With Christmas now less than a month away (and now that we're back from our lovely jaunt to Vancouver), it's high time we launch into another fun filled, exciting edition of my annual vintage holiday season shopping guide.
I always put a lot of thought into what theme to bestow on each year's post and this time around was no exception. Ultimately though it was various experiences in my life throughout 2015 that prompted the theme for this year's, as I had/am having some particularly delightful experiences with animals and pets this year.
Most folks love at least a few types of animals - if not the whole vast kingdom - and a huge number of us are adoring, responsible pet owners, and in both cases, are frequently fans of sporting and/or filling our homes with animal related items.
I'm a giant animal lover and proud pet mama myself, so this is by far one of my favourite Vintage Holiday Shopping Guides that I've penned to date. The items featured here are fun, classic, sometimes whimsical, always delightful choices that are bound to find favour with gift recipients of all ages.
Though not all of the products that were included in past editions of the Vintage Holiday Gift Guide are still available for sale, the general suggestions in those posts still ring true and before delving in to 2015's list of animal themed/related products, I thought that you you might enjoy checking out past versions of this annual festive shopping guide, too.
-Gifts for Jewelry and Accessories Lovers
-Gifts for Travel Lovers
-Vintage Gifts for Children
-Gifts for Home Decor Lovers
-Vintage Stocking Stuffers
Animal themed items have been popular for centuries and were especially beloved during the mid-twentieth century decades that so many of us hold near and dear. In addition, oodles of vintage reproduction, pinup fashion, and vintage inspired companies produce animal themed and related items, plus there are lots of brands that release classic looking pet products and accessories, so with this absolute wealth of animal related goodies at the ready it was a joy to put together this year's delightful Vintage Holiday Shopping Guide.
Cuddle up with Fido, Fluffy, or Polly and have a blast with the following selection of 25 fun, festive, vintage, vintage reproduction, vintage appropriate, and just plain adorable animal and pet related products that just about anyone would be delighted to find sitting there for them in their stocking, under the tree, or waiting to be unwrapped for Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanza or any other festive occasion.
Vintage Holiday Shopping Guide:
Gifts for Pet Owners and Animal Lovers
1. The hugely beloved Australian brand Erstwilder makes some of the cutest animal themed jewelry on the face of the planet and their seasonal offerings, like this wildly adorable Senor Santa Hat Brooch, are no exception there. I bet you'd be hard pressed to find a vintage/pinup/rockabilly fashionista who wouldn't flip if they saw an Erstwilder brooch greeting them on Christmas morn! $34.95 USD for this particular owl brooch from Estwilder.
2. Jazz up any aquarium living pet's domain with a hit of holiday season cheer when you place this charming Top Fin Christmas Tree Holiday Ornament in there with them. $7.99 from Petsmart (who also have a festive gingerbread house version available for the same price, too).
3. Any horse owner, rider, or fan is bound to enjoy this newly released look at the engaging, fascinating history of the mighty horse, one of the most influential and important animals in the course of human development. The Horse: The Epic History of Our Noble Companion by Wendy Williams, is available for $15.29 from Amazon.
4. Available in over 200 (seriously!) different fabrics, these handmade small pet tents are a stylish, fabulous way to give your guinea pig or hedgehog a new place to play. $20.00 from Henry's Hedgehog Haven.
5. Stylish, cute and cinch to partner with a wide array of vintage, pinup, rockabilly, goth, and contemporary outfits, this adorable Black & White Leatherette Cat Crossbody Purse is sure to delight any kitty fashion fan! #42.00 from Unique Vintage.
7. Bursting with old school charm and appeal, these elegant hand painted brass bird earrings will look sensational teamed with all sorts of vintage, pinup and rockabilly looks. Available in various colour choices, $18.00 from Gleeful Peacock (who have very kindly offered my readers free shipping on all orders at their site when you use the coupon code Vintage15 at checkout).
8. Fabulous for many sizes of cats and smaller dogs, this glamorous light blue vinyl and clear rhinestone c. 1950s - 1960s pet collar would be a fabulous way to share in the wearing of holiday season bling with your pet this year. $23.86 (at the time of writing) from The Gatsby Gals.
9. Not allowed to have pets where you live, looking to create a cute handmade gift for the pooch lover in your life, just can't get enough of dogs? If you answered yes to any those questions, then the delightful DIY book Knit Your Own Dog: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 25 Pedigree Pooches by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne may be for you or them! $12.08 from Amazon. (The talented pair have also released Best in Show: 25 More Dogs to Knit, Best in Show: Knit Your Own Cat, Best in Show: Knit Your Own Farm, and Knit Your Own Pet: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for Beginners and Young Knitters.)
10. These Have a Holly Jolly Christmas Guinea Pigs greeting cards are officially off-the-charts adorable! $5.00 per card from My Zoetrope (whose entire product line is equally darling!).
11. Whimsy and classic style both abound in this smile inducingly awesome extra long acrylic dachshund scarf, which comes in at 70 inches long and would work well as a gift for ladies and gents alike. $14.95 from Wireless.
