Advertisement
Proudly Canadian, obsessively Toronto. Subscribe to Toronto Life!
Shopping

The best holiday gifts for fun lovers

Including Margaritaville crocs, Taylor Swift’s phone case and a leather daddy porcelain jar

By Caitlin Walsh Miller
Copy link

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.


An image of a bouquet of flowers in pink and white. It's a virtual imaging, rather than a photograph
A virtual bouquet

Toronto’s Quinn Cooper launched Bloomsie last year as a sustainable, high-res take on sending flowers. Each virtual arrangement is delivered via email or SMS as a 30-second time-lapse video comprising up to 50,000 photos captured over five to seven days. $5 per month


A pack of Uno cards, which come in a small, red cardboard box with "UNO" written on it in yellow
Nostalgic cards

It’s been a wild year in the Uno-verse. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen brought the game to the Vanity Fair Oscar party, and Jay-Z and Beyoncé played it with a record exec. Then Questlove hosted an Uno tournament for his birthday and invited all his friends—or at least Taylor Swift, Jason Sudeikis and rapper Bun B. Is Uno having a moment, or is it all a marketing campaign ahead of the next toy-inspired flick from Mattel? Draw four. $10


A name-tag-style black pin with "Thembo" written on it in silver, all-caps
Thembo pin

L’Amour-Propre is a Toronto brand that makes queer-affirming and sex-positive accessories, including keychains, jewellery and pins, like this one, for the “thembo” in your life—because non-binary people can be simultaneously ditzy and attractive too. $10


A geometric, chunky red heart on a key chain that is also a case for AirPods
AirPods case

ChunkCase makes bright, bump-proof holders for your teeny, tiny, oh-so-losable AirPods. Choose from dozens of fun designs, including steamed buns, geometric hearts and disgruntled toasts. From $21

Advertisement

Five pens labelled "Fresh out of fucks" in their packaging. Each one has a phrase written on it like "For Fuck's Sake" or "Fuuuuuuuuuck"
Pens for the very fed up

For those who desperately want to give a f*ck, gifting this five-pen set will let you do just that. It’s from the Fun Club, purveyors of party supplies, stationary, stickers and more. $17


The cover of a graphic novel called 8 Tiny Reindeer, which features a cartoon reindeer being ridden by two elves
8 Tiny Reindeer

In Toronto author and voice actor Robert Tinkler’s new graphic novel—based on his popular podcast of the same name—two elves try to save Christmas from an evil tech baron. The colourful story is structured like an advent calendar, with one chapter for each day of December, making it the ultimate holiday countdown. A zany, big-hearted classic for our times. $20


A yellow, spiral-bound notebook with a photo of a blue woman saying "Fight, Beti, Fight!"
Notebook

Mindy Kaling is a fan of Desi artist Hatecopy (real name: Maria Qamar). Qamar has exhibitions and collaborations happening around North America and the UK, but anyone can carry around a piece of her South Asian–focused pop art. $21


A pan full of soup with a ladle handle poking out. The ladle is designed to look like the Loch Ness monster
Loch Ness Ladle

Ototo means “any minute now” in Hebrew. It’s also how Israeli designers Ori Saidi and Daniel Gassner—the duo behind Ototo studio—anticipate the whimsical ideas for their playful household products, like the Nessie Ladle. She’s resistant, she can stand upright and she’s ready to serve. $22


A secret, hidden compartment designed to look like a small screw
Secret compartment

What, this old bolt? There’s nothing special about it—except for its covertly hollowed-out interior, which is perfect for stashing nuclear codes (or a joint). Doesn’t everyone get a thrill out of pretending to be a spy? $29


A toy version of Toronto's red and white streetcars
Streetcar toy

Relive the joys of rush hour from the comfort of home with this fully articulated toy streetcar, which is a nearly exact 1:87 replica of the life-sized version. It’s manufactured by German toy company Siku, so it just might run on time. $30

Advertisement

A small, doll-sized greenhouse that features tiny plants, flowers and other accessories
DIY dollhouse

For gardeners looking to downsize, consider Rolife’s DIY model greenhouse, which comes with 231 intricate accessories—tiny plants, flowers, brooms, boxes, planters and more, all perfectly rendered on a 1:18 scale. $53


A pink and blue translucent phone case for an iphone
Phone case for Swifties

If you couldn’t get them Eras Tour tickets, they can at least have the same phone case as Swift. This mother-of-pearl case makes everything shimmer, and its cushioned corners and squared edges are extra protective and easier to grip—especially if you’re trying to shake it off. $55


A pair of green and blue crocs with Margaritaville-inspired jibbitz
Margaritaville Crocs

Parrot heads will flock to these limited-edition Crocs, which are customizable with tropical charms like ice cubes, a lime wedge, a long-lost shaker of salt and—lest you thought this footwear was entirely impractical—a working bottle opener. $70


Two silver stud earring that are shaped like miniature cowboy hats
Stud earrings

Pedro Almodóvar’s new gay western, Strange Way of Life, starring Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke, is making us fall in love with cowboys again. Get in on the fun with these sterling silver stud earrings by Mondo Mondo. $170


A cat scratch post that's shaped like a cactus, with a pink flower-shaped bed on top
Cactus cat tree

Vetreska, a New York–based pet supply company, creates durable and delightful accessories like flower-shaped ceramic pet bowls, fruit-inspired cat climbers and this cactus scratching post with a flannel cat bed for your favourite prickly pal. $263


A padel raquet, which is round and full of small holes
Padel racquet

Forget pickleball—everyone (including Andy Murray) is playing padel, a fast-and-furious racquet sport. With origins in Mexico, the addictive game blends elements of tennis (the ball has to go over a net) and squash (the back wall is also in play). $300

Advertisement

A pair of smooth, animated red boots
Big red boots

Remember these? Brooklyn art collective MSCHF has been behind several art world–shaking drops, including Lil Nas X’s Satan Shoes and the Big Red Boots, which immediately took over TikTok when they were released last February. $482


This porcelain jar with 22-karat-gold follicular embellishments is one of the only pieces by Pansy Ass Ceramics we could feature in this gift guide. For naughtier, sexier and ballsier work from Toronto-based couple and collaborators Kris Aaron and Andy Walker, visit their NSFW site. $688

NEVER MISS A TORONTO LIFE STORY

Sign up for This City, our free newsletter about everything that matters right now in Toronto politics, sports, business, culture, society and more.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You may unsubscribe at any time.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Advertisement
Advertisement

The Latest

Toronto bars are giving Jell-O shots all kinds of grown-up twists
Food & Drink

Toronto bars are giving Jell-O shots all kinds of grown-up twists

Inside the Latest Issue

The February issue of Toronto Life features Scottie Barnes, the new face of the Raptors—and the team’s best chance of salvation. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.