Looking for unique gifts for your friends, family and loved ones? Christmas is the perfect time of year to support local, Brighton based makers and creatives and #shoplocal.
The Christmas elves have been busy, and our little yellow shop on Brighton & Hove’s 7 Dials is packed full of presents that are eagerly awaiting to sit, beautifully wrapped under a tree. These include houseplants and pots, beautiful gifts made by talented local makers and fun, colourful homewares.
We have something for everyone this Christmas whether they’re a work secret Santa, your Mother law, your 5-year-old niece or your older brother, trust us, we have you covered. If you’ve been in our shop before you know we love to help you find the perfect gift - so here are 10 ideas to help you get some inspiration.
#1 A Christmas gift for your 'Work Secret Santa': a mini cactus in a colourful pot
Avoid getting someone a pointless present that will end up under their bed and gift them something small that will transform their office desk into a green, wellbeing haven, on as small a scale as you want. We have cacti and pots in an array of sizes and prices - just let us know your budget and we can find a combination that works. Our favourites are our cup pots or handmade concrete Hi Cacti pots. They also come with a ‘how not to kill your cacti’ care card so even a plant novice won’t have any trouble keeping their new friend happy and healthy.
#2 A Christmas Gift for your 'Margarita Mad Mum' - our Cactus Mohito Cocktail Glasses
Gift your Mum one of our Cacti Margarita Cocktail Glasses so she can drink her Margarita’s in true tex- mex style. The beautiful glasses elegant with a quirky twist, and make such a great present. FYI it can definitely be used for wine, water and cordials too.
#3 A Christmas gift for your 'Eco-Warrior Sister': Reusable Cotton Pads and a bar of Dr. Bronner's Soap
Struggling for a gift for a sibling that’s gone fully eco-warrior-zero-waste-low-impact and won’t shut up about the climate crisis? Re-usable cotton pads and a bar of Dr. Bronner’s soap would make the perfect gift for them These Re-usable Pads from Leave No Trace are really great because they come with a handy little bag to store them in, which you can also use when you pop them in the washing machine too. Dr. Bronner's soaps have home compostable packaging, smell delicious and 100& natural, vegan and cruelty-free.
#4 A Christmas gift for your 'Naughty Niece or Nephew': A Succulent in a Dino Pot
Kids love succulents, especially when they come in our super fun dino pots. It’s like having two extremely low maintenance pets, that they get to help look after, but don’t come with the worry of remembering to regularly feed. So many families come into the shop in Brighton with their children who find all of the little plants absolutely fascinating, we even bought a little magnifying glass for them. Succulents are your best bet, as they don’t come with the same risks as a spikey cacti.
#5 A gift for your 'Hard to Buy for Dad': Dr Bronner's Castille Soap
We all know Dad’s love a multi-use product. Dr Bronner’s Castille Soap goes to the next level and is 18 in one - it can be used for anything from cleaning for clothes to cleaning yourself in the shower. Neat right? You could team this with one of our really special Desert Land washbags, handmade in Brighton using jazzy fabrics that founder, Miranda, finds on her travels to America.
#6 A Christmas Gift for your 'Green-fingered Grandparents': A Duck Ceramics pot with a Succulent (or without)
We have some really special pots by the lovely Duck Ceramics, a local Brighton ceramicist. They are made from delicate porcelain and come in a variety of gorgeous, two-tone colour combinations that your Grandparents (or anyone else for that matter) will love. These pots look perfect as the home of a gorgeous succulent or houseplant but they could also be used as a coffee cup too!
#7 A Christmas Gift for your 'Minimalist Auntie and Uncle': A Macrame plant hanger
Get your auntie and uncle a joint present of a Macrame plant hanger, to hang up in their home. These look amazing with one of our hand-finished Hi Cacti concrete pots in them. The Macrame Plant Hangers are made by the very talented Sit Down Dorris in Hove. They are all hand-dyed, making each one unique. We love how great they look with big Rhipsalis, but because of the nature of Macrame, they will fit any size pot and plant.
#8 A Christmas Gift for your 'Artsy Best Friend': A Hello Hi Cacti X Marine Print
We have a selection of prints made by some of our favourite local female artists Maya Doyle and Hello Marine. An amazing gift for your friend would be our limited edition Hi Cacti X Hello Marine print - featuring the same incredible design she made for our wall.
#8 A Christmas Gift for your 'Home-maker Mother-In-Law': A Natural Hi Cacti X Maya Doyle Spiced Orange Candle
Our candles are all hand-poured in the UK, and are made from plant wax and other natural ingredients. They're vegan, cruelty-free and even come in recycled glass. The subtle, yet sweet spiced orange scent is the perfect Christmas candle and features a beautiful illustration by Brighton based female artists Maya Doyle.
#9 A Christmas Gift for your 'Banterous Brother': A Mini Cactus Keyring
This miniature Cactus keyrings are truly amazing and make such a fun gift. People are always astounded that they are actually alive - the mini cacti come in a protective dome that has water holes in the bottom and air holes at the top, meaning you can carry your planty friend around with you wherever you go.
#10 A Christmas gift for all of your extended family: A beautiful card by a local artist
A beautiful Christmas card is a gift in itself. All of our cards feature designs by local artists, including this beautiful woodcut design from Fiona Parrott. Based in Brighton, she carves her plant portraits wood blocks and prints them by hand on an 1844 Columbian Press. Needless to say, this Christmas card would also all look amazing framed.
And this just scratches the surface! See more of our products on our online shop or come and pay us a little visit in person- you can find us at Hi Cacti 83 Dyke Road, BN1 3JE
Happy shopping and we look forward to meeting you soon!