12. Austin Powers fans are sure to flip over this seriously cool Shark With Frickin' Laser Pointer. You just know Dr. Evil will be stocking up on them to give as gifts this year. :D $12.99 from Think Geek.
13. For the beauty product loving, pet owning folks on your list comes Pawdicure Polish Pens, which are filled with animal safe, water based, non-toxic, odourless nail polish designed for use on dog claws. They're available in 13 different colours and retail for $7.95 each from Warren London.
14. Timeless aged brass stars in this adorable old school style handmade goldfish pendant necklace, that would be a terrific gift idea for any aquarium owning vintage fashionista on your list. (On sale at the time of writing for) $23.00 from Unique Vintage.
15. Vintage compacts are something that deserve a place in any old school fashionista fan's wardrobe. Whether used as intended, as a decor piece (such as on a vanity or dresser top), or as the beautiful collectible that they are, they're a classic, fantastic gift idea that's chalked full of old school charm and tradition. This elegantly pretty duck themed KIGU brand beauty would be especially well suited to a birdwatcher or bird owner, as well as those with a passion for woodland attire. $42.00 from Chronically Vintage.
16. Poodles and Scottie dogs were two of the most iconic and beloved breeds of the mid-twentieth century and a passion for each remains strong amongst today's vintage loving crowd in particular as well. Adore your home with some classic Scottie dog cuteness with you hang up this delight little vintage brass - how fabulously fitting is this? :) - dog leash hook. $10.00 from Ella's Attic Vintage.
17. Cute as a million buttons and sooo fabulous for any kitty lover, this precious vintage inspired, old school feline print handmade dress would make for an amazing gift if you're looking to splurge on someone dear to your heart this winter. Available in modern ladies sizes XS to XLL, $145.00 from To The Byrds.
18. Ideal for those who enjoy making their own dog foods and/or who work with pups, the Sunbeam Gourmet Pets Dog Treat Maker is a handy, clever way to produce dog snacks at home that only include the sorts of things one actually wants their pet to be ingesting. $58.00 from Amazon.
19. Woodland critters are some of my favourite animals on the face of the earth and when they're rendered in adorable, holiday season perfect form like these awesome handmade felt ornaments, one can't help but adore them even more. $6.95 per felt woodland animal ornament from My Craft 2 You.
20. Equally well suited as a stocking stuffer or a sweet little present under the tree, this cuter-than-cute 1950s chenille pipe cleaner and real (likely mink) fur poodle brooch is sure to make most mid-century fashion + animal fans squeal with delight when they unwrap it. $17.50 from Chronically Vintage.
21. I'm a huge fan of cats, art, and history, as many folks are, and if you happen to have someone who adores this trio on your seasonal shopping list, then The Cat: 3500 Years of the Cat in Art by Caroline Bugler might just be an ideal holiday gift for them. $35.27 from Amazon.
22. A cuter-than-cute capybara and a guinea pig light their menorah in this uber charming, Hanukkah perfect 100% cotton fine art paper print that comes signed by the artist. $12.00 for a 5 x 7 inch print (also available in larger sizes) from When Guinea Pigs Fly.
23. Let your giftee's inner child run wild with this splendidly fun set of Dress Up Cat magnets, which - fittingly given the season - includes a Santa Claus hat and beard. $12.95 from Wireless (also available for $9.95 in an equal cool squirrel version).
24. File this one under the fun "they've thought of everything now" camp: Wet Kiss Dog Cologne, available in four different completely animal safe scents. Spritz some on your pet, and then perhaps on yourself, too, if so desired! $7.95 for each 2 ounce bottle of pet perfume from Warren London.
25. Sit back and let the social media likes roll in when you share snaps of your cat spinning tracks on this seriously cool kitty turntable scratching board. $33.39 from Amazon.
{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it – or the link in the text below it – to be taken to its respective sources. All prices accurate at the time of writing, but subject to change by their respective sellers at any point.}
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Of course this is a mere fraction - a drop in the water dish, if you will - of the huge array of animal themed products and pet related items for sale on the market today, and goodness, was it hard to cap this list at just twenty entries! That I did though and I hope today’s post will help serve as a great jumping off point for you when buying for all of the critter lovers in your life.
Animal themed and related gifts make for a great holiday present. They put smiles on faces, suit the cheerful spirit of the season, and are often squeal worthily adorable! Plus they're available at every possible price point, from five and dime store to uber luxury, with plenty falling in between, like those (mostly) budget-friendly options in today's post.
Do you like giving and/or receiving animal related holiday gifts, too? Do you buy presents for your pets come the holiday season? (We do!) Which of the cute entries in this year's holiday gift guide appeal to you the most?
Happy holiday season shopping, everyone. I hope that this furry, finned and feathered friend filled holiday gift guide helps you find the perfect present for the animal lovers in your life and/or adds some darling entries to your own festive wishlist!
