Tag: bookblock gift guides

Bookblock’s Guide to Christmas Treats To Make at Home

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Whether you love the process of creating your masterpieces or the eating and drinking when completed, the main thing is having fun!

 

Scrumptious Mulled Wine

To begin, we’re starting with our Mulled Wine Infusion Kit. This is one of the best classic winter cocktails and a lovely, traditional drink to enjoy over Christmas.

Our Forty Liquors infusion jars have all the warming herbs and spices you need to make the perfect mulled wine. Plus, they’re made with all organic ingredients! This includes dehydrated lemon, stem ginger, dehydrated orange, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and Muscovado sugar. They all create that cosy aroma and familiar festive taste, perfect for any Christmas party or wintery night. 

Mulled Wine Infusion Kit with an elf and two presents in green and red for decoration Mulled Wine Infusion Kit

These wine making kits make such brilliant Christmas gift ideas and activities to do with your loved ones. They also look beautiful with the lovely glass jars and festive coloured text in a fun script font. The jars can also be reused once you’ve enjoyed your wine…maybe for more wine?

 

Spice Up Your Dishes

Our next making kit is more of a helping hand towards creating some delicious food. The Ultimate Rub Selection Box includes four mini boxes containing exquisite spice blends to use on a range of gorgeous dishes. Be it whole cauliflowers or slow cooked pork. 

Choose Memphis rub with its sweet and spicy blend, Tripoli rub for sour and fruity, Louisiana rub for bold and earthy, or Oxaca for a punch blend. What wonderful choices for a gift box! 

Ultimate Rub Selection with tinsel illustration in red and green for decorationThe Ultimate Rub Selection Box

Each of the four blends are accompanied with a short description and advice on how to make the most of the sensational spices. As selection boxes go, we love the experimental style as it’s the perfect gift idea for a foodie or anyone wanting to have a little more fun with their spice rack!

 

Tempting Tasty Risotto

If you’re someone who enjoys the eating part of making the most…we’re giving you this easy option!

Our Porcini Mushroom Risotto is a top seller from Sapori D’Italia’s vegetarian risotto range. It’s made with carnaroli rice and dried porcini mushrooms, which has created the perfect easy dinner to make. Not to mention it’s full of flavours and a whole lot of goodness! 

This lovely pack would make such a yummy meal over the Christmas period, especially if you’d like an easy mix to make after the previous experimental choices.

Porcini Mushroom Risotto with two mushrooms in red and green christmas hats and snowflakes for decorationPorcini Mushroom Risotto

 

Cheeky Chocolate Brownies

Anyone call for a vegan brownies delivery? We’ve got you covered, you just need to make them first! Treat your taste buds to deliciously gooey chocolate brownies with our Organic Brownie Mix. Just add your choice of vegan milk, oil and syrup to create up to 12 scrumptious brownies. They are a brilliant treat to enjoy, either as Christmas nibbles or the ideal vegan Christmas desserts.

Organic Brownie Mix baked with brownies, chocolate powder footprints and a hiding santa for decorationOrganic Brownie Mix

 

Fluffiest Pancakes

Lastly, say good morning Christmas with our Organic Pancake Mix. Like our brownies, these are another perfect easy treat. Simply add your choice of vegan milk and whisk until smooth, then start your frying! Make up to eight fluffy pancakes to share (or not). They would make a wonderful Christmas morning breakfast idea for you and your loved ones.

Organic Pancake Mix with fresh pancakes and red and green elves hiding behind the mix box for decoration
Organic Pancake Mix

Peanut Butter Cookies

Are easy peasy recipes the way to your heart? Then this peanut butter cookie recipe is perfect. The recipe is available as part of our #PositivePost campaign, which combines pandemic-related illustrations and lots of useful activities and recipes. With only four ingredients, it’s hard to get it wrong, so just follow the instructions and enjoy! You can also share the recipe with others by sending it for free and leaving an optional donation for Action for Children.

 

Bookblock’s Guide to the Best Stocking Fillers This Christmas

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Chocolate Santas

Firstly, we have a classic of the stocking filler ideas…mini chocolates! These adorable bite sized Milk Chocolate Santas have a crème filling, so perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. They’re lovely gifts for her and gifts for him! What Christmas stockings are complete without them?

Milk Chocolate Santas with gold star decorationsMilk Chocolate Santas

 

Gingerbread Jack Biscuit

Next, and just as adorable, we have our Gingerbread Jack Biscuit by The Original Biscuit Baker. Gingerbread is another lovely part of the festive period. Be it creating those wonderful gingerbread houses or simply decorating the lovely characters like Jack! We thought it only right that our stocking filler ideas included some of the magic. Our character features a charming hand iced smile and buttons for you to enjoy.

Gingerbread Jack Biscuit with red and white candy cane decorationsGingerbread Jack Biscuit

 

Forty Liquors Cocktails

Now something for the adults. We all love a Christmas tipple, so our luscious little 50ml Forty Liquors cocktails are the perfect stocking fillers. We have a wide range, but we love two of our classics; Queens Martini and Salted Caramel Espresso Martini.
The Queens is inspired by the New York classic and has an abundance of class. It includes London Dry Gin, complex Fino sherry and orange blossom bitters, with a subtle hint of Lillet Blanc and elderflower essence.
The caramel espresso is a smooth blend of rums from Antigua and Jamaica. You can enjoy rum, coffee liqueur, cold brew and salted caramel. It’s an Espresso Martini with a twist of sunshine!
Both of these gems make wonderful stocking fillers and Christmas day treats (if they make wonderful Christmas morning treats…we won’t tell!).

Salted Caramel Espresso Martini and Queens Martini 50ml with golden cocktail glasses and gold leaf decorationsQueens Martini and Salted Caramel Espresso Martini

 

Green Mountain IPA

However, if you’re less of a cocktail fan, we’re also adding our Green Mountain IPA by Thornbridge Brewery to our Christmas stockings. It’s one of their most popular beers, named after the Green Mountains in Vermont. They use a large amount of Australian and American hops to create a phenomenal bouquet of mango, pineapple and guava. However, the IPA beer still has a light haze and soft body, creating a very drinkable beer…perfect for Christmas day!

Additionally, the design of the can is beautiful, with a rich forest green and a premium gold pattern. It gives the perfect finishing touch for one of our stocking filler ideas. 

Green Mountain IPA with green and gold leaf decorationsGreen Mountain IPA

 

Satin Scrunchie

Our fifth stocking filler idea is our Navy Satin Oversized Scrunchie. A practical but gorgeous gift idea. Your loved ones can add some shimmer and a pop of colour to their hair. This navy blue is perfect for creating a sophisticated style with an updo that requires minimal effort. 

Additionally, satin creates a barrier against moisture-absorbing fabrics, so helps to prevent split ends. Therefore, they can have healthier hair as a great stocking filler gift!

Navy Satin Oversized Scrunchie with two gold leaf bordersNavy Satin Oversized Scrunchie

 

Peppermints

For those extra little handy treats (and you also just have get for the packaging), we’re suggesting our Architectural Blue Peppermints Tin by Motif. As a collective of artists and illustrators, Motif create the most admirable design collections. This includes this fantastically, funky designed tin, which houses sugar free, aspartame free and vegan friendly peppermints! They are the perfect pocket mints and great little stocking filler ideas.

Architectural Blue Peppermints Tin with gold geometric shapes as decorationArchitectural Blue Peppermints Tin

 

Trinket Dish

Another little gem is our Turquoise Trinket Dish. It’s ideal for storing treasured trinkets, jewellery or snacks. The beautiful dish shows off its natural terracotta colour on the outside, while flaunting a contrasting Turkish blue glaze on the inside. A modern, stylish and practical stocking filler.

Turquoise trinket dish with golden trees and christmas present decorationsTurquoise Trinket Dish

 

Skin Mask

Eighth on our stocking fillers list is a lovely go-to pampering gift, our Vita C Vitality Skin Mask. It contains Vitamin C; the multitasking skincare ingredient to rule them all. Its versatile antioxidant properties enable it to calm, brighten and rejuvenate any skin type! This is a perfect solution for the harsh winter weather effects on our skin. Your loved ones can use and reveal a refreshed complexion with a natural glow.

Vita C Vitality Skin Mask with gold candles and bow decorationVita C Vitality Skin Mask

 

Bath Bomb

Continuing along the pamper line, as who doesn’t love some good pampering gifts over Christmas? We have our Citrus Twist Bath Bomb. This golden bath bomb is hand finished with shimmering brushes of gold, making it the perfect thing for a luxury pamper session. Your loved ones can enjoy beautiful citrus aromas in a relaxing bath. What a luxurious stocking filler idea!

Citrus Twist Bath Bomb with golden star decorationsCitrus Twist Bath Bomb

 

Tiger Socks

Lastly, but definitely not least, is the gift idea that’s always clung onto for dear life to last until Christmas…socks! A practical gift, but doesn’t have to be boring, especially with Bookblock designs. For example, our Pink Tiger Socks are definitely ones to be shown off! They feature a gorgeous design with vibrant tigers surrounded by plants and flowers, so excellent for someone with a cheeky side.

