Looking for gift ideas this year? This Melbourne Christmas gift guide has beautiful present ideas – all from local Melbourne businesses.
As the festive season approaches, what better way to show your love for your family and friends than by giving gifts from businesses that operate right here in Melbourne?
This year, our Melbourne Christmas gift guide is about more than just finding the perfect present. It’s about showing our love and support for the local businesses that make our city so special. I’ve handpicked a selection of gifts from businesses that I love and regularly support.
So, let’s support local this year with your Christmas shopping!
This blog post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you).
1. Kinya Lerrk
Starting out as a business designing beautiful custom Acknowledgement of Country plaques, Kinya Lerrk has morphed into a brick-and-mortar business showcasing more than 50 Indigenous designers, authors and artists.
Kinya Lerrk means “women coming together” in the Wemba Wemba language, and the two First Nations women behind this business are passionate about sharing women- and Indigenous-owned products.
Head into their Preston store (or shop online) for prints, candles, books, jewellery and Christmas decorations.
My pick: The Bush Scents candle is divine, and I love (and want) all the colourful bird prints.
Shop the Kinya Lerrk range online here.
2. Melbourne Mystery Picnic gift voucher
Send your loved one a gift card so they can experience an AmazingCo Mystery Picnic in Melbourne.
A great gift for both locals and visitors, a mystery picnic is a fun day out exploring the city. Using clues, you need to solve puzzles to figure out where to go next, stopping at local businesses to pick up delicious local goodies such as cheeses, bread, drinks and sweet treats to enjoy at a surprise picnic location.
I’ve done a mystery picnic with friends, but it’s also a great date idea or day out with family. Read my full review of the mystery picnic in Melbourne, and pick up a gift card online here.
Book your Melbourne mystery picnic experience now.
3. Awkward Christmas Portrait
Grab the whole family – even the dog! – and embrace your silly side with an Awkward Christmas Portrait.
Photographer Charlotte Thompson is setting up another pop-up this year where she’ll drape holiday decorations from shoulder to shoulder, tie up 80s-style hairdos, position antlers on heads and encourage the use of her over-the-top Christmas sweater collection.
The pop-up runs at her Hampton studio from 16 November to 24 December. A 30-minute session includes 3 prints plus instant digitals for $80 for up to 4 people.
Book an Awkward Christmas Portrait online here.
4. Day Trip Melbourne: 52 Nature Adventures
There are so many things to do in Melbourne – including dozens of nature adventures to be had.
Day Trip Melbourne: 52 Nature Adventures was just released this year and has ideas for getting back to nature – all within 130kms of the CBD. You can find an adventure for every week of the year.
Each entry in the book has a map, information about the hike and photos.
I recently bought this book as I attempt to get out of the city more often.
Pick up a copy for a nature-loving family member or friend online here.
5. Tesalate sand-free beach towel
Okay, so these guys aren’t Melbourne-based, but they are an Aussie company!
These beach towels are pretty amazing. They’re completely sand-free, so when you pick your towel up at the end of your beach trip, you simply shake off the sand and every grain will disappear. No more carting around gritty sand in your car boot or backpack.
There’s also a beautiful range of designs to choose from. I have the Sunseeker – which my dog Diego clearly approves of!
6. Little Lon Distilling Co gin
Your gin-loving loved one will be very happy to open a pressie with a bottle of gin from Little Lon Distilling Co inside.
This Melbourne-based, small-batch, award-winning distillery operates out of the heart of the city in a historic cottage – the only one of its kind still standing in Melbourne’s CBD.
Pick up a bottle from their small but mighty range of gins. I personally love the Miss Yoko, which is infused with fresh lychees, but the Yarra Strength Navy Gin is also incredible. It’s made with water from the Yarra River (but don’t worry, it’s filtered very thoroughly!).
Can’t decide which gin to buy? Then gift a gin masterclass. I recently took one of these classes and loved how the gin tasting was seamlessly combined with a fascinating history lesson about Little Lon, one of Melbourne’s most notorious areas in the late 1800s/early 1900s.
Buy Little Lon gin online here.
7. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Shop gifts that give back to the community. Every cent of profits earned from the gifts sold on the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre online shop goes back to ASRC programs that support and empower people seeking asylum.
There’s a huge range of gifts to choose from, from socks to t-shirts, books, puzzles, printed tea towels and spice packs.
Check out the range of gifts available online here.
8. Clothing the Gaps Christmas PJs
Send your loved one a new pair of PJs for Christmas Day. Clothing the Gaps’ limited-edition pyjamas are covered in adorable prints of festive Aussie animals. They’re ally-friendly, so everyone can wear them.
There’s sizing for adults, kids and babies – even pet bandanas! – so you can pick up a pair for everyone to wear on a matchy-matchy Christmas morning.
9. National Trust membership
Know someone who loves history, architecture and culture? Get them a National Trust membership.
The National Trust is in charge of protecting and preserving some of Australia’s most treasured buildings and sites, including dozens of properties in Victoria. In Melbourne, that includes sites such as the Old Melbourne Gaol, Polly Woodside, Pentridge Prison and Como House & Garden.
A membership will give them access to free or discounted entry to all National Trust properties in Victoria and Australia, as well as exclusive access to members-only events.
Buy a National Trust membership online here.
10. Local foodie tour
Your foodie friends will love exploring Melbourne like never before, with secret insights from the team at Foodie Trails.
I’ve done tours with this company before and discovered parts of Melbourne I knew nothing about, as well as hidden gems from parts of the city I always walk through. The tour guides are experts at drawing out the stories behind the businesses visited on the tours.
With tours in the CBD, Footscray and Eltham, this is the perfect gift for someone who wants to try something new in Melbourne.
