We've all been there - it's your best friend's birthday, and you're stuck for ideas. After years of being friends, you've gone through every thoughtful and meaningful gift and vouchers are look like your only option. While a voucher is a fine thing, we've got some eco-friendly gift ideas for closest friends. 

Books - Under £10

Books are one of our favourite gifts at Curlicue. Not only are they super easy to wrap (we're looking at you bath bombs), but it's to make it a thoughtful gift by picking something you know your friend will love. Maybe select a book that they'd never choose for themselves but that you believe they'll enjoy.

We love to support independent retailers at Curlicue, so we're huge fans of Hive. Hive buys from independents and gives you the chance to support local bookshops in your area with your purchase. Like the idea but also love your Amazon Prime delivery? Hive's Royal Mail service can be just as speedy. 

Some of our favourite books that we've gifted to our besties this year include:

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth MacNeal - £7.89

We adore this story of love, sisterhood, obsession and artistry all set in Victorian London around the opening of the Great Exhibition. 

The Originals: How Non-Conformists Can Change the World by Adam Grant  - £9.39

Originals will give you groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and how to change the world.

Hot Water Bottle - £17.99

The nights are drawing in, and it's time to get cosy! No matter your bestie's age, no one can turn down a cuddle with a hot water bottle on a cold winter's evening. 

Made from sustainably sourced natural latex, this hot water bottle from Boobalau from the is FSC approved. The cover is 100% organic cotton and free from chlorine and other chemicals creating the snuggliest hot water bottle possible. Every element of this hot water bottle is made using renewable raw materials meaning your best friend can huddle down with their eco-friendly gift without harming the planet.

Also, if you sign up to their newsletter, you can get 10% off your first order.

Vase - From £16.00

If you're looking for a moving-in present, we love vases as a classic gift. Flowers always make the world a happier place but not if you don't have something beautiful to put them in! 

Ceramics are in the middle of a renaissance with pottery returning to cool (if you've seen Netflix's The Duchess, you know). But even before Katherine Ryan added her humour to feminist pottery, UK makers, ceramists and potters are creating incredible work.

We love Pippi and Me Ceramics - their vases are so stylish and beautiful. Jeannett Stevenson, the brains and hands behind Pippi and Me, was a Neuro-Intensive nurse before making her passion for pottery her full-time business.

Inspired by her Danish childhood, love of grey and her desire to create beautiful things - Stevenson's work is gorgeous and oh so stylish. Everything Stevenson makes is hand-made in her South Devon studio. 

TOP TIP: The sachets that come with flowers are often a mix of bleach, to keep the water clean, and sugar, to make the flowers open faster. Blooms will last twice as long if you leave the chemicals and change the water every other day. Also, trim the leaves on the stems so that they don't sit in the water, this is what makes the water turn murky green and kills off your flowers!

Booze - From £10

A good drink has got many of us through 2020 (in moderation...). Maybe you feel like your friend needs a good drink. The best option is a bottle of the good stuff.

For a unique gift, we love the traditional drink gifts from English Heritage. From their own label gins, cider and mead - yes, mead - English Heritage has some fantastic and delicious options to gift to your loved ones. 

We love the Nettle Wine with its notes of Summer's past and inspired by traditional recipes but made using modern methods. After our foraging expeditions last month, the Nettle Wine feels like the perfect accompaniment.

English Heritage, like many Heritage venues, are struggling in the face of Covid-19 with visitor numbers down and no clear end in sight. By purchasing their delicious gifts, you're also helping to secure the heritage of many buildings and areas of beauty for generations to come. 

Awkward Gifts

Got a great gift idea but the awkward shape is making wrapping a nightmare? Again…bath bombs, we see you. Have a look at some of the incredible tips Amanda at Gift Frippery shared with us to get the perfect finish to your present.

Guaranteed Smiles

If you want to make your best friend smile before they've even unwrapped your gift, use our Zest for Life eco-friendly wrapping paper that is fully recyclable and vegan (thank you vegetable ink!). It's a beautiful bright print can make anyone's day - even in 2020.