Pink Tiger Socks with gold star decorationsPink Tiger Socks

We hope this has given you some stocking filler ideas to gift to your loved ones, as well as some ideas for yourself!

Bookblock’s Guide to Christmas Gifts for Dads

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Dad Jokes

Firstly, we’re going with a pretty easy choice, our Book for Dads. I’m sure most of you have had your fair share of dad jokes, but why not let them have a little fun with some more? This gift for dads wraps up pretty much anything you’d expect a dad to come up with that nobody else would. From awfully good dad-jokes to random facts, we’ve got all the silly knowledge one dad may need. He’ll have hours of fun, so it’s the perfect addition for our Christmas gift ideas for dad!

A Book for Dads with snowy backgroundA Book for Dads

 

The Practical

Next is something more on the practical side, our Brown Leather Wash Bag. Dads do tend to love those practical gift ideas, so this bag is perfect. Made from real Italian leather, it’s a seriously smart accessory to have. It is made up of two compartments and lined with a polyester cloth that’s easy to wipe clean…definitely a good feature! Additionally, it’s a gorgeous rich shade of brown for that premium look.

Brown Leather Washbag with golden leaf decorationBrown Leather Wash Bag

 

Another of the practical Christmas gift ideas dads always seem to be needing…socks! With mysterious holes constantly appearing, they are always a safe gift for men. We love our Oxford Blue Merino Wool Socks by the Monarch of Naples especially. They’re a rich oxford blue made with a wide ribbed stitch and are a super smart and stylish accessory. Merino wool is both warm and great at regulating body heat, making it the perfect choice for a premium pair of socks. You can’t get much better than this for sock-related Christmas gifts for dad.

Oxford Blue Merino Wool Socks with green leaf decorationOxford Blue Merino Wool Socks

 

Christmas Tipple

Now we’ve covered some practical gift ideas, it’s time for something more exciting. What dad doesn’t love a good Christmas tipple? Our Old Man’s Tipple Scotch Whisky by Forty Liquors is a fantastic option. It’s a complex whisky produced with a selection of whiskies aged in oak barrels and blended together. It’s incredibly smooth, yet rich and complex, thanks to years of maturation in the ex-Bourbon barrels. They softened the spirit, creating spiced and orchard notes, then finished in oak sherry casks, amplifying floral and honey notes. All imparting great depth.

It is also housed in our brilliant cocktail glass bottle with a beautifully designed label, extremely in-keeping with its aesthetic. What a wonderful addition to our Christmas gift ideas for dad.

Old Man's Tipple with baubles and leaves layered on top in a christmas tree shapeOld Man’s Tipple Scotch Whisky

 

A Perfect Gift Box

If you think your dad will love these gift ideas, then we highly recommend our special Gift Box for Dads. Including our Book for Dads and Merino Wool socks, this box is packed with gifts that will make him smile. He can enjoy some savoury snacks with our Truffle Nuts and Blood Orange slices, as well as our amazing Ultimate Rub Selection Box. It has four delicious spice blends to use on a range of gorgeous dishes. 

Additionally, this box contains another of our Forty Liquors favourites that’s deep, smokey and incredibly smooth; Maple Old fashioned. It’s a modern take on an Old Fashioned and a perfect gift idea for those dads who like to take their time with a drink.

Lastly, for a perfect finishing touch, we’ve included a set of our Brain Teaser cards, so you can have some quality fun time with questions and puzzles. A great game to play over Christmas. 

A Gift Box for Dads with red leaf decorationGift Box for Dads

Everything and anything on this dad’s Christmas list will make wonderful Christmas gifts for him!

Bookblock’s Guide to Building the Perfect Christmas Gift Box Under £30

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Christmas Fizz

To begin our wonderful list of Christmas gift ideas, we’re starting with one of our favourite Forty Liquors spritz London’s Calling Zesty Gin Fizz. It’s a citrus forward number mellowed by Fino sherry. Designed to put a spring in your step, it is lifted by grapefruit zest and honey notes. This drink definitely packs a punch, and makes a great addition to Christmas gift boxes.

The pouch is also housed in a beautifully abstract style envelope, with a small little window to show the dazzling red drink inside. 

London's Calling Zesty Gin Fizz Spritz with illustrated blue Christmas tree decorationsLondon’s Calling Zesty Gin Fizz

 

Christmas Nibbles

Next up are some yummy Christmas biscuits with our Black Forest Biscuits by Bookblock Deli. They are deliciously indulgent all butter biscuits, baked with sour cherries and dark chocolate pieces. As a result, our Deli has created a gorgeous signature black forest flavour. Baked by hand, these melt in the mouth biscuits are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, so had to be a feature for our under £30 Christmas box. 

Of course, we also love the packaging. With the rich green background reflecting the black forest and bold red shadow under the title for the punchiness of the cherries. The combination creates a wonderful design.

Black Forest Biscuits with illustrated christmas foliage in green and redBlack Forest Biscuits

 

Christmas candles

Who doesn’t love a home with beautiful Christmas candles? Our Wild Fig and Cassis Candle by Älska is a brilliant way to ensure that they are a feature. 

This lovely candle is one for fans of rich and fruity fragrances. Fig, apricot and raspberry bring a hint of sweetness. Because of this, it works all year around as well as the festive period.

The candle is 100% soy wax, so not only will it reduce the amount of soot emitted, but also burns for longer! We have housed it in a frosted glass, creating an elegantly premium gift. 

Wild Fig and Cassis Candle with illustrated green leaf decorationsWild Fig and Cassis Candle

 

More Christmas Nibbles

At Bookblock, we can’t get enough biscuits. They are the perfect Christmas nibbles. Therefore, next on our gift ideas list is our Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion Biscuits by The Drinks Bakery. They have a motto ‘Great drink drinks deserve great snacks’ and we couldn’t agree more. 

Using the best Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire cheese with English mustard and spring onion, it creates a full-on-fruity profile. It also has a spicy finish which stands up to some serious drinks. These little treats are the perfect stocking fillers and a wonderful fit for our budgeted Christmas box.

Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion Biscuits with pink illustrated christmas present decorationsLancashire Cheese & Spring Onion Biscuits

 

Last but not least and a brilliant snack, Torres’ Black Truffle Crisps. They’re light and delicious with a beautifully strong flavour of real black summer truffle. These crisps are handcrafted, vegan and gluten free, so wonderful for everyone to enjoy. As a result, they are the perfect finishing touch to our under £30 Christmas gift box.

Black Truffle Crisps with illustrated christmas stars and shapes in red and yellowBlack Truffle Crisps

Although we’ve selected these lovely gifts for you, we also have our range of curated gift boxes to choose from. For example, our £30 Gin Cocktail Box is perfect for this budget and a real treat for the taste buds of any gin lover!

Bookblock Guide to Christmas Crafts & Decorations

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Christmas arts and crafts make lovely additions to a gift box as they can be created with your loved ones or as an incentive for some peaceful time alone. It can also be a lovely feeling knowing you’ve created your own Christmas decorations.

 

Origami 

Firstly, we’d like to share our brand-new Origami Kits. You can choose to make some beautiful Christmas Ornaments or fun Christmas characters. Both come with an easy-to-follow instruction booklet, which is great to help you visualise along the way.
Our Ornaments Kit gives you six options to create; stars, Christmas trees, wreaths, diamond and bell baubles and gift bags. To make these wonders, we’ve carefully selected a massive 80 festive patterned and plain papers. As a result, there’s designs for everyone’s festive styles.
Just look how beautiful our examples are below! They can be stand-alone ornaments, additions to your wall decorations or Christmas tree decorations. 

Diamond baubles, stars, christmas trees and presents origami with yellow star decorationsOrigami Christmas Ornaments

 

If you’d like some slightly more fun Christmas decorations, our Christmas Characters are the way to go. Just like the ornaments, there are six characters to be made; Santa Claus, stars, Christmas trees, stockings and gift boxes. This kit has been made with the whole family in mind, so little hands can also get stuck in.
It also has 80 festive papers to choose from, which is brilliant for kids who know exactly what they want! These kits are perfect for Christmas gift boxes.

Presents, stockings, Santas and reindeer origami characters with candy cane and holly decorationsOrigami Christmas Characters

 

Festive Flower Wreath Kit

Next is our previously mentioned Festive Flower Wreath Kit. It is just so beautiful and an excellent craft activity. It has been thoughtfully assembled by our in-house Bookblock Florists and includes everything needed to create a gorgeous Christmas wreath.

Festive Flower Wreath Kit with winter foliage decoration in greens and redsFestive Flower Wreath Kit

 

Each kit contains a selection of our dried flowers, a golden metal hoop, hand-made and naturally dyed ribbon for a premium Christmas arts and crafts idea. So, if you’re looking for any Christmas gift ideas for that crafty loved one, this is pretty perfect. 