11. Sheet Society bed sheets
Everyone loves new sheets – and you’ll love Sheet Society because it’s a Melbourne-based company.
Sheets come in all types of fabric, from cotton to sateen to linen to bamboo and even velvet, so you’ll be able to gift the perfect night’s sleep.
Can’t decide? No worries, there are gift cards available too.
12. Theatre or gallery membership
Need to buy a gift for an art or theatre lover? As the Culture Capital of Australia, Melbourne has a thriving arts scene and there are plenty of options for memberships to some of the city’s top theatres and galleries.
The Melbourne Theatre Company offers annual subscriptions with exclusive benefits, including discounted tickets, priority bookings and seating, and behind-the-scenes access.
The NGV, one of Melbourne’s best museums, also offers a membership program with various levels of benefits, including free and discounted entry to exhibitions, invitations to members-only events and discounts at the NGV design store.
Perks of the Malthouse Theatre’s “Malthouse Muse” program include discounted tickets, exclusive event invites and access to special behind-the-scenes experiences.
13. Milk the Cow Cheese hamper
One of my personal fave cheese shops in Melbourne, Milk The Cow has a beautiful selection of cheese that’s sure to please your pals with a sophisticated palate.
There’s a range of hampers, perfect for gifting this Christmas. Stick with cheese only or add a bottle of booze. Want to gift year-round? Get your loved one a cheese subscription.
Check out the range of hampers online here.
14. The Melbourne Box
This gift box is full of surprises, but if you can be sure of one thing, it’s that all items featured in the package are sourced exclusively from Melbourne businesses.
The Melbourne Box features five random items, with options to also include an alcoholic beverage. The five items follow a loose category system, and you can expect items relating to home, food, body, drink and art. There’s even a special Christmas Box available for gift delivery in Melbourne at this time of the year.
If you’re looking to surprise your loved one with an eclectic gift that also supports local businesses, then make sure to check out these amazing Melbourne gift hampers.
Buy The Melbourne Box online here.
15. A weekend away
Why not plan a surprise weekend away for your loved one? And what better place to go than Melbourne? There are plenty of amazing accommodations available in and around the city.
You can book a cosy cabin in the Dandenong Ranges or a luxe hotel room for a staycation in the CBD. Spend some quality time with your partner (or make it a girls’ trip!) exploring the city, trying out new restaurants and cafes, and supporting local businesses along the way.
It’s a gift that’ll show your loved one how much they mean to you. Plus, it’s a great way to support Melbourne’s tourism industry.
Take a look at accommodation on Booking.com.
16. Melbourne prints
Put a piece of Melbourne on someone’s wall with one of these Melbourne prints. All found on Etsy, these prints celebrate the soul of Melbourne – and coffee!
17. Melbourne-made foodie finds
Melbourne’s food scene is world-famous, and you can gift a few Melbourne-made goodies this year.
Check out Mabu Mabu’s range of sauces. Organic tomato sauce, green tomato hot sauce, sriracha and pineapple hot sauce come in 250ml bottles, ready to elevate any dish.
Chocolate lovers can chow down on flavours such as caramelised popcorn and coconut milk chocolate or peanut butter and pretzel milk chocolate made by Melbourne-based, ethical company Hey Tiger.
18. Cooking class
For your foodie friends, get them a cooking experience from Free to Feed.
Free to Feed is a social enterprise that serves up shared food experiences, all designed to empower refugees and asylum seekers.
Choose from a range of cuisines such as Ethiopian, Syrian or Iraqi and book in for a cooking class with their instructors – all people who are newly arrived in Australia and ready to share their own culture and stories.
The classes are held at the Free to Feed’s venue in Northcote, Melbourne. Your gift recipient will get to learn new skills, experience a different culture and enjoy a delicious meal together. Plus, you’ll be supporting a great cause.
Check out the range of cooking experiences online here.
19. Sense of Self gift voucher
Sense of Self is a Collingwood bathhouse and day spa – the perfect gift for that person in your life who needs a bit of relaxation.
Their gift vouchers can be used for the bathhouse, massages or the Hammam ritual experience.
Support this local business and give someone the gift of self-care with a Sense of Self gift voucher.
Check out more information about their services online here.
20. Food for Everyone poster
Art and food come together perfectly with Food for Everyone’s gorgeous culinary-themed posters.
Food for Everyone collaborates with chefs, cooks and restaurateurs to transform recipes into colourful and wall-worthy artworks.
These posters are not only beautiful but also support community causes, with the equivalent of 10 meals donated to SecondBite for every poster sold.
Check out the range of posters online here.
Final thoughts: Melbourne Christmas gift guide
As someone who’s passionate about my home city of Melbourne, I love supporting local businesses and products.
This Melbourne Christmas gift guide has plenty of gift ideas for even the fussiest of people. From food and drinks to experiences and artwork, there’s something for everyone on your list.
So, what are you buying this year?
Found this article useful? Consider buying me a coffee as a way to say thanks!
Related posts
Before you go… you might like these Melbourne blogs:
- The ultimate guide to Christmas in Melbourne
- The best Melbourne Christmas markets
- The best gift delivery services in Melbourne
Best Melbourne resources
- Check out my Melbourne travel guide for everything you need to know about planning a trip to Melbourne
- Look for flights to Melbourne on Skyscanner.
- Book accommodation on Booking.com or Expedia for your Melbourne trip. The Ovolo Laneways Hotel is a good choice in the CBD.
- You won’t really need a car in Melbourne, but if you do want to get out of the city, then rent a car through DiscoverCars.
- Pick up a copy of the Lonely Planet Pocket Melbourne to help plan your trip.
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