feel free to share the post with as many relatives as you can! The more the merrier!
Dallin,
I think after reading this I will put two of these items on my Christmas list for this year. I like the cell phone case and the backpack. I have one question, is the backpack heavier than a regular backpack. I do not want to carry a lot of extra weight. If it is real heavy I might put the messenger bag on my list.
John
Hey John, the backpacks are really pretty lightweight. They hang out at around 3-4 pounds. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Excellent and unique options for all the leather lovers and hand craft lovers as well. I need a custom luggage tag to be sure!
I may have to do the practical thing and get myself a new custom leather wallet. I miss the custom dragon one my friend got me years ago so much. I cared less about what was in the wallet than the wallet gift itself. <3
That’s what makes personalized gifts so cool. Not only are they useful, but they are very meaningful. I have many leather items that hold similar sentiments.
So many amazing things to buy made of leather. 🙂 My favourite was the leather journal with the lizard/gecko on it Very cool
Thanks Debbie! If you liked it, be sure to check out their shop to see their other journals. There area tons of cool types!
Cool! Seriously, not joking, I read this article a couple of days ago and was impressed.
Well thanks Janna! We do try to be impressive, so it is good to hear that goal is at least sometimes accomplished!