For a little more detail on this beauty, watch the video below with our Bookblock Florist Flo: 

 

Festive Large Dried Bouquets

On a similar theme, but less crafty, is our Natalia Festive Large Dried Bouquet. This bouquet is bursting with rich tones and festive touches to look gorgeous from every angle and show off its elements. 

Natalia is made with a lot of the same elements as our Wreath Kit, which is perfect if you like themed Christmas decorations. For instance, poppy heads, eucalyptus, shimmering gold foliage that adds an extra opulent touch and the beautiful ribbon tying everything together. 

Martha and Natalia Large Festive Dried Flower Bouquets with winter foliage decorationMartha Festive Large Dried Bouquet and Natalia Festive Large Dried Bouquet

 

However, if you prefer a slightly more understated style over the traditional Christmas colours, we also have our gorgeous Martha Festive Large Dried Bouquet. This bouquet is punctuated with soft white and creams, finished with a dash or red with the small roses. The neutrals colours shine through with honesty, helichrysum, bunny tails and more. The final finishing touch is the naturally dyed velvet ribbon that brings everything together beautifully.

These Christmas bouquets are such lovely gift ideas for anyone looking to decorate their homes with beautiful festive details and colours.

 

Starburst Lights

Lastly is a decoration by Light Style London, our Starburst Chain Lights. The light chain features 150 warm LED lights that create a wonderful glow when illuminated. They are designed for both indoor and outdoor use, so you have unlimited options for hanging these magical Christmas decorations. 

Starburst Lights with yellow stars decorationStarburst Chain Lights

Although these lights have been selected for the festive period, the delicateness of each starburst allows them to stay an option all year round. As a result, you can add some sparkle to any space over Christmas and have no time limit to take them down! What a perfect addition to a gift box. 

 

We hope this guide has shone a little light onto some of the Christmas arts and crafts you can gift to your loved ones. Head over to our Christmas Gifts section to start your Christmas gifting.

 

Get Your Game Face on with Bookblock’s Games

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Whether you’re after some lovely quality time or want a chance to thrash your loved ones, we have you covered! With card games, trivia games and personalised puzzles, there’s something for everyone. 

 

Test Your Trivia

To begin, we have some of our brand-new games for you to enjoy. 

Firstly, (as it’s the festive time of the year once again) we have our Christmas Trivia Cards. The pack contains 50 cards with fun questions based on fascinating facts. The game is suitable for all ages, so perfect for Christmas gifts ideas. We feel this game can be played as both a calm and gentle activity, or a chance to show off your knowledge! Either way, it’s a great game to play together. 

We also love the design of these cards, with a beautifully rich green as the star, red to reflect the festivity and gold for that premium look. Because of this, the pack makes a marvellous addition to all Christmas gift boxes.

Christmas Trivia Cards with red and gold leafy decorationChristmas Trivia Cards

 

Bamboozle Your Brain

Next up is another of our new card games, Brain Teasers. These cards will most definitely get the cogs whirring. Each one features a question, riddle or puzzle to maximise your thoughts and warm up the mind! Just like the Christmas Trivia Cards, this vibrant pack is suitable for a wide range of ages as a result, making great gift ideas for any family member or friend. 

Additionally, the card and box designs are full of fun and vibrant colours, which is the best way to wake our brains up!

Brain Teasers

 

Picturesque Playing Cards

For a gift that can be used in multiple games, our Animal Playing Cards are perfect. Who doesn’t love a good game with playing cards? There are endless ones to choose from and if you really feel like getting creative, you can always make one up!

Each of these cards features an individual design on a lovely gloss paper with linen textured coating. The bright colours contrast wonderfully with the white background, allowing every card to be a fun view! This is guided even further with the box packaging as the whole cover is packed with animals and jungle illustrations. It is also debossed with foiled text for that added premium touch and a perfect finish to a gift box, be it for birthday gifts, housewarming gifts or more Christmas gift ideas.

Animal Playing Cards with jungle style decoration in yellows, blues and orangesAnimal Playing Cards

 

Joyful Jigsaw Puzzles

For something a little different, we have our personalised jigsaw puzzles. These gifts are located in our Kids section, but can be enjoyed by all ages. All feature amazing illustrations to create vibrant scenes, from our Under the Sea Puzzle to a Safari and Sweet Shop.

Furthermore, each puzzle is available in 30, 42 and 150 pieces. This is brilliant if you’re looking for younger children who may need something simpler, or adults who’d like more of a challenge!
To treat you even further, you can also choose the character on the puzzles and add a name, for totally unique and personalised gifts. Just take a look at our two examples below; London – Not As You Know It and Pilot Puzzle.
The London scene is full of hidden gems waiting to be found and our Pilot is a lovely design, just waiting to be created!

London - Not As You Know It and Pilot PuzzleLondon – Not As You Know It and Pilot Puzzle

 

Cheeky Charades

Lastly is ‘Act It’ Charades Double Dipsticks by Talking Tables. You’ve tested your knowledge, now it’s time to brush up on your acting skills. With 320 gameplays in each pack, there’s more than enough to keep the party going. Simply dip in and pick a charade stick to get started. Alternatively, you can pick one adverb and one action stick then act them out together for players to guess. This is a perfect gift idea to get your whole party involved and have some fun together!

'Act It' Dipsticks with orange rectangle decoration‘Act It’ Charades Double Dipsticks

 

Find Your Festivity with Bookblock’s Christmas Gifts

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

We’re starting with one of the first things we do to feel festive, Christmas tree decorations! Most of us love the process of digging out and re-discovering our decorations, then carefully placing them on the Christmas tree and around our homes. We have a range of baubles and decorations, all would make wonderful Christmas gifts for you and your loved ones. Header photo by Katie Elizabeth Wright.

 

Beautiful Baubles

Nothing says sparkly and festive like sequins. Add a shimmering festive touch to your gift box with our sequin glass baubles. You can choose from gold, red and green, or treat yourself and your loved ones to all three for a vivid jewel collection. Think how lovely the complete set would look on your Christmas tree! 

If sequins aren’t your go to, we have more designs such as our beautiful wooden decorations and jolly gnomes. Shown below are two from each collection; Snowflake Wooden Decoration and one of our cute Gnome Hanger Decorations.
Firstly, our Wooden Decorations consist of this gorgeous Snowflake, Intricate Snowflake, Patterned Tree and Woodland Reindeer, with festive red and green ribbon ties. They are all beautifully detailed to add to your winter wonder gift boxes. We love that these little Christmas gifts are created by our in-house designers and are completely plastic free. They are perfect for other rustic themed Christmas decorations.
Secondly, our Christmas Gnome Hanger Decorations are adorable touches to a gift box. Choose from three red and white gnomes, featured in different glittery hats. Their total lack of facial features, button noses and little red mittens are so sweet, and as a result, make wonderfully festive Christmas tree decorations. 

Sequin detail baubles in red, gold and green with winter berries decorationRed, green and gold Sequin Baubles

 

Festive Flower Wreath

Continuing with Christmas decorations, next is our Festive Flower Wreath Kit. Making your own floral wreath can be a wonderfully cathartic experience, not to mention a festive one. Why not encourage your loved ones to take some time to create something lovely with this wreath kit? It has been thoughtfully assembled by our in-house Bookblock Florists and includes everything needed to create a gorgeous Christmas wreath.
Each kit contains a selection of our dried flowers, a golden metal hoop, hand-made and naturally dyed ribbon for a premium gift idea.
As you can see below this selection looks absolutely beautiful on the golden hoop, with the contrasting greens and reds and silky ribbon standing out as the star of the wreath. Because of this, we think they are such perfect Christmas decorations.

Floral wreath kit in three images with winter botanical detailFestive Flower Wreath Kit

 

Festive Food

Next up is Christmas food. We all love treating ourselves over the Christmas period, so we made sure to have festive treats waiting and ready. 

Firstly, our Merry Chocolate Selection is jolly and generous. It contains four mini boxes of festive chocolate delights, hand-picked based on their amazing taste and festive cheer. Enjoy forest gateau bites, churros almonds, tiramisu rounds and white chocolate pistachios. Additionally, this box also has some awesome packaging. It includes bright and bold colours on the cover with abstract shapes that catch your eye so well. The mini boxes are no different as the beautiful floral designs and more simplistic abstract shapes make a wonderful aesthetic. These Christmas chocolates make great additions to any festive gift box. 

A Merry Chocolate Selection with abstract christmas tree detail in green and orange
A Merry Chocolate Selection

 

Christmas Crackers

Lastly, we have a brilliant finishing touch; Christmas crackers! Each is filled with yummy chocolates for exciting Christmas treats.
The first is our slightly more sophisticated cracker with port and raisin truffles, hand-made by the Norfolk Truffle Company. They’re coated in dark chocolate with a delicious milk truffle interior, with added raisins and ruby port. These treats are housed in a luxurious cracker design, with luscious blue and gold details to really stand out.
Next is another classy cracker containing three delicious milk Lindt Christmas chocolates. These are perfect to add a little festive fun to your gift box with the surprise of Santas inside. Additionally, the cracker has a beautifully elegant design with festive, botanical motifs all around.
Lastly, for more fun, is our Santa Cracker. These charming Christmas gifts house delicious milk chocolate Santa belts, which are fitting for the giant friendly Santa around the cracker! They are (just like the others), a lovely finishing touch to a gift box.

