Okay okay, I know it definitely feels a little early to be mentioning the “C” word but shopping early is definitely key when shopping small! It not only spreads the cost of holiday season, it can help balance the workload for indie businesses and postal workers *and* it stops last-minute panic-buying gifts that the recipient doesn’t want or need.

I’ve rounded up a truckload of gorgeous gift ideas for the bullet journaler, artist or creative in your life, whether you’re shopping for friends and family, or putting your own wish list together. Grab a cup of mulled cider or peppermint cocoa, and let’s dive in…

While I’ve tried to focus on slightly more unusual gift ideas for bullet journalers, I don’t think this list would be complete without a journal or two! We’ve got something for everyone from the budget-friendly Bruynzeel Dotted Bullet Journal (£8), a wide range of colourful Leuchtturm 1917 Dotted Bullet Journals (£16.95) and my favourite, Archer & Oliver Dot Grid Journals (£29). Archer & Olive journals are presented in luxury illustrated boxes, just perfect for gifting! Unfortunately, they’ve ceased international wholesale, so when these last few designs are gone, they’re gone.

If you’re an avid bullet journaler who wants to spread the love to a newbie or would-be bullet journaler, why not treat them to one of our Bullet Journal Starter Kits from £32. It contains all the essentials they need to get started and loads of our favourite stationery supplies!

You’ve no doubt seen @adamjk’s posts on Instagram but did you know that as well as sharing his weird but relatable content online, Adam has also written several books and journals? Things Are What You Make of Them: Life Advice for Creatives (RRP £13.99) offers insights and inspiration for anyone who makes art, or anything else for that matter. It features perforated tear-and-share pages that make it easy to display the most crucial reminders or to pass a bit of advice on to someone who needs it. Grab it from your local book shop if you can, or head to Hive.co.uk who support independent high street shops.

The Artist Jacket (£135) from YUK FUN was created with artists in mind! They’re sewn and screen-printed in their studio with 100% organic cotton twill and eco-friendly water-based inks, and the pockets are designed to hold an A5 sketchbook. The perfect slow fashion garm to get your creative juices flowing! Current processing time is 4-6 weeks so get those orders in now! YUK FUN also screen-print t-shirts (from £30) and sweatshirts (from £35) with their bold and fun designs.

Now I don’t know about you, but I absolutely cannot abide my hair getting all up in my grill when I’m planning or drawing, and I have a stash of hair accessories in my desk drawer for when the fringe-rage hits and I need it out of my face pronto! One of my favourites is my Silk Relevé Hair Tie (£8) from Mille Saisons in this gorgeous autumnal “conker” shade. Mille Saisons also have a vegan range made from organic bamboo satin which is biodegradable and much more environmentally friendly than “vegan” silk satin, i.e. polyester.

If you’re more of a hair claw kinda person, fear not, as Nikki’s other business has you covered! These incredible Jammy Heart Acetate Hair Claws (£17.50) feature Nikki’s signature biscuit designs and are made in small batches. Perfect for whizzing your hair up and out of your face while you’re creating! Jammy Hearts are available to order now, and the brand new Bourbon Hair Claws are available to pre-order.

My creativity is well and truly powered by tea and I always have to have a mug of something delicious on the go when I’m journaling or sketching. I’m a huge fan of Bird & Blend’s loose-leaf teas and matcha powders and it was basically impossible to choose just one to include in this blog post, so I didn’t! My current go-to teas are:

• Buttermint Matcha (£20)
• Chocolate Digestives Tea (from £3.50)
• Mulled Cider Tea (from £7.10 and also available in tea bags) - try adding some hot cloudy apple juice!
• Salted Caramel Lebkuchen Tea (from £6.75 and also available in tea bags)
• Toffee Butter Popcorn Tea (from £3.50)

You can save £5 on your first order from Bird & Blend with my referral link. I also get a £5 voucher if you place an order so, thank you!

If you’d like something to nibble with your tea, I can’t recommend Butterwicks Vegan Macarons (around £23) highly enough! I’ve had a few boxes now and the flavours are always absolutely spot on. They tend to offer seasonal boxes so I’m not sure what’s on offer for November and December yet but I guarantee it will be incredible. They’re best eaten fresh but will keep for up to one week in the fridge, so remember to factor that into your ordering. They'd make a great party host gift! Macarons are easily the most aesthetic of all the snacks and just beg to be photographed, drawn and used in a flat lays!

Does anyone else get into such a hyper-focussed state when creating that you suddenly snap out it and realise you’re freezing? If I know I’m going to be sat down for a while, I like to have a cosy blanket to wrap around my shoulders or spread over my lap. It has the added bonus of enticing my little furry assistant Juniper, too! I am just obsessed with my Custard Cream Blanket (£130) from Nikki’s sister business, Nikki McWilliams.

