The best holiday gifts for culture diehards

All products featured on this page were selected by Toronto Life’s editors. However, when you purchase an item through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

See our full holiday gift guide.

Kanata Dry

This cheeky Indigenous spin on the one-time Canadian classic is available at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto gift shop and supports programming like language classes and Okichitaw martial arts. $4

East York Patch

Rep the city’s scrappiest ’hood with this retro crest patch from Old’s Cool—perfect for denim, backpacks and showing off your east-end pride. $5

Kooky Crochet

Toronto artist Aynsley Grealis of Knotted Neon makes fungi balaclavas and pizza rat purses, and now you—yes, you!—can stitch your own whackadoodle masterpiece. $14

Good Beads

Made by displaced artisans in South Sudan, the Simplest Act bracelet is a collaboration between Lojel and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is a subtle statement of solidarity. $18

CanCon Candles

Ever wondered what Mr. Dressup would smell like as a candle? This collab between Newmarket’s Market Candle and the CBC captures classic shows as flickering scents. $26

The Cosmic Con

Ron Kasman’s award-winning graphic novel drops the reader into 1968 Toronto, complete with hippies, cults and Rochdale chaos. It’s groovy, dark and rendered in lavish detail. $25

Neighbourhood Cards

Paperhood’s greeting cards turn local streetscapes in Roncy, Cabbagetown, the Beaches and the Danforth into frame-worthy art. $28

Banorah

Kikkerland goes bananas for Hanukkah with this whimsical fruit-shaped menorah. Candles included! $30

Chappell Roan Candle

Calm Down Caren’s celebrity saint candle is H-O-T-T-O-G-O. Light one up for the Midwest princess. $30

Welcome to the Family

Film critic Barry Hertz chronicles the Fast & Furious universe in this nitrous-fuelled epic, for readers who live their lives (vicariously) one quarter-mile at a time. $30

Statement Tote

This is 2025’s must-have merch for card-carrying bookworms. Plus, a portion of the proceeds helps support Toronto Public Library programs. $30

Julius Julius

Welcome to the world’s oldest ad agency, where ghosts haunt the boardroom and the creatives just want to cry on the floor. With razor wit and surreal charm, local author Aurora Stewart de Peña turns the marketing machine inside out in her debut novel. $32

Science Centre Print

Hand-printed in the brand’s Kensington Market studio, this print by Kid Icarus memorializes the Raymond Moriyama–designed architectural icon. $32

Trans Rights T-shirt

Nevertheless, she, he and they persist. Proceeds from this tee, from local horror haven Little Ghosts Books, support the 519 and their trans-led drop-in programs. $35

Beaded Ring

Local brand Santa Isla partners with Colombia’s Embera Chami artisans on this handmade ring, with a portion of every sale going back to the makers. $43

Year of the Horse: A Lunar New Year Celebration

Conductor Carolyn Kuan, pipa virtuoso Wu Man and Dashan—the stage name of comedian Mark Rowswell, perhaps the most famous Canadian in China—join the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for a joyful, music-filled welcome to the Year of the Horse. Saturday, February 28; from $43

La Cucina di Terroni

Take a man to Terroni, he eats lunch. Give him the gift of learning the Italian institution’s classic recipes, and you’ve got a man who can cook you funghi assoluti for life. $40

Painted Candles

Add a little extra shimmer to the Festival of Lights with these tapers, hand-painted in Cambridge, Ontario. $53

Matzah Ballin’ Jersey

Let the Hanukkah light in with this jersey, as sported by everyone’s favourite six-foot-five prospective brother-in-law on Nobody Wants This. $57

Anishaa Basketball

This sporty piece of indoor-outdoor art is called Bear Spirits in honour of Anishinaabe artist Brandon Jacko’s clan. $60

Aiviq Sweatshirt

Nunavut artist Nooks Lindell designed this chill walrus sweatshirt featuring a traditional motif on the tusk. Turns out the walrus wasn’t Paul after all. $80

Clay Date

Get your hands a little dirty with a taster class at the Pottery Club on Dundas West. Who knows—ceramics just might become your next entire personality. $90

Pamela Anderson Blanket

BC’s Baywatch queen has been immortalized in woven cotton. Finally, something for the notoriously hard-to-shop-for Liam Neeson. $92

Andalusian Porcelain Tray

Looking for a timeless holiday gift that will leave an impression? Crafted in the heart of Andalusia, this exquisite porcelain tray will infuse any space with colour and elegance, making it the perfect gift for the vibrant design lover on your list. $165

Ceramic Tableware

Louf serves their sesame bread and fenugreek cake on this set from Jaffa-based Palestinian ceramist Nur Minawi—and now you can too. $175

Available at Louf, 501 Davenport Rd.