Christmas crackers collection Port & Raisin Truffle Cracker, Lindt Santas Cracker and Santa Cracker

 

If you’d like to add more of a personal touch, we have hundreds of greeting cards for you to add to your gift boxes that would make them extra special. A Christmas card goes a long way for sending a personal message. 

Time’s ticking for the countdown to Christmas so start your browsing!

Take Care of Your Skin with Bookblock

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

A lot of us have skincare routines we stick to either because they work for us, or because there are thousands of products out there and it’s too overwhelming! We’ve put together this selection of skincare gifts for you and your loved ones to make it a little easier. Any of our pampering treats make great additions to any gift boxes, be it a gift for mum (or dad!), a birthday gift box or thinking of you gifts for those who deserve some pampering!

 

A Comforting Bath

First things first, every skin care routine should begin with a lovely, comforting bath (or shower if you prefer). For the bathers, we suggest our Sleepy Tea Bath Soak.
Soothe your body and mind with its herbal blend to help you get the best night’s sleep…after the rest of your skincare routine of course. The blend is infused with antioxidants, therefore reducing inflammation and balancing your skin.  Enjoy Himalayan pink salt, dead sea salt, lavender, chamomile, rose petals and lemon balm for a wonderful soak. It is a wonderful addition to our pampering gifts and any skincare gift box.

Sleepy Tea Bath Soak with rose decorationSleepy Tea Bath Soak

 

Soothing Facial Steam

Now the lovely heat has started to open your pores, it’s time to relax further with our Botanical Facial Steamer. A beautiful 100% natural blend of roses, marigold, chamomile, lavender and cornflowers, it promotes healthy circulation. As a result, the skin absorbs products more easily, but make sure to moisturise your face when finished to lock in all the goodness!

Botanical Facial Steamer with floral decoration in yellow, blue and purplesBotanical Facial Steamer

 

Nourishing Moisturiser

For a lovely body moisturiser, we have two skincare gifts that we love; Orange Blossom Body Cream and Pure Shea Butter Oil.
The Orange body cream is inspired by the rich landscape of Antigua, sweet, fresh and enticing. The cream packs in beautiful orange aromas which leave incredibly refreshing and revitalising scents on the skin. Additionally, its key ingredient shea butter helps to nourish the skin. Furthermore, this product comes in a nostalgic and beautifully illustrated tube, resulting in a gorgeous feature in any skincare gift box.
If you prefer something with less scent, the Pure Shea Butter Oil is perfect. Just like the orange cream, this will help to nourish, moisturise and restore your skin. It is handmade and 100% natural, offering unrefined shea butter. Because of this, it is suitable for skin of all ages, making it one of our favourite pampering gifts!

Pure Shea Butter Oil and Orange Blossom Body Cream with floral decoration in orange and greenOrange Blossom Body Cream and Pure Shea Butter Oil

 

Lastly, for the final finishing touch, treat you and your loved ones with our 100% Natural Sleep, Massage and Bath Oil in a gift box. We know there’s not much more important than getting a good night’s sleep, so we’re offering this lovely oil. It’s so gentle that it’s suitable for adults and babies, just like our body creams.
The nourishing treat is packed with natural and soothing ingredients such as Lavender essential oil, Almond oils and Jojoba oil, so we can ensure your skin is in good hands! A soothing massage really is the perfect end to a skincare routine. 

To make your routine even easier, we also have our curated gift boxes, with pampering gifts chosen for you, ready to order in our beautiful boxes.
For example, our Pink Fantasy Gift Box. This features our previously mentioned Facial Steam and Massage Oil, as well as our Älska Lavender, Hibiscus & Orange Bath Salts and Sparkling Rose Gold Prosecco! All the right goodies for a perfect pamper hamper and great way to take care of your skin.

Bookblock’s Guide to Vegan Gifts

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Whether you or your loved ones are just making the switch now, or are a long serving vegan, we have so many lovely products just waiting to be added to a gift box.

 

Healthy But Tasty!

Our first treat is the new Healthy But Tasty Selection. As the name tells you, this collection of yummy snacks are based on their delicious taste and nutritional properties. Each selection contains a box of dried summer fruits, roasted nuttiness, sesame candied peanuts and power berry mix.
A lovely combination of fruity, sharp, nutty and salty flavours allows these snacks to cover all bases. As a result, they provide benefits for your body such as antioxidants, amino acids and Vitamins A and C.
Not to mention the beautiful packaging, with bold, contrasting colours for each box and lovely motifs to reflect the box’s contents. Additionally, the bright orangey yellow inside livens this selection further, creating some awesome vegan gifts. 

Healthy But Tasty Selection

 

Tea to the Clouds

Next is our heavenly Tea to the Clouds range of four loose leaf teas. Each is made using traditional methods and the finest ingredients, resulting in some divine drinks. As these ingredients are primarily fruits and herbs, they make brilliant vegan gifts. If you have a loved one that is an ultimate tea lover, why not treat them to the whole collection for a fabulous vegan gift box? They can work their way through the flavours and find their favourite!

Tea to the Clouds collection with train and clouds decoration in blueDuchess Earl Grey, Karnataka Jasmine Chai, The Royal Blend and Berry & Blossom Rooibos


Our first flavour is Duchess Earl Grey that will travel your taste buds to Sri Lanka with its full-bodied blend. This tea balances hints of orange pieces, cornflower and rose petals, lime leaves and Sri Lankan black tea. Therefore, creating a luscious citrus twist to a traditional brew.

Secondly, Karnataka Jasmine Chai, which is another twist to a traditional mix. Experience floral notes of Jasmine, rose and lavender, balanced with hints of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper.
The Royal Blend consists of Ceylon Earl Grey and light Jasmine green tea, combined delightfully with a blend of malty Assam, rich Ceylon and Kenyan black tea.
Lastly, the beautiful flavours of Berry & Blossom Rooibos. It combines a blend of fruit and herbs, resulting in a tea that’s full of floral character and beautifully mellow. These flavours include rosehip, red currants, black currants, rose leaves, lavender and blueberries throughout the silky brew. 

 

Forty Liquors

Continuing with our delicious drinks (but not quite on the same level), we have our Forty Liquors cocktails! These concoctions make great additions to a birthday gift box for a celebration. We’ve developed a huge range, but two of our favourite treats are the Wild Pink Gin and Salted Caramel Espresso Martini.

The vibrant pink gin is inspired by flavours of our British summer. It starts its life as small-batch handcrafted London Dry Gin, then experiences the addition of a perfectly balanced combination of wild strawberries, rhubarb and dill. As a result, it culminates in a delicate, yet full flavoured summer delight. 

Wild Pin Gin pictured in a glass with fruit and strawberry decoration in pinksWild Pink Gin 20cl

 

Our Martini is a smooth classic containing a blend of rums, taking you straight to Antigua and Jamaica. Enjoy this combination of rum, coffee liqueur, cold brew and salted caramel. Think of this cocktail as an Espresso Martini with a twist of sunshine.

Salted Caramel Espresso Martini image with coffee beans and the cocktail bottledBoth these fabulous cocktails are great numbers to kickstart your weekend. The additional knowledge that these are vegan cocktails also makes them that much yummier!

 

Just Whole Foods

Next up is a brand that specialises in vegetarian and vegan gifts, Just Whole Foods. You can find four of their yummy treats on our website; Organic Brownie Mix, Organic Pancake Mix, Vegan Strawberry Jelly and Vegebears Vegan Sweets. 

Just Whole Foods vegan products; Vegebears, Strawberry Jelly, Pancake Mix and Brownie mixVegebears Vegan Sweets, Vegan Strawberry Jelly, Organic Brownie Mix and Organic Pancake Mix 

The vegan brownies are a definite treat to your taste buds, deliciously gooey and chocolatey. This mix makes up to 12 delectable brownies, which are perfect for sharing because of their vegan and gluten free nature! (Sharing is optional though…)
For an easy treat, try the vegan pancake recipe. Making up to 8 fluffy pancakes, it’s a scrumptious option for breakfast or lunch!
The strawberry jelly is another brilliant easy goodie. Gelatine free (of course) and quick set, this mix contains no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners. You could also add your own personal touch with some berries or fruits for a fun twist! 

 

The Vegan Sweet Shop

As well as our individual vegan gifts, we have curated gift boxes with products especially chosen to create the perfect vegan gift box. Our Vegan Sweet Shop Gift Box, for instance, is full of goodies. If you’re someone or have a friend with a sweet tooth, do not go any further!

Vegan Sweet Shop Gift Box with decorative detailsThe Vegan Sweet Shop Gift Box

Our Vegan Butterscotch Fudge and Coconut Caramel Truffles are the stars of this gift box and every bit as good as their non-vegan counterparts, if not better! It also features scrumptious Salted Peanut Butter, Pear Drop Sweets and Gin & Tonic Dark Chocolate to fulfil your every vegan need.

