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You’d have to be quite a fan to shell out $400 for this nativity, but hey, if you are, go for it… it’ll be a holiday highlight each year.

Alexander Girard amassed a huge collection of nativities, most of which he spent the last years of his life curating for his wing at the International Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe. We thought it would be an appropriate homage to create a completely new nativity that is based on a Girard illustration that hangs in his son’s house.

– Non-toxic, child-safe inks
– Pieces 1″ (2.5 cm) to 7.75″ (19.5 cm) tall, Stable 11.75″ x 4″ x 8.75″ (30 cm x 10 cm x 22 cm)

[via Dwell]

These are pretty fantastic and festive.–although if I paid $135 for a piñata I wouldn’t want anyone to destroy it with a stick. These might be nice for a birthday or the upcoming holidays as decor.

Last week I found the website of Kathy Dalwood and sort of fell in love with her concrete figurines. She collects vintage porcelain and plaster figurines and recasts them in black concrete. Each figurine, originally so delicate and carefully painted, is now made of a rough industrial material, with bubbles and imperfections, and with the heavy block bases they have a definitive modern spin about them. Needless to say, I bought one (go here to see it in my home).

Visit Kathy’s blog to see how the figurines are made.

She also makes some lovely Urn Scupltures, architectural friezes and concrete planters, thought the planters are currently unavailable due to her manufacturer going out of business.

Prices range from £110-£350 depending on piece.
Keep in mind that shipping costs might be sort of high considering the weight.
Email for exact quotes.

Cardboard Safari now has a full-body figure in addition to their trophies. Available in three sizes, I’d say this rhino would look good on a shelf or on the floor, whichever suits your fancy.

constructed of recycled, non-toxic, environmentally friendly cardboard

Small, 3W x 9L x 5H inches, $18.00
Medium, 5W x 16L x 10H inches, $30.00
Large, 27L x 9W x 16H inches, $58.00

Buy it here.

I’ve watched Donnie Darko and Sexy Beast, so the chance of this bunny being non-creepy is long gone*, but for anyone who appreciated the earlier post on Herb Williams’ crayon sculptures you might be interested to see a new item has been added to the mix.

A sculptor who ingeniously uses crayons as his medium, [Herb] Williams creates works that are not only strikingly beautiful but playfully allude to serious cultural icons as well. And don’t forget that unmistakably happy smell. This spirited bunny measures 17 1/2″ x 12″ x 12″ and is made of crayons and Fiberglas. Signed and dated.

$12,000.00, Buy it here.

(*as if it being creepy would be the primary reason of not dropping 12 Gs right now.)

I know most of you are tired of the deer head trend, because really, who isn’t, but then again, I do like this acrylic slotted-together head by Science and Sons.

It’s flat packed, and parts are easily slotted. We’re thrilled to re-introduce this utterly cool work, cobranded by the artist and A+R. Each piece is numbered. -A+R

Designer: Tristan Zimmermann
Size: Lifesize! From antler tip to base 39″, Across antlers, widest point 37″, Wall to tip of nose 17″

$485.00, Buy it here.

Whoa, talk about wall art. These sculptures take the favorite drawing tools to a new level…now, if only we all had a few (or several, rather) extra grand lying around…

Most of us have outgrown our Crayolas by the time we hit puberty. Happily, Herb Williams never did. A sculptor who ingeniously uses crayons as his medium, Williams creates works that are not only strikingly beautiful but playfully allude to serious cultural icons as well. There’s also that unmistakably happy smell, of course, and a palette that can’t help but pop. Signed by the artist on verso, dated and titled with edition numbers. Cleat-mounted for flush wall hanging.

Flower sculpture,16″ x 16″ x 3″, $4,800.00, Buy it here.
Skull Sculpture, 16″ x 10″ x 4″, $3,600.00, Buy it here.
Bull sculpture, 26″ x 28″ x 22″, $14,000.00, Buy it here.

Shoot, apologies for not finding this at the beginning of the holiday season…but hey, if you get it now you’ll have it for next year. It’s perfect for those of you that like decorating for the holidays but don’t necessarily go for the pine needles and cones…plus, as the retailer suggests below, it could work as a wall-art type of thing year round.

Who needs pine boughs (and don’t get me started on dried flowers)… This mod wreath works year round on the door, above the sink, on in the foyer (oh, and try using in on a table with some pillar candles in the center, it’s pretty fab). Powder coated steel. 16″D

16″D

$60.00, Buy it here.

This might be a thoughtful gift for anyone interested in science-y type stuff.

Invented in the late 1870s by chemist Sir William Crookes, a Radiometer is part science project, part conversation piece. Housed inside a glass bulb with a partial vacuum, the four vanes of the Radiometer are attached to a delicate stem, which rotates when it senses the presence of light. The brighter the light, the faster it spins. The bulb is perched on a thin glass stand that evokes both a chemistry lab and a wine glass. Place one on your desk, on the living room coffee table or even on the kitchen window sill, and it will offer quiet meditative movement as the room’s light changes and shifts. Made in Germany.

H 8″ Diameter 4″

$60.00, Buy it here.

Forget self-help books, this little machine will boost your confidence in no time.

Designer: Martin Smith.
Manufactured: By Laikingland in the UK.
Description: Push the button and the Applause Machine claps it’s hands for you.
Materials: Powder coated steel, brass, Walnut wood, plastic and motor.
Dimensions: Height 450mm.
Power: 2 x AAA Batteries (included).

Available in Currant Red, Signal Green, Traffic Orange, Graphite Black, and Chalk White.

£195.00, Buy it here.

While this object might be a little off-the-beaten-path of gifts to give, you can pretty much guarantee that no one else will give the same thing (unless they read this site, of course).

This soothing art object is reminiscent of tall rice plants swaying in the breeze. Place it in your entryway and it will gently shake it’s head to the right and left as people pass by.

by Hiromi Taki & Tomonori Ohata

$23.00, Buy it here.

This small chalkboard is the perfect place to leave messages. (Also, the chalk fits into the ‘blow hole’ on top, pretty cute…)

Super cool painted wood whale chalkboard by dynamic design duo Suddenly It’s Real. Chalkboard measures 15.25″l x 7.25″h and has two pre-drilled holes in the back for easy hanging/mounting. One piece of chalk included, which will sit safe and snug inside the pre-drilled “blow”hole in the top of the board.

15.25″ w x 7.25″ h

$40.00, Buy it here.

[via Chow’s excellent Gift Guide– check it out.]

Happy Thanksgiving! Start the holiday season off right with this leaf pattern wreath