The Voice for Texas Architecture

2025 Holiday Gift Guide

December 1, 2025

These new gift ideas can help friends, family, and colleagues eat, drink, and be merry at home or on the road — for years to come.

curated by Rita Catinella Orrell, Texas Architect products expert

WATER TUMBLER

Kinto

Water bottles are now fashion accessories and this new tumbler from Japanese brand Kinto is a sleek option for staying hydrated on the go. Available in four powder coated surfaces, this stainless-steel bottle has a handle integrated into its twist-open top for easy carrying. The inside of the bottle is electropolished to create a smooth surface that resists odors and stains, making it easy to keep clean. 

$43.80, kinto-usa.com

STANDARD ISSUE BINOCULARS

Nocs Provisions

Perfect for hiking, bird watching, or some light corporate espionage, these ultracompact binoculars have a rugged no-slip grip to keep them protected and comfortable in-hand. These colorful, waterproof, and fog-proof binos come in either 8 x 25 or 10 x 25 magnifications. An added bonus: They are packaged in 100% plastic-free cardboard with soy ink printing and come with a lifetime warranty. 

$99.95, nocsprovisions.com

COOKIE STAMP & COOKBOOK

East Fork

Give inspiration to the bakers in your life with this cookie stamp and cookbook combo from East Fork. Designed and hand painted by Emerson Creek Pottery in Virginia, these stoneware stamps add a delicate pattern — Lily of the Valley, Thistle, or Snowflake — to baked goods. Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World by food writer Ben Mims is organized geographically, with each dessert recipe including an origin story and clear, step-by-step instructions on how it’s made in different corners of the world. 

1% of all East Fork sales are donated to their community partners. 

Stamp: $18.00, eastfork.com; Cookbook: $50.00, eastfork.com

METROLOG RULER

Craighill Company

Designed by Hunter Craighill of New York City design brand Craighill Company, this telescoping metric and imperial measuring device features an aluminum construction in an anodized silver and grey finish. CNC-milled gradation increments come in Imperial up to 8″ (¹⁄₁₆” increments) and Metric up to 20 cm (1mm increments). Metrolog’s telescoping neck — paired with dimpled grips and distinctive yellow indicator — make for an accurate, easy read of any critical (or frivolous) measurements you might desire. 


$98.00, designstore.theglasshouse.org

OIL CRUET

KNIndustrie

This re-edition of the iconic oil cruet designed over two decades ago by Italian designer Paolo Ulian for KNIndustrie is crafted in borosilicate glass with a hollow handle that reveals the oil inside. The cruet, which also can be used for vinegar, pours in a clean, thin stream, leaving no drips on the table. It integrates seamlessly into knIndustrie’s Salad Family including borosilicate glass cheese bowls with stone-washed steel lids, a salt and pepper set made of two transparent mini cups, and a fine bone china salad bowl. 

$150.00, shop.gessato.com

JELLIES COFFEE SET

Kartell

The Jellies Coffee Set from Kartell draws inspiration from traditional gelatin molds. Designer Patricia Urquiola has crafted a complete coffee service in four different hues of thermoplastic technopolymer that’s both food-safe and dishwasher-friendly. Each piece in the set features a different textural pattern that catches light in unique ways. 


$105.00 (set of four), lumens.com

SNACK & SERVE TRAY

MoMA Design Store

Six square porcelain snack bowls snugly sit in a bamboo tray, serving crackers, nuts, dips, and other tasty treats. Each dishwasher-safe bowl is crafted in a different upbeat color: yellow, celery, orange, red, blue, and white. When not in use, the tray and bowls make a bright, decorative accent for your counter or coffee table. 


$55 Non-Members, $49.50 Members, store.moma.org

CHAMULAS ANIMALS

Obakki

Handcrafted in Mexico’s central Chiapas highlands, these 100% wool, folk-art animals are created using a back loom technique the indigenous Mayan weavers of this small community learned from generations of ancestral knowledge. The women originally used the leftovers from woven textiles to craft these stuffed animals as toys for their own children, but with the support of a larger collective of artisans from the textile-rich state of Chiapas, they found an international market for these charming folk-art objects. Choose from a dog, skunk, or polar bear. 


$45.00, obakki.com

STEELE CANVAS DOPP KIT

Steele Canvas Basket Corp.

A family owned and operated company with deep roots in Massachusetts, Steele Canvas Basket Corp. has released a holiday capsule collection in a deep Auburn red tone. Made of tough duck canvas, the Steele Dopp Kit is just the right size to comfortably hold your precious traveling essentials. It sits upright for easy access and features a leather tab and strap and a water-resistant lining. 


$43.95, steelecanvas.com

COPITAS

Marcello Andres Ceramics 

All Marcello Andres Ceramics are handmade in a Quonset hut in the Cedars neighborhood in Dallas. The ceramics studio creates restaurant-quality dinnerware inspired by the family-style dinners that clay artist Marcello Andres Ortega regularly experienced as the youngest of his Chilean-immigrant family. At three ounces, the copita (or “little cup”) invites togetherness and good conversation over sips of your spirit of choice. Dishwasher and microwave safe.

$30.00 each. marcelloandres.com

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