It’s the Holiday Season once again. You’re either completely fine with the fact that you haven’t started your shopping, or you’re in a blind panic because you haven’t started your shopping. Don’t worry, guys and ghouls, I’ve got a few seasonal suggestions—from indie companies to retail giants—for the horror honey or goth gal in your life!
For the Literary Goth:
Barnes & Noble has an excellent collection of leather-bound classics, from The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe to Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. Your well-read lady probably has a much-cherished paperback copy of her favorite book, but there’s something special about beautiful editions with gilt pages. They’re also inexpensive, ranging from $12 to $20.
If you’re wanting something slightly different, but still bookish, independent candlemakers Frostbeard Studios craft small batches of book-scented soy candles. They’ve got The Shire, Pumpkin Juice, Book Cellar, Pemberley Gardens, and my personal favorite, Old Books. If you want your order to arrive before Christmas, you should get shopping. Cutoff date to order is Decemeber 16!
For the Culinary Cutie:
ThinkGeek.com lets your beloved embrace her inner mad scientist with the Chemist’s Spice Rack. Personally, I think pretending to concoct a poison or immortality elixir would not only make cooking more enjoyable, I’d probably be better at it. It’s a little pricey at $50, but it comes with nine spice test tubes and lab stickers to label your… ingredients with flare. It also has four Erlenmeyer flasks with rubber stoppers, two tops for salt and pepper shakers, and an oil spout.
For the Grownup Goth, ThinkGeek also has a set of chemistry shot glasses as well.
Okay, cooking isn’t everyone’s thing, but eating certainly is. The Art and Making of Hannibal: The Television Series is perfect for any art book collector. It features interviews with the cast and crew, inside secrets, and Hannibal’s own notes and sketches. Is it too much to hope there’s a recipe card or two?
For the Romantically Inclined:
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) and their Trading Post launched an impressive collection of Crimson Peak inspired scents, trinkets, and nail polishes following the October film release. If your lady love desires the scent of ice cold wind, blood, and ghosts, look no further! Perfume oils are $30; the trinkets, crafted by Dellamorte & Co, are certainly on the higher end of the pricing guide. Nail polish retails for $14, and you can search by character.
For something truly rare, you can snag a preorder for one of 300 limited edition necklaces, featuring the FEAR anagram, the Sharpe Family coat of arms, or the Sharpe Family Crest.
Speaking of rarity, Torch & Arrow offers one-of-a-kind, handmade vintage neo-Victorian and Steampunk broaches and badges. Each piece is the only one in existence, crafted from antique materials and found objects. Artist, author, and owner Leanna Renee Hieber has even slipped in a few Slytherin-inspired pieces (#HousePride).
For the Collector:
One of my favorite companies is Fire & Bone, a 3D printing and scanning company that produces replicated miniature skulls. It’s like having a tiny museum piece you can study and wear. They use scans of large skulls, which they then shrink. No animals are harmed in obtaining these skulls. So far, Fire&Bone has launched three successful Kickstarter campaigns and show no signs of stopping. Each piece can either be worn or displayed on a base on your bookshelf or curio cabinet. Skulls come in yellow brass, white brass, or silver.
Damn French Desserts: Purveyor of Exquisite Knick-Knacks, has a different set of curios. They create miniatures both beautiful and slightly grotesque. In fact, a few of them are simply GORE-geous. They make tiny clay mushrooms and butterfly gardens, as well as helping your express your feelings through Butterflies In Your Stomach or The Conquered Heart. Each miniature comes in a sweet little box with a couple extra goodies.
Note: Unfortunately, DFD is temporarily closed for the season. They’ll reopen after Christmas. Sorry!
Get Crafty:
I’m pretty bad about waiting until the last minute to find gifts, and more often than not, I end up hand-making them. There are dozens of Sharpie mug tutorials online, including the one I wrote for my personal blog. Simply find a quote or doodle an image, bake, and viola! A thoughtful gift you didn’t break the bank over. Mugs are about $3, and you can find plain white ones at Target.
Michael’s is also a great place to hunt the inexpensive gift. Check their dollar bins section for mini test tubes and mason jars to make your scientist anything from a shot glass to a tiny terrarium. They also have an impressive collection of stationary cards, gift tags, and the odd vintage-esque find. Antique shops are also a hotbed of ideas, if you know where to look.
If you’re truly stuck, simply ask. The Holidays don’t necessitate material offerings; in fact, we’re just as content to curl up on the couch with a mug of cocoa, a good movie, and better company. No gift is better than the gift of time spent with those you love. When the weather thaws, grab a blanket and have a cemetery picnic, or compile a list of cooky antique stores to get lost in.
Whatever you choose to do, have a happy and safe season, boys and ghouls. You don’t want Krampus knocking on your door.
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Meghan Harker is a Horror writer for Girls in Capes. She graduated from Brenau University in 2011 with a degree in English. She attended Cambridge University for a semester, but still didn’t master an English accent. When not writing, she’s either drawing, reading, hosting the Counting Casualties podcast, hunting antiques, or lamenting that she wasn’t born in the 1800s. If you follow her on Twitter @ExquisitelyOdd, you might get the chance to play Guess Who’s Dead!, her favorite post-mortem photography game (no one else likes to play.)
