Gift Guide: 21 Feel-Good Holiday Picks

• $25; floragrubbgardens.com

This 5-inch globe contains its own little garden, which your special someone can marvel over (while thinking of you) every day. Plants are included.

• $8 each; 11/2-inch diameter; pigeontoeceramics.com

As place-setting pitchers or solo with a tiny bloom, these cuties are a winsome, affordable entrée to handmade ceramics.

• Taschen, 2009; $70; taschen.com

Ford’s lush watercolors depict the animal kingdom as you never dared imagine it; this coffee- table book is a sure conversation-starter.

• $20; 11-inch diameter; raredevice.net

This easy-to-assemble piece is lovely in its simplicity―and priced right. It makes a wonderful hostess gift with a box of wax tapers.

• $20 each; about 20 by 271/2 inches; branchhome.com

Add a splash of color to the kitchen with textiles that are part utility, part artwork.

• $15 for set of three; 53/4-inch diameter; branchhome.com

These hardworking reclaimed stars can add the finishing touch to a gift or decorate a tree. Made from recycled milk cartons, they’re available with red or green ribbon.

• $95; 4 1/3 feet long; dianafayt.com

These luminous, delicate bowls (connected by thin wire) appear to float. Hang them indoors or out, with tea lights or air plants inside.

• Pot: $75 for 6-quart size shown; stovetop- and oven-safe; bramcookware.com
• Book: Wiley, 2009; $35; wiley.com

Pair this pot with Paula Wolfert’s exotic, soulful cookbook Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking for a thoughtful gift combination.

• $1.25–$4 per packet; rareseeds.com

Inspire friends to start an edible backyard with seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds’ new location in Petaluma, California; try Little Marvel peas and Japanese Climbing cucumbers.

• From $13 (1 gigabyte); free engraving; pantone.com

Our staff photographer loads these pocket-size drives with pics from the year, then sends them to friends and family. They’re available in a rainbow of colors that will make you smile.

• From $43; $83 for 11-inch diameter shown; areasanfrancisco.com

Turn houseplants into art with modern Obleeek Objects planters, made from a custom concrete blend that’s 40 percent lighter than the usual stuff.

• $78; 7-inch diameter; whitneysmithpottery.com

Give your baked goods the elevation (and applause) they deserve.

• From $110 each; cotoluxe.com

These silk ties from Coto are super-sharp.

• About $25; housespirits.com for stores

Flavored with star anise and caraway seed, this Portland-made spirit (based on a traditional Scandinavian recipe) is a must-have for your liquor cabinet.

• $16; surlatable.com

Share the simple joy of fresh- squeezed OJ or a homemade mimosa in the morning.

• $8 each; monkeysalwayslookshop.com

These quirky garden labels are made from flatware (some pieces are 75 years old); each has a patina that’ll wear nicely in the window box.

• $20; blackdiamondequipment.com

No, it’s not just for camping. This little headlamp works for nighttime grilling or any other task where a flashlight might be cumbersome.

• $99 for original, $170 for new model shown; annual subscription fee from $100; findmespot.com for stores

Stay in touch with civilization when out in the wild― and when there’s no cell-phone signal.

• $11 for set of five; 12 by 14 inches; flipandtumble.com

They cut down on plastic at the farmers’ market and can also double as toiletry bags.

• $38; 18 inches long; escamastudio.com

Made from recycled aluminum pull tabs, this chic strand shows that it’s possible to be eco-conscious and stylish.

• $92; 151/2 by 22 inches; aplusrstore.com

For breakfast in bed or a Saturday night’s worth of cocktails, this bold tray can handle it all.

Sunset gift picks are featured on a new Holiday Gift Guide app you can download to your iPhone for free.

• Download it here

The app, built by NearbyNow, allows you to find our 2009 gift ideas online or by using the app’s GPS technology to locate the closest store and reserve them for pickup.

You can use the app to search for gifts by category, recipient, or price. Along with Sunset's picks, you'll find gift ideas from sister magazines like Real Simple and Cooking Light, and from major retailers such as Nordstrom and Macy's.