Lego Wall Art

Follow the yellow brick road for instructions to build an Emerald City mural that defies gravity—and bare walls—just in time for Wicked: For Good. $200

Pretty Puffin

Danish design master Kay Bojesen’s iconic wooden puffin has migrated to Queen West, now nesting at the ever-playful Studio Brillantine. $210

Moss Rug Kit

Craft Club’s Forest Floor kit has 38 pieces of lush yarn and tools to tuft your own woodland-inspired rug. $200

Utensil Set

Hand-carved in Bethlehem from ancient olive trees, this eight-piece kitchen set supports Palestinian artisans and their craft. $271

Spooner Jersey

The Sceptres have her for at least two more years, so show your PWHL pride with a Natalie Spooner jersey—after all, she is the league MVP, a leading scorer and the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2024 top female player of the year. $275

Pet Portrait

Toronto illustrator Wendy Tancock doodles your favourite furry (or feathered or gilled or scaly) roommate in these pet portraits filled with quirky charm. $300

Basket With a Twist

Baba Tree’s Ghanaian artisans weave strong, flexible elephant grass into a unique wave-like silhouette, creating a storage basket that doubles as functional art with serious shelf appeal. $325

Medieval Sound Machine

Get ready to whip up ye olde bangers with Teenage Engineering’s beatmaker programmed with hundreds of medieval sounds. Hildegard of Bingen, who? $420

Massey Hall Ring

Local jeweller and wood carver Ring and Grove transforms Massey Hall’s iconic maple floorboards into wearable souvenirs—Joni and Gord’s stomping grounds, wrapped around your finger. $499

Glass Act

Toronto artist Priscilla Kar Yee Lo links delicate borosilicate glass into a luminous, modern chain that’s as chunky as it is cheerful. $500

Hyperrealistic Art

Local artist Erin Rothstein turns everyday obsessions—sneakers, snacks, sticks—into glossy, hyperreal art. Is it fine art or pop culture? Yes! $550

Knitting Subscription

Toronto’s Knit Me delivers Canadian-dyed yarn and patterns monthly. Perfect for a year-long project ending in snuggly results. $582 for 12 months

Quilted Jacket

From her laneway studio, Rebecca Caulford—the artist behind Honeybea—reworks found fabrics and heirloom textiles into Vogue-approved wearables. $595

Cooking Master Class

Choose from DaiLo, Bymark, La Palma or other notable venues, then join the chef in action for a three-hour, very hands-on experience. Possible add-ons include a chef’s menu dining experience and wine pairing. Behind! From $600

Coffee Table

This 1969 piece from Italian furniture brand B-line morphs from coffee table to bookshelf to a set of side tables—a necessity when your living room is your bedroom is your dining room. $865

Steeped in History

Elevate teatime with this 22-karat-gold-trimmed Royal China set in a pattern once personally selected by Queen Elizabeth II and King George VI during a 1939 visit to the Fairmont Empress. $1,025

Double-Denim Diss?

Was Kendrick’s all-denim Grammys ’fit—featuring a Maison Margiela jacket—a homage to the Canadian tuxedo or a Drake dig? Could be both. $1,100

Award-Worthy Gown

Get your Hunting Wives on in this pretty-in-black-and-pink gown from Toronto luxury label Greta Constantine, worn by long-time fan Malin Akerman to this year’s Emmys. $1,995

Old-School Camera Cool

Nikon’s Zf pairs vintage design with cutting-edge tech—think manual dials, full-frame power, and deep-learning-powered focus and tracking. $2,699

Ostrich Cabinet

Ruffle feathers with the Lizzy cabinet, a hand-carved stunner from Italian furniture designer Piero Manara and a standout at this year’s Milan Design Week. $46,743