Christmas Shopping And Gifting Guide: Creative Gifts For The Festive Season

By Garima Sharma

Christmas tree at a shopping mall in Mumbai

Christmas is here and it’s the perfect time to spread good cheer and share gifts! Mumbai shopping malls are bursting with red and green and hidden away in the city are some innovative new ways to share Christmas cheer. Here are some hand picked creative gifting and shopping ideas that I think you might find useful.

Hand painted Christmas Cushion Covers: Gift A Piece of Art

Blue Snowflake Cushion Cover ArtUmbrella

These exquisite cushion covers with hand painted Christmas motifs on crepe silk by ArtUmbrella, are perfect for both for your own home and as gifts. One, because everyone appreciates handicrafts more than factory made, mass produced goods and secondly because it’s made on crepe silk, so festive!

Christmas Reindeer Red Cushion Cover ArtUmbrella

Here is a little about the art and artists who will create these for you. Cushion Cover with Snowflakes by Andrea D’Souza in Prussian blue with metallic white delicate patterns and diamante. Cushion Cover with Xmas Bells by Antara Pain in gold, red, blue and green with intricate embellishments for that ethnic Christmas mas feel. Reindeer in the Green Scarf by Natasha D’Souza in gold and green with diamante on its swirly antlers. Christmas Trees by Natasha D’Souza in greens, gold and a dash of pinks on a beige crepe silk cover.

Each cushion cover can be customized to your requirement. The price for a 16″x 16″ cover (as in the images) is Rs 399 plus Rs 100 if you want a cushion along.
Contact: ornella@artumbrella.in

Eco Friendly Christmas Decorations: Celebrate While You Save The Planet

Christmas stocking, Eco Corner

The best way to add the green to your Christmas this year is to go green and support a cause as you enjoy the festivities (you already know how MumbaiMag supported going green during Ganeshotsav) Agree? If yes, you will love these beautiful Christmas decorations that are safe for the planet too. Find eco-friendly Christmas stocking, wreaths, decorations and more cushion covers. These environment friendly, hand made craft articles are made from 100% natural and locally grown produce.

Crochet flowers cushion cover, Eco Corner

The Christmas stocking is made from 100% cotton and are priced at Rs 620 each. The wreaths are made form natural straws and come in a cane basket each priced at Rs 1500. The crochet flowers are a set of 5 flowers. They can be stitched to pillow covers, dresses of children, used as coasters or stuck to the wall. They come with matching coloured threads to stitch them up and are priced at 840 a set.
Contact: 022 30042350

MumbaiMag Reader Offer!
IndieBazaar is an online ecommerce store that offers various lifestyle products from different brands. You can avail a special 10% discount on all products if you enter this coupon 10mumbaimg at checkout. You can view their Christmas decorations here

Christmas Menu at Polpo Café: No Food Like Festival Food

Christmas Menu, Polpo Cafe

How can Christmas be complete without it’s special food? Treat your family and friends to a deletable Christmas meal at Polpo Cafe. They have a great Christmas menu lined up from 21st December, 2012 to 30th December, 2012 designed by Chef Neggi. The traditional carved menu includes Appetizers such as Mushroom Pate and Chicken Titbits and Salads and Soups like Gorgonzola & Pear Salad, Pumpkin & Parmesan Soup. The mains offer dishes like Roast Turkey, Lamb Stew, Pan Seared Fish, Butternut Squash Risotto and some dessert options like Christmas Pudding and Apple Crumble. The fixed menu is priced at Rs.1299 and one can opt for a la carte too.
Contact: 022 26499844/ 022 26498458

Christmas Cupcakes Workshop: Create, Gift, Celebrate

Christmas Cupacake, The Dessert Cart

Another awesome way to feel all Christmassy is to try your hands at baking some Christmas cupcakes and adorable edible decorations that make for excellent personalized gifts too. Try The Dessert Cart’s ‘One Day Christmas Cupcakes Baking Workshop‘. Learn how to bake the Banana Chocochip Cupcakes and decorate them with Peanut Buttercream Frosting and six other beautiful and yummy Christmas toppers. You will also be provided with a recipe booklet of how to prepare the Cupcakes, Frosting and Sugar Fondant.

Not only do you get to make your own toppers you also get to ‘and take back your goodies to celebrate and share with your family and friends’ like Shradha Agarwalla from The Dessert Cart likes to put it. This one-day workshop started on Monday 17th Decemeber and runs daily until Christmas Eve, Monday 24th December, between 2 pm -5 pm.
Contact: 9930398884

Merry Christmas Mumbai!