It’s sooo hard to find cosy vegan blankets that aren’t made of plastic but these are woven from super snuggly brushed recycled cotton and my forever-cold boyfriend Edward swears this warms him up quicker than any other blanket! Nikki’s brought out pink and green versions of her custard cream design this year, as well as a Malted Milk Blanket (£130) in gorgeous rich autumnal tones.

Another essential for creating a cosy creative atmosphere is candles! They look super cute in videos and flat lays too, if you’re buying for someone who likes to share their creativity on social media. I have a few go-to brands, but I’m currently burning an old favourite: Counting Sheep by Albion Candle Co (from £10.95). I’m not usually a big fan of lavender, but this calming blend with tonka and vanilla is so dreamy and really helps me unwind. I love burning it while I’m doing yoga too.

Continuing with the theme of gifts for arty content creators, I love having colourful nails when I’m filming journal or craft videos. I’ve branched out this year and have become obsessed with nail transfers! My friend sent me some from Rachel’s Nails by Rachel (from 50p) and they’re so cute! Rachel has a huge range and something for everything occasion. I can’t wait to try out some festive designs, although I’ve also got my eye on this botanical set (£1.25).

I always clock other content creators wearing super cute jewellery in their craft videos and must get into the habit of wearing mine! I have some gorgeous rings from small businesses but never think to pop them on before I film. While jewellery can be quite a tricky thing to get right, if you know someone well enough to know their tastes, I think it can be such a thoughtful and personal gift idea. I tend to go for quite dainty, minimal jewellery such as this Gold Vermeil Dot Ring (€55) from Pico, created through the ancient technique of lost wax casting. Nikki favours chunky statement jewellery, such as this Smiley Heart Signet (from £135) by Sken Studios, which you may have seen popping up in her videos!

As a somewhat messy and chaotic maker, I’m forever having to scrub ink, paint and glue off my hands and they certainly suffer for it! A super moisturising hand cream is an essential for me, especially at this time of year and I’ve recently discovered this Oat and Rose Hand Balm (£9) from Okiki. It’s organic, cruelty-free, suitable for sensitive skin and smells absolutely heavenly!

One of my favourite gifts to receive is craft kits, especially if it’s for something I’ve not tried before! They’re perfect for the festive season as they provide some much-needed time to unwind and often contain everything you need to get started with a new hobby. I love giving them as gifts and thinking about what the recipient may enjoy based on other hobbies or crafts I know they like. This Play More Cross Stitch and Embroidery Kit (£26) by Hello Treacle is a great way to dip your toe into both cross stitch and embroidery, as it features several types of stitches. I love the joyful message and think it’s perfect for artists and creatives!

You could also pop together a craft kit from some of our supplies, such as a Gouache Paint Set (£11) or Sakura Koi Watercolour Sketch Box (£20) and sketchbook (from £6.50).

If you’re looking for a slightly more unusual journal or sketchbook gift, why not surprise your giftee with a Sakura Black Sketchbook? We’ve got two sizes available - 12cm square (£7.25) and 13 x 21cm (£8.25). Blackout paper is such a fun way to push yourself to try something new creatively and we stock a variety of pens that can be used with blackout paper:

• Pentel Gold & Silver Hybrid Gel Pens (£2.50)
• Posca Medium Bullet Tip Paint Pens (from £4.10)
• Sakura Gelly Roll Gel Pens (from £2)
• Stabilo Metallic 68 Marker Pen (from £1.85)

Stocking Fillers and Secret Santa Gifts Under £5 for Bullet Journalers, Stationery Lovers and Artists

…and finally, I thought I’d round up some of my favourite stationery supplies under £5 that make perfect stocking fillers and secret santa gifts for bullet journalers, stationery lovers and artists!

Mini Notebooks by Korean Stationers, Paperways (£3.50)
These come with so many fun and unusual rulings including hexagonal!

I Heart Bullet Journaling vinyl sticker (£1.85)
…because, who doesn’t??

Fineliner / Brush Pen Dual Tip Set - Rio de Janeiro (£5)
These super affordable brush pen sets by Bruynzeel are a great way to try out brush lettering! They come in a variety of city-themed sets.

Kitty Cat Fine Tip Gel Pen (£2.50)
These adorable kitty pens are the perfect little gift for stationery fans and cat lovers alike!

Penco Clampy Pla - Clip (£3.50)
Perfect for holding a journal flat, keeping documents together or even sealing food packets!

Retro Multi-Colour Ballpoint (£2.75)
I love a retro stocking filler gift, and who could fail to be delighted by this chunky 6 colour pen!

I hope that’s given you a little inspiration for your holiday shipping and/or wish list! If you give or receive any Nikki's Supply Store goodies for Christmas, we’d love to see! Please tag @nikkissupplystore and #NikkisSupplyStore on Instagram, where you can find heaps more journaling and stationery inspiration. You can also follow me, @joy.margot, for more craft content and pictures of my cat, Juniper.

Please note: Everything on this list is in stock (or restocking soon) and shipping before Christmas at the time of writing, but it’s best to double check shipping times before you place an order.