Welcome to Destination Tea’s sixth annual Holiday Tea Gift Guide! All year long we stash away our new favorite tea-themed goodies to inspire your holiday shopping. We include suggestions for budgets big and small. And we invite you to also visit gift guides from holidays past, where you can find dozens more ideas. Of course, inviting someone to a holiday tea is also the perfect gift idea for the person who has everything. Find your options in our Afternoon Tea Directories. We wish you a most happy holiday, filled with loving family and friends, and of course, good tea!
1. Tea Maker Kettle by Breville
Why This: When you truly want to spoil your tea-loving friend, this tea kettle will amaze them. Beyond the temperature presets for different tea varieties, and keep-warm feature, this tea kettle actually automatically drops and raises an infuser basket, to fully make your tea for you! You can set it up at night and schedule your steep time to wake to the perfect pot of tea.
Find it: $299.95 6-cup tea maker here
2. Tea Socks
Why This: When you love tea, slipping on your tea socks can become the perfect addition to your morning tea ritual. Tea socks on, kettle boiling!
Find it: 1. $10.50 Tea Lover Socks here; 2. $10 Spill the Tea Socks here; 3. $6 Time for Tea Bamboo Socks here; 4. $17 Afternoon Tea Socks (2-pair) here; 5. $15.16 Alice in Wonderland Tea Socks here
3. Illustrated Tea Notecards by Astrid Sheckels
Why This: Tea friends very often like to write to one another to say how they enjoyed going to tea together, or because they are always giving each other little tea presents and want to write to say thank you. Especially if they are animal lovers, they will delight at these scenes printed from original watercolor illustrations by Astrid Sheckels of Greenfield, Massachusetts.
Find it: $5 One 5×7″ Notecard with Envelope here
4. Mystery Tea Coin Assortment by West China Tea
Why This: Tea drinkers love learning about new teas and this surprise tea assortment is a great way for beginners to expand their tea palates. Each of the 10 coins in this glass jar with bamboo lid makes 2-3 cups of tea (not counting repeat infusions) or one gong fu session. For your tea friends who have never watched a tea coin unfurl as it steeps, this will delight them. Produced exclusively for West China Tea, these are farm-direct whole leaf teas by tea farmer and tea master Li Shulin.
Find it: $35 here
5. “Afternoon Tea” Tea Towel by Victoria Eggs
Why This: Handmade in Britain, this tea towel celebrates afternoon tea on a 100% cotton tea towel, which also has an attached loop for hanging. Give it as a small gift, or pair it with the matching teacup and saucer and/or apron to make it a larger present.
Find it: $17 here
6. Petits Fours by Bon Vivant
Why This: Though we took issue with Martha Stewart’s tea preparation methods, we did take inspiration from the afternoon tea she hosted for her granddaughter earlier this year. That’s how we came to covet Bon Vivant’s petits fours, which are made to order for nationwide shipments. The perfect afternoon tea dessert, petits fours are often overly sweet store-bought items because making these layered mini cakes, neatly iced and decorated presents quite the challenge. To have a pretty set sent to you all ready to serve would be a dream!
Find it: $42 Box of 9 Lemon Petits Fours here (browse for more options)
7. Magnetic Gong Fu Teapot
Why This: For your tea friend who is young at heart and still loves magic and putting on a good show, these decorative tea sets may be just the thing. When you touch the magnetic handle of the fairness pitcher against a ball at the gaiwan’s base, out pours your tea. If you want to do your own search, these are also sometimes referred to as a “Lazy Kung Fu Tea Set.”
Find it: 1. $80.99 Lotus set here; 2. $76.99 Bud vase set here; 3. $102.49 Tree set here; 4. $96.19 Stone rockery set here
8. Tea Pens by Tea Thoughts
Why This: Anyone who has any exposure to tea culture knows that tea puns are everywhere, from tearoom names to t-shirts. These clever pen sets are getting in on the tea pun game, and we respect their creativi-tea. If your tea friend loves a good pun like they love tea, these will be sure to make them smile.
Find it: $14 Pen Set of 3 here
Tea Books and Online Tea Shops
If you’re in a browsing mood, you can also visit our round-up of online tea shops with all the goodies you might find on a tea table. And for your friends who love sipping a cup of tea over a good book, check out our Tea Book recommendations. Merry, merry!