Head over to our Vegan Gifts section to start your browsing!

Bookblock’s Guide to Wellbeing Gifts

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Here at Bookblock we stand with your health being of the greatest importance. This is why we felt a guide to some of our well-being gifts, and how they can help, is a great way for you to create your perfect gift box. With the colder weather setting in, these products will make brilliant autumn gifts. Be it a birthday gift box, thank you gifts or getting those Christmas gift ideas early.

 

Stay Active

To begin, we have our two beautiful sets of 40 cards for keeping active. They are both housed in decorative boxes with magnetic closes, making them lovely luxury gifts.

The first is our Set of Yoga Cards featuring yoga poses and their physical and mental benefits. On top of the physical improvement, practising yoga can create mental clarity and calmness, increasing the body’s awareness. This is why we feel this set is a great fit for a wellbeing gift box.
The cards can be used to shake up your yoga routine, or simply work your way through to expand your knowledge and yoga pose repertoire. Each card is colour coded according to experience level, so great for beginners as well as those with more experience.
The illustrations are also lovely, as is the floral pattern on the outer box, with colours reflecting the calmness of a yoga practice.

Set of 40 Yoga Cards with floral decoration in blues and oranges

Set of 40 Yoga Cards

 

Next is our Set of 40 Exercise Cards. It contains a variety of exercises and, just like the yoga cards, provide their physical and mental benefits. Exercising is a crucial way to stay fit and physically healthy, but also reduces anxiety, depression and a negative mood.
Also, the colour coded key for each card makes creating your personal workout easier as you have the choice of experience level.
The illustrations for each exercise are super clear, with bold, fun shapes on the outer box. Therefore, this set makes a wonderful addition to a wellbeing gift box.

 

Set of 40 Exercise Cards with circle and rectangle decorative shapes in purple, orange, pink and blue
Set of 40 Exercise Cards

(Keep an eye out with these card sets…we may be releasing another soon!)

Get Creative

As well as being physically active, keeping our brains active is just as important. We think our personalised journals are brilliant gift ideas as they do just that. We have two to choose from; Personalised Art Therapy Journals and Personalised Mindfulness Journals.

The Arty Therapy Journals have been designed to encourage self-expression through art and creativity. This enables you to focus on your own perceptions, imagination and feelings. You also have the option of customising the journal with a unique cover, be it your name or something inspirational to you.
These journals are great for organising your thoughts through drawing exercises. This includes mark-making, finishing the other half of images and collage drawing. The other lovely thing is that you don’t have to be arty. These journals are for everyone to express themselves freely.  

Pages from our Arty Therapy Journals

 

The Mindfulness Journals help to focus the journey of your thoughts with 66 days of mindfulness practise. Our journal will help you turn mindfulness journal into an instinctive habit. As a result, you can connect to your heart, body and mind, achieving better clarity of thought. Including meditation techniques and daily gratitude, it is brilliant if your mind tends to wander when trying to focus. 

Pages from our Mindfulness Journals

With the choice of a personalised cover and our array of designs, you can add a name, memory or favourite quotation to make it an extra special addition to a wellbeing gift box.

 

Pamper Yourself!

Lastly, it is always a good idea to have a pamper session every now and then, to recharge and look after your body. We have so many pampering gifts to choose from that they have their own section!
There’s nothing like soaking in a lovely warm bath with some bath salts, which is why we think our Lavender and Ylang Ylang Bath Salts are a perfect option for wellbeing gifts.
They are completely natural with no chemicals, no colour and no artificial perfumes, made with nature’s finest ingredients. Furthermore, the luxury dead sea salt helps to revitalise the skin and the lavender and ylang ylang essential oils help to relax the mind and body.

Ylang Ylang Bath Salts with watercolour lavender decoration

Lavender and Ylang Ylang Bath Salts

If you’d like more treats from our pamper section, why not get yourself one of our curated gift boxes? Our Mind & Body Pamper Gift Box or Perfect Pamper Gift Box are perfect to really indulge in treating yourself or your loved ones.

We hope this guide has provided some ideas for your wellbeing gifts and the best ways to look after yourself and the people you love.

10 Books to Gift this Christmas

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

What better way so cosy up around Christmas time than with a good book? We know that e-books have their advantages, but we feel that nothing beats holding a good, physical book. They are definitely great gifts for book lovers and can be sent as letterbox gifts, so no worry about missing your delivery!

 

The Classics

First, we’re starting with the classic books. We have a range of brilliant stories, with covers that our design team have re-created beautifully. We know normally you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but in this case, we think you can! As specialists in stationery, we couldn’t resist putting our own magical touch to these beloved classics.
Additionally, each book sits in gorgeous cloth with the title and spine debossed in gold and silver foil. Talk about luxury gifts!
Four of our favourites are Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book and Little Women. All would make lovely additions to Christmas gift boxes.

Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book and Little Women

 

Most know the storylines of these beauties, but here’s a little re-cap if you’re unfamiliar!

Alice in Wonderland features a girl called Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world full of weird and wonderful people and animals like the Mad Hatter.
The Wizard of Oz starts with a tornado that rips through Kansas. It whisks character Dorothy and her dog Toto into a magical land called Oz, where she follows a yellow brick road with a Scarecrow, Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion to the Emerald City.
The Jungle Book follows Mowgli who is a feral child raised by wolves in the Indian Jungle. His friends Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear try to convince him to leave the jungle as the evil tiger Shere Khan is after him.
Lastly, Little Women follows the lives of the four March sisters; Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. It explores their journey from childhood to womanhood.

 

Non-Fiction

Next is our collection of non-fiction books. We’ve chosen this collection of three as they explore a variety of topics that feed the soul and the curious mind, which is great for the Christmas relaxation period. Therefore, they make great gifts for book lovers.
We have awakening words from Sigmund Freud’s Dream Psychology, which shines a light on our dreams and their possible meanings.
Also, Roman reflections with Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, documenting spiritual reflections, personal guidance and self-improvement.
The third of the collection is Dale Carnegie’s The Art of Public Speaking. He helps to master the skills of public speaking by growing confidence with good communication and self-awareness.

These books have also been re-designed by our Bookblock designers to create striking covers that would make stylish additions to Christmas gift boxes and any growing book collection.

The Art of Public Speaking, Dream Psychology and Meditations

 

Colouring-In

To continue with the relaxation, we have our Colouring-In Book. It’s filled with uplifting and charming drawings by our illustrators and generous contributing illustrators. This 88-page book is part of our Positive Post campaign, which helps raise money for causes such as NHS staff care packages and Action for Children through the profits. Because of this, it’s definitely one of our lovely Christmas gift ideas. For children or adults, everyone can unwind with some calming colouring in the knowledge that the purchase has also helped our amazing NHS. 

Colouring-In Book

Yoga

Another of our Christmas gift ideas is the Book of Yoga. It works as an educational tool that is perfect for yoga practitioners of all stages from beginner to advanced. It’s also a great activity tool to centre the mind. Filled with a large range of poses, gorgeous illustrations and activities, the book is the perfect thing to get you physically and spiritually active.
Because of this, it maaaay be one of those gift ideas that doesn’t get appreciated until after Christmas…
Just like our previous books, this cover was beautifully designed, with fun and engaging abstract shapes.

Book of Yoga

 

Cocktails

To finish, we have our Cocktails Through the Ages, A Brief History of Mixology. This book tracks 150 years of mixology in 42 unique recipes. Each recipe is accompanied by vibrant illustrations alongside a history of the drink. It makes a brilliant gift for anyone with an interest in mixology, or if you’d just like to have fun trying to create the recipes and gain some knowledge along the way.
Over the festive period it’s nice to have some activities planned and this could be one of your fun Christmas gift ideas for friends and loved ones. 

For more gift ideas try our Cocktail Extravaganza Gift Box which contains this wonderful book along with two of our Forty Liquors cocktails and more. 

Hopefully this has given you some insight to the gorgeous range of books we sell here and why they make such lovely Christmas gift ideas. Head over to our Books section to see the rest!

Bookblock’s Guide to Curated Chocolate Gift Boxes

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Here we provide a breakdown of our chocolate gift boxes and the lovely products within them. The three gift boxes in the spotlight today are The Vegan Sweet Shop Gift Box, The Large Chocolate Gift Box and The Chocolate Indulgence Gift Box. 

 

The Vegan Sweet Shop Gift Box

This box is filled with sweet treats made with naturally vegan recipes. They are every bit as good as their non-vegan counterparts, if not better. Our Vegan Butterscotch Fudge and Coconut Caramel Salted Truffles are the stars thanks to the amazing flavours and beautiful packaging. We love the gold foil finishes that put emphasis on the details and premium quality.

Next, we have our delicious Salted Peanut Butter, Gin & Tonic Dark Chocolate and Pear Drop Sweets. Funky Nut Co’s Peanut Butter contains pure peanuts with some added organic sea salt for those who like things a little more savoury. The Gin & Tonic chocolate uses lemon and lime oil to give a subtle citrus flavour. Lastly, we have the classic pear drops. These hard-boiled sweets taste exactly as you remember them; sweet and fruity.

