Unique Christmas gift ideas: Decorations

Don't hang out your old socks for Santa; he won't be impressed. These organic wool stockings from Toast are a far more stylish option, and they have a handy loop for hanging from your bedpost or mantlepiece.

Organic knitted stocking, £9.50
By Toast
Buy online at toast.co.uk Photograph: Joe Morse/PR

These gnomes come with an important care instruction: they expect a bowl of hot porridge on Christmas Eve. Otherwise you can expect a year of mischief, according to Scandinavian tradition. Gnaughty gnomes.

Christmas gnomes, £17
By Åsa Götander
Buy online at skandium.com Photograph: PR

The regal lion, the proud deer and the wily fox are all guaranteed to bring a touch of gold-flecked chinoiserie and elegance to your tree. Anthropologie is a great website to browse for gifts too.

Bone china animal ornaments, £12 each
By Anthropologie
Buy online at anthropologie.eu Photograph: PR

Head to Ganesha for unusual and colourful fair trade decorations. These snow leopards and ibexes are produced in Mongolia in association with The Snow Leopard Trust, which helps families earn a living through their traditional herding and wool working skills, and protects the habitat of these amazing creatures.

Felt snow leopard and ibex decorations, £4.99 each
By The Snow Leopard Trust
Buy online at ganesha.co.uk Photograph: PR

If you have real cats, dogs or indeed reindeer rampaging around your house, these are perhaps not the baubles for you. Handcrafted in England in fine bone china, they feature curious animals peering at their own reflections. Or, if you'd prefer, Reiko Kaneko will obligingly create baubles with your own pictures and messages.

Bone china baubles, £14.95 each
By Reiko Kaneko
Buy online at reikokaneko.co.uk Photograph: PR

Getting creative at Christmas needn't involve dried fruit, goose fat, tinsel or a lot of fuss (especially not all at the same time). These delightful fellows just need a little glue and 10 minutes of your time, and then they will be ready to perch on the tree, the mantlepiece or the dinner table.

Make at home Christmas creatures, £9.50
By Mibo
Buy online at notonthehighstreet.com Photograph: PR

A far cry from your usual gaudy tinsel tree-tat, these elegant baubles have an ethereal feel and each contain a feather captured in a glass vessel. And as they are not so Christmassy, you could use them year-round, perhaps to decorate a dull corner of your bathroom.

Feather baubles, £44 for a set of seven
By Anthropologie
Buy online at anthropologie.eu Photograph: PR

Say Buon Natale with these Italian Christmas crackers. Each contains a hat, an Italian trivia question (perhaps because Italian jokes don't translate so well) and some chocolate Santas, and are sure to bring a little dolce vita to your Christmas table.

Christmas crackers, £2.50 each
By Carluccio's
Buy online at carluccios.com Photograph: PR

We don't know where these animals are heading off to so purposefully (perhaps to do a little last-minute shopping?) but we like the dynamism they will bring to the Christmas tree. Made in Britain from cream earthenware, they are available online from notonthehighstreet.com, which is an excellent site to browse for unusual decorations and gifts.

Christmas baubles, £11 each
By Aiga
Buy online at notonthehighstreet.com Photograph: PR

The perfect solution for those who are saddened by a large pile of used wrapping paper: gift wrapping that doubles up as a scarf. Made from organic cotton, it will look nice under the tree, and even nicer around your neck.

Paisley scarf gift wrap, £6.50 for a pack of two
By Liv
Buy online at liv-uk.com Photograph: PR

Oh come all ye faithful, and decorate thyselves in readiness for the Christmas feast, because silly hats are no longer adornment enough. Last one to the table gets to be dish washer.

Badge pack, £6
By Lazy Oaf
Buy online at lazyoaf.co.uk Photograph: PR

The only naked flames to be approved by elf and safety are those in the hands of these little red chaps, who will bring a little elfin mischief to the table or mantlepiece. CB2's website has plenty of chic, modern decorations and some nice furnishings too.

Elf candle holders, £3.88 each
By CB2
Buy online at cb2.com Photograph: PR

For those who like a traditional nativity scene, head to Traidcraft, who specialise in fair trade crafts from small producers. This scene is lovingly carved from neem wood in Kenya, or there is one made from recycled paper in Vietnam, or this one made from beans in the Philippines.

Neem nativity set, £45
By Bombolulu
Buy online at traidcraftshop.co.uk Photograph: PR