There are all sorts of flavours and products in this box, a perfect vegan gift box if you can’t decide, or just want them to try a bit of everything! 

Vegan Sweet Shop Gift Box with decorative detail in gold

 

The Large Chocolate Gift Box

Large is definitely the right word for this gift box. As far as we’re concerned, bigger is definitely better when it comes to chocolate. The gift box contains nine gifts to sink your teeth into, encouraging some almighty chocolate indulgence. Enough to fulfil your friends and family’s chocolate needs for a long time… or for one heavenly feast!

These gifts are a selection of our best loved and most enjoyed chocolatey products. We’ve included salted caramel flavours, dark white and milk chocolate, Rocky Road fudge and golden chocolate covered almonds. As well as two luxurious hot chocolates, Chocolate Chip Shortbread and Extra Dark Traditional Truffles. Of course, we also love the packaging for these products. They are all beautifully thought out designs that give them the aesthetic appeal they deserve. As a result, they make a wonderful luxury chocolate gift box.

The Large Chocolate Box with decorative detail in gold

 

Chocolate Indulgence Gift Box

With this box, we wanted to focus slightly more towards the dessert style gifts, hence the Dessert Collection chocolates! We’ve also included our Forty Liquors’ cheeky salted caramel espresso martini to bring you a slice of the Caribbean with its blend of rums from Antigua and Jamaica. Additionally, our Caramel, Chocolate & Sea Salt, Salted Caramel Truffles and Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate are definitely enough to hit a caramel overload! As well as the many caramel flavours, we also involved our gorgeous crispy orange slices with dark chocolate and our Gin & Tonic Dark Chocolate bar. This box is suitable for vegetarian friends, and is a great choice for a slightly more modest budget, making it one of the best chocolate gift boxes!

Indulgence Chocolate Box with decorative detail in gold

 

We hope this has provided some inspiration for what to buy those chocolate-mad friends. If you are loving these gifts and want to explore more, head over to our Chocolate World to start browsing our chocolate gift boxes and other products.

Bookblock’s Guide to Chocolate Gifts

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

If you have that wonderful sweet tooth, our chocolate boxes will fulfil your every need. Each chocolate is made and decorated by hand by artisan chocolatiers. Using E-number free, plant-based colour for a unique and vibrant finish, they’ll leave you wanting more and more! Not to mention the gorgeous boxes with intricate details to catch your eye.

 

Heavenly Collection

For instance, we have our Heavenly Collection of Handmade Chocolates. The box contains eight chocolates with our favourite sweet and fruity flavours: Salted Caramel, Praline Feuilletine, Banoffee Pie, Pistachio & Cream, White Chocolate & Raspberry, Morello Cherry, Orange Caramel and Basil & Lime. Talk about a luxury chocolate gift box!

In addition, the chocolates are handmade for us by genius chocolatier Kala King. Kala adds a unique design to each chocolate, using a mixture of paint strokes and splatter effects that represent their flavours. The box itself is also lovely, with intricate illustration and decoration. Adding that premium touch makes these such a lovely gift. 

Bookblock's Heavenly Collection of Handmade Chocolates with illustrative detail.

 

36 Truffle & Praline Chocolates

If you want a little more to your box, our 36 Truffle & Praline Chocolates can just about meet your needs! This is a truly indulgent gift selection. Enjoy a selection of Hazelnut Pralines, Hazelnut Truffles, Almond Pralines and Orange Pralines. No need to worry if you have a favourite, because there are six of each flavour chocolate. 

Shown below, all flavours have their own shape, painted detail and nuts sprinkled on top, creating a dazzling finish. Furthermore, they sit in a beautifully ornate box with floral and cross hatching style details. The contrasting colours and decorative finish is perfect if you’re after a premium chocolate gift box.

Bookblock's 36 Truffle & Praline Collection of chocolates with floral detail

 

Dessert Collection

Lastly (pretty fitting for the name), we have our Dessert Collection Chocolates. It consists of eight handmade chocolates inspired by some of (in our opinion) Europe’s tastiest desserts. Discover four different, unique and totally delicious flavours; Pastel de Nata, Churros, Black Forest and Tiramisu. All created by our artisan chocolatier Kala King. Their unique shapes create dazzling appearances and a fancy dessert. The great thing about this box is the ability to have the tastes of multiple desserts, condensed into a chocolate! Perfect if you want something sweet to finish the night off!

We love the box for these chocolates, with its bright and bold abstract shapes. The contrasting colours represent the range of dessert flavours and the gold interior really emphasises the luxuriousness.

Bookblock's Dessert Collection of chocolates with abstract shapes for decoration

 

Experiencing those chocolate cravings now? Head over to our Chocolate World to find these boxes and more chocolate gifts like our Cocktail Hour and Classic Selection. You won’t be disappointed!

Bookblock’s Guide to Personalised ‘Back to School’ Stationery Gifts

Posted on by Louise Ashlee

Know someone in desperate need of organising their time? Or is said person yourself? Bookblock can get you sorted. We have a wide range of Personalised diaries, notebooks, planners and journals to choose from. 

Picking the best-looking stationery is also one of the fun bits! We have a gorgeous collection of cover designs. From floral to abstract, you’re bound to find something you or your friends and family love.

 

The Youngsters

For the younger ones, we’ve created a range just for Personalised Kids Notebooks. The little ones can plan, draw and doodle to their heart’s content. And have an eye-catching cover with their name!

If they are animal or wildlife lovers, our Bumble Bees, Under the Sea, and Running Rabbits are wonderful choices. The adorable bee characters, fun sea creatures and speed of the rabbits will kick-start their imaginations!

Three kids notebooks in Under the Sea, Bumble Bees and Sleepy Cats patterns

Under the Sea, Bumble Bees and Sleepy Cats

 

Teens and Beyond

For the secondary, high school and university students, your back to school may mean planning your weeks or creating study notes pages (or both!). To help, we have our Personalised Weekly Planners and Notebooks. We have also recently released a new collection of Personalised Academic Diaries to beat the back to school rush! They are fantastic for schedules, with a week-to-view for intricate details to month-to-view pages for a general overview. 

The personalised covers include quotes such as ‘Let’s Pencil You In’ and ‘One Day at a Time’, or the option to write what you’d like, be it your name or a motivational quote of your own. Either way, they all come in a selection of gorgeous colours, with shades of dusty blues and pinks as well as burnt oranges and yellows. Just take a look at four of our favourite designs below. 

Our typographic covers show our Bold Blue and Orange with the striking ‘One Day at a Time’ quote in a beautifully detailed font to fill the cover. The second is more informal, our Orange Borders in a friendlier font and simplistic border to make the work and planning less daunting.

Two typographic academic diaries with the quotes 'Let's Pencil You In' and 'One day at a Time', in pinks, blues and oranges.

Let’s Pencil You In and Bold & Blue

 

The patterned designs are our Orange Borders and The Year Ahead. We love the marble style pattern as it can reflect the free-flow of your thoughts and in contrast, the lines of year ahead for the structure. Both make effective Academic Diaries.

Two patterned Academic Diaries with the titles 'The Year Ahead', in blue, pinks and oranges.

The Year Ahead and Warped Lines

 

Wellbeing

It can also be a time to get your mental health back in check or keep your emotional wellbeing on a steady level. We have two products that would be a great help with this; Personalised Mindfulness Journals and Personalised Art Therapy Journals. 

The Mindfulness Journals help to focus the journey of your thoughts with 66 days of mindfulness practise, including meditation techniques and daily gratitude. This is brilliant if your mind tends to wander when trying to focus, as this tends to happen on the first day of school or university. 

Pages from Mindfulness Journals with leaf decorations

Pages from our Mindfulness Journals

 

The Art Therapy Journals are similar for organising your thoughts, but through drawing exercises. This includes mark-making, finishing the other half of images and collage drawing. It is great for arty students if they need to aimlessly create and get their ideas flowing again, but you don’t need to be artistic. These journals are for everyone. 

Pages from Art Therapy Journals with abstract pink, blue and yellow shapes behind.

Pages from our Art Therapy Journals

 

As our minds all work in different and unique ways, we wanted our cover designs to reflect this. This is why we have a large range of over 200 designs to choose from, so you can find one that best suits you or your friends and family! To show what we mean, we’ve included some examples below. All very different, but brilliant designs that represent the ideas of expressing emotions. 

 

Four examples of Mindfulness Journal covers with lines, abstract and moon patterns

Mindfulness Journals: Simple Lines Mindfulness, Seaplants, Cream and Blue, Moons

Four examples of Art Therapy Journals in brush stroke doodles, geometric shapes, leaves and a rectangular border.

Art Therapy Journals: Paint Doodles, Art Coding Grey, Maranta Leaves, Art Journal Blue

 

Personalised stationery is hard to beat for a gift that helps the back to school period run smoothly. Head over to our Stationery section to start browsing the ranges, and if you find the perfect book for you or a friend, let us know! We love to see what you do with your personalised covers.

Bookblock Guide to Classy Alcohol Gifts

Posted on by Sarah Bennett

Champagnes

Firstly, our wonderful Champagnes. There’s nothing like popping open a bottle for a celebration (or just a Friday night!), which is why it’s such a favourite. Two of our stars are the Champagne Brut Vintage 2012 and Cuvée Aged 5 Years Champagne.

Champagne Brut Vintage 2012 and Cuvée Aged 5 Years Champagne with wine and cheese illustrative decoration

Champagne Brut Vintage 2012 and Cuvée Aged 5 Years Champagne

 

Our Brut Vintage 2012 has elegant Chardonnays blended with powerful Pinots Noirs to produce a rich and perfect balance. With aromas of lime, tangerine and pomegranate, notes of ripe black cherry, blueberries and honey, it has a refreshing acidity. Not to mention its long, silky finish.
The extraordinary aromatic concentration, due to modest production and magnificent maturity of the grapes, makes this vintage Piper-Heidsieck a sublime gift.

The Cuvée is a complex champagne by Devaux, rich and intense with a balanced acidity that brings a beautiful sense of freshness and minerality. Its flavours are enhanced by the proportional use of reverse wine which goes back as far as 1995. It is then aged for over sixty months! It makes a great companion for any special occasion.

I think we can all agree that these champagnes are packed with elegance. As a result, they are a definite for our classy variety and great alcohol gifts.

 

Prosecco and Wine

Sometimes we want to gift something special…but not Champagne special. We understand this, so have a gorgeous variety of Prosecco and wine to choose from. You can still have the fun bubbles or rich aromas with our bottle gifts.

Firstly, we have our Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry by Ca’di Alte. It’s made from Glera grapes in a vineyard situated in the hills of Veneto and is a light straw yellow with fine bubbles. A pleasant bouquet with notes of pear and white flowers that follow onto a palate which is bright and clean, with a refreshing finish. This is a lovely addition to any gift box.

Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry with floral decoration in creams and greens

Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry

 

Secondly, our 2018 Central Otago Pinot Noir. This bright garnet wine has aromas of sweet cherry, strawberry, white blossom, clove and wild thyme. The palate is rich in texture and complimented by red and black berry fruit, wild herbs and earthy flavours. It is 100% Pinot Noir and well structured with silky tannins and enticing layers of fruit. We love this wine by Wild Earth and think it deserves a place with our classy alcohol gifts.

2018 Central Otago Pinot Noir with grape and leaf decorations in reds and greens

2018 Central Otago Pinot Noir

 

Cocktails

Cocktails are always exciting to receive in a gift box. We have an ever-growing range from our Forty Liquors collection, which definitely fall into the classy category. Each Forty Liquors premium cocktail is carefully considered by expert mixologists with top quality ingredients and bottled with care. 

Take our Queens Martini by Forty Liquors. Inspired by the New York classic, this delicate martini has an abundance of class. Take a sip and discover London Dry Gin mixed, complex Fino sherry and orange blossom bitters with a subtle hint of Lillet Blanc and elderflower essence. Stir with ice and strain, serve with dehydrated lemon for a cocktail that’ll take you to the beating heart of the Big Apple.
The packaging from our design team really finishes this cocktail off with a pop. The bright and contrasting colours grab your attention, with lovely brush-stroke style illustrations. 

Another wonderful, classy cocktail is our Grapefruit Negroni. Think, when Turin meets Soho. The result, a modern twist on this timeless classic. An incredible aperitif with carefully curated ingredients London Dry Gin, sweet Vermouth and Grapefruit. Delivering elegance with a zesty kick to your front door, making a brilliant alcohol gift. 

Queens Martini and Pink Grapefruit Negroni cocktails with abstract and landscape decoration

Queens Martini and Grapefruit Negroni

 

Mini Cocktails

For slightly smaller, more understated gifts, our miniature cocktails are the gifts to go for. Forty Liquors has created classy little tastes for you to try. They are great gift ideas for birthday gifts or thank you gifts (or any gift box really!).

Our Bucks Fizz is a great example. This sophisticated cocktail is inspired by the classic Bucks Fizz, a drink synonymous with brunch, celebrations and festivity. Its namesake is classically a mix of just orange juice and champagne, but this cocktail has some additions. The Gin, Thyme Liqueur, Mandarin Sherbet, Citric acid and the all-important orange juice will take your fizz to a whole new level of deliciousness. 

Additionally, we have our Island Spiced Rum. This light bodied, oaky and fruity rum is perfect for cocktails. With notes of orchard fruits, tropical fruits and smoke it is gracefully sweet with a wood spice fade. This is formed by five years of maturation in small oak barrels. These delicious flavours put this gem straight into our classy alcohol gifts.

Bucks Fizz and Island Spiced Rum with illustrative leaf decoration in green

Bucks Fizz and Island Spiced Rum

Bookblock Guide To Date Night In

Posted on by Sarah Bennett

Chocolates

Firstly, we’re starting with food, as every great date night needs some yummy treats and our Chocolate World has a scrumptious selection. As it can be difficult to decide, we’ve narrowed it down to two choices of sweetness; our Handmade Chocolate Hearts and Butter Beer Truffles. (Or you can have both!)

Love comes in all shapes and sizes, and ours comes in the shape of nine beautiful chocolate hearts. They are a mix of handmade praline, strawberry cream and salted caramel chocolates. Handmade for us by artisan chocolatier Kala King, they make a perfect gift for that special someone. The shapes and colours can’t get much more romantic, with the deep pink box and gorgeous gold detail. Because of this, this box works brilliantly as a date night gift or part of your valentine’s day gifts.

Handmade Chocolate Hearts box with chocolate hearts and floral decoration in pinks and blues

Our Butter Beer Truffles are 100g of heaven. The white chocolate middle is rich with malt extract and butterscotch, giving it a rich and luxurious texture. Furthermore, the milky chocolate flakes that surround the white chocolate give that little bit of chocolatey bite. These beauties are a divine choice to share with your loved one as date night gifts.

Butterbeer Truffles packaging and photo of truffles being picked up with gold decoration

Pamper

A romantic bath together makes a lovely, relaxing setting. Our Älska Lavender, Hibiscus & Orange Bath Salts are the way to go. The salts are a calming blend containing Himalayan & Epsom salts combined with essential oils and enriched with organic botanicals. Beautiful scents of lavender, sweet orange and hibiscus ensure an indulgent bath experience, making it a wonderful date night gift.

Alska Bath Salts with floral decoration

For a finishing touch to a pampering date night, try our Eucalyptus and Geranium Massage Oil by Älska. It’s 100% natural, skin-nourishing, beautifully aromatic and infused with calming Eucalyptus, tension releasing Geranium and hydrating oils. Continuing the relaxation of your evening with a lovely massage is a perfect date night idea and this oil is the key.

Alska Massage Oil with floral decoration in greens and oranges

 

Alcohol 

To top your evening off, a lovely bottle of wine does the trick and we have a luscious range of red, white and rosé to choose from. Our 2019 Monopolio Durello Spumante and 2018 Fleurie are wonderful choices.

The Monopolio by Cantina di Gambellara is a fruity and sparkling dry wine made with Durella grapes, an ancient autochthonous variety. It’s pale yellow in colour with delicate aromas of papaya and plums. On the nose, there are fresh notes of minerality and apple, with a fine and long finish. It’s dry, elegant and vegan! 

The Fleurie is full of expressive Gamay characteristics with elegant violet, iris and red fruit aromas and a palate bursting with velvety tannins. It is also an elegant, vegan wine with a long finish and floral perfumes that are characteristic of this Beaujolais Cru.

Either (or both) of these wines would make an ideal date night gift and add that special touch to your evening with your loved one.

2019 Monopolio Durello Spumante and 2018 Fleurie with leaves decoration in greens

We hope this blog has given you some date night gift ideas and that you have a wonderful evening with your special someone. To browse for more, head over to our shop to make your own date night gift box.

A Simple Guide to Building a Thoughtful Gift Box

Posted on by zafer

We have so many products for all sorts of occasions, be it a birthday gift box, valentines day gift box, or simply thinking of you gifts. For specific occasions, a theme is the best way to go for a thoughtful gift box.

Pamper Gifts

Do you know a special someone who isn’t feeling so great, or maybe just needs a bit of cheering up? Why not build a gift box full of pampering gifts to help them out a little? We have a whole section dedicated to pamper gifts, as they’re one of the best ways to treat your loved ones.

Milk Body Scrub and Ylang Ylang Bath Salts with lavender illustrations in purples

Detoxifying Body Scrub and Ylang Ylang Bath Salts

 

A few of our most loved pampering gifts are our Detoxifying Body Scrub by Milk, Lavender and Ylang Ylang Bath Salts by Leende and our collection of bath bombs by Bombombomboms.
The Body Scrub is made to refine, smooth and hydrate skin. Containing grapefruit oil, rosemary oil and dried lavender, it has a beautiful yet subtle scent.
Our Ylang Ylang Bath Salts are completely natural, with luxury dead sea bath salts to revitalise the skin. The lavender and ylang ylang essential oils in this amazing blend help relax the mind and body.
Lastly, our bath bomb collection, with six products to choose from. We love the Rose Petals with Rose and Geranium essentials oils, as well as the Citrus Twist that’s hand finished with shimmering brushes of gold.
All of these products would make wonderful thoughtful gifts, so are brilliant for building your own gift box.

Four Bombombombom bath bombs

Citrus Twist, Rose Petals, Peaches & Cream and Floral Bouquet Bombombombom bath bombs

Celebration Gifts

On a lighter note, perhaps you’re looking for some thoughtful gifts to celebrate with someone? Again, we have our own Congratulations Gifts section dedicated to helping you find what you’re looking for. 

A classic celebratory gift is a wonderful bottle of bubbly. One of our favourites is the Perle Noire Brut Sparkling White Wine by Louis Bouillot. It’s made using Gamay and Pinot Noir grapes, with a fine, elegant mousse and red fruit aromas on the nose. This luxury bottle adds a premium touch to a gift box and definitely shows your caring nature!

Louis Bouillot Perle Noire with abstract shapes in gold, red and greens

Perle Noire Brut Sparkling White Wine

Another thoughtful gift idea is chocolate boxes. We have such a beautiful range here at Bookblock, all with amazing packaging designs too. We feel they should look as good as they taste! One that shows this off wonderfully is our 15 Mixed Praline Chocolates.
This chocolate box contains 15 decadent flavours including Classic Praline, Caramac Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Hazelnut Truffle and more! As you can see, they are housed in a beautifully ornate box with gold foiling, making a perfect, thoughtful keepsake. 

15 Mixed Praline Chocolates with gold leaf border decoration

15 Mixed Praline Chocolates

For those extra little thoughtful gifts, try our Ginger Ray collection of balloons. They range from gold, rose and silver balloons to confetti filled fun. For example, our Gold Foil Confetti Balloons create an instant injection of glitz and glamour. The unique shredded gold confetti adds a stunning and elegant shimmer, suiting a multitude of celebrations.

Ginger Ray Balloons in rose and gold with abstract pink and gold shapes

Ginger Ray Rose Gold and Blush Bundle, Gold Confetti and Gold and White Bundle Balloons

Lastly, any thoughtful gifts deserve a thoughtful message. For a finishing touch to your gift box, why not add a personalised card. We have hundreds to choose from, from illustrations and patterns to photo cards for a more sentimental touch.

 

Bookblock Gift Guide to Thanking the Bride Tribe 

Posted on by Sarah Bennett

For the Organiser 

Firstly, every bride tribe has an organiser. You’ll usually find them with a stopwatch and clipboard, ensuring everything runs to plan. They’re the linchpin behind every good wedding. So, show them how much you appreciate their hard work with a beautiful personalised notebook.
Our Bookblock range has something to suit every personality and allows you to get creative with customisable text for your own unique touch. You can name them as the organiser they are, or something more personal like a nickname! 

We have so many designs to choose from, but a couple that work wonderfully for a thank you gift are our Watercolour Pink and Blue Marble. Both designs are very wedding-esque with pink florals and the sophisticated marble texture. However, if your organiser has maybe a bolder, brighter personality, head over to our Personalised Notebooks to browse for more bridesmaid gift ideas!

Water Colour Pink and Blue Marble Notebooks with green leaves decoration

Watercolour Pink and Blue Marble Notebooks

 

For the Party Animal 

It’s not a bride tribe without a party expert. They’re the first ones on the dance floor and usually the last ones off it. After all that effort, they need a big bridesmaid thank you gift. And nothing does the job like a good gin. Step forward Bookblock Forty Liquors Wild Pink Gin. Its perfect balance of wild strawberries, Rhubarb and Dill creates a fun drink for your wildest member of the bride tribe. The gorgeous pink colour and beautifully designed label makes it a great gift box addition.

Wild Pin Gin pictured in a glass with fruit and strawberry decoration in pinks

Wild Pink Gin

 

For the besties

Nobody knows you better than your bridesmaids. They’ve been there through thick and thin and they deserve a little something special. These stunning bangles by Junk Jewels are a perfect bridesmaid thank you gift for the whole tribe to remember the big day. They are housed in a luxury white matchbox style gift box reading ‘I couldn’t tie the knot without you x’. With its adjustable size and gorgeous white organza ribbon holding the box in place, it’s a beautiful wearable keepsake. Add one to your thank you gift box to remind them that you couldn’t have tied the knot without them.

Rose Gold Knot Bangle with floral decoration in pinks, creams and oranges

 

For the Sweet Tooths 

Nothing says ‘thank you’ like chocolate. And the bride tribe deserves the best of the best. Treat them to our Bookblock Deli Classic Selection of Handmade Chocolates. This box contains four chocolates in both classic and imaginative flavours, with beautiful hand painted whirls and splatters. The decorative gold foiled sleeve is perfect for adding a premium touch to your bridesmaid thank you gift. And they taste as good as they look!

Classic Selection Chocolates with gold pattern decoration

 

Classic Selection of Handmade Chocolates

 

For the Recovery 

Lastly, every big day has a big night. Give your bride tribe the best chance of recovery with this 100% Natural Sleep, Massage and Bath Oil. This nourishing treat is packed with soothing ingredients such as Lavender essential oil, Almond oils and Jojoba oil. We can assure you their skin is in good hands. Just a few drops in a bath will have them dreaming away before you know it (so don’t let them use it until after your big day!). Add one to a bridesmaid thank you gift box or why not keep one for yourself? After all that gifting, you’ve earned it!

100% Natural Massage and Sleep Oil with Lavender decoration in pinks and purples

100% Natural Sleep, Massage and Bath Oil

 

Hopefully this has given you some gift ideas to add into every bridesmaid thank you gift box. We don’t think your bride tribe will be disappointed with these goodies! However, if you’d like to treat them with something a little bigger, we have our curated bridesmaid gift boxes. They are located in our wedding gift boxes section and filled with more amazing gifts.

The Bookblock guide to…  Gifts for Teachers

Posted on by Sarah Bennett

We have such a brilliant range of curated gift boxes to choose from, but we’ve selected three that we think would be great teacher gifts for those ones who deserve something special. Be it for leaving gifts or thank you gifts, there’s something for everyone.

 

End of Year’ Teacher Gift Box

Firstly, our ‘End of Year’ Teacher Gift Box. This sophisticated box contains gold standard teacher gifts including our beautifully handmade Classic Selection of chocolates, a bottle of bubby, a Queens Martini and our White Helichrysum medium dried bouquet.
If you’re wondering ‘can you give wine to teachers?’, we think you most certainly should be able to! Our little Gold Prosecco is the perfect way to celebrate the end of the year, with the Queens Martini to follow shortly after…
Our Classic Selection of chocolates are beautifully yummy and indulgent treats for your teachers to sink their teeth into and pair wonderfully with the bubbly.
Lastly, our White Helichrysum bouquet is a really lovely personal touch, its neutral white and creams great for any home. Making it a great teacher gift idea.
Even the colour theme of this box is brilliant, especially for those teachers who like order! The gold foil, creams and greens create a beautiful aesthetic for these thank you gifts.

End of The Year gift box with leaves decoration

 

The Masterplanner Letter Box

Next is The Masterplanner Letter Box. This gift box swings swiftly in the other direction with a special selection of teacher gifts for those in need of time to think and plan.
Our cream and gold foiled Masterplan notebook is the perfect place for them to keep track of ideas and plans. With every great notebook, there should be a special pen.
Our premium weighted brass hex pen is stylish, unique and sits in a lovely velvet drawstring pouch. A great little teacher gift to add some pizazz when doing their work.
To help inspire those big ideas, this gift box also contains Jasmine Incense and our Body Boost loose leaf tea. The authentic Chinese incense sticks are perfect for the home, office or meditation and the tea is packed with gorgeous rich flavours.
To finish, we added our Classic Selection of chocolates for that special, sweet treat. This gift box is full of great thank you teacher gifts.

Masterplanner gift box with diagonally split background in pink and white

 

Floral Notes Gift Box

Lastly, for something more understated, we have our Floral Notes Gift Box. This beautifully botanical box is a wonderful way to send a token of your appreciation.
The Älska bath salts work wonders for the skin and the soul, calming them with essential oils and organic botanicals. Additionally, the Alantoine hand cream contains highly concentrated, natural ingredients to give you smoother, protected hands. Both are perfect for those that need some time to take care of themselves after being the brilliant teachers they are.
Accompanied by our Flower Notes, which is a lovely little addition for those important notes and many, many things they have to remember. This is a small box packed with brilliant thank you teacher gifts. 

Floral Notes gift box with blue flowers and green leaves for decoration

 

These thank you gift boxes are brilliant, but if you feel like gifting something more personal, we have our Teacher Leaving Gifts range especially for those who need some more gift ideas. Although they are for leaving gifts, they most definitely work as thank you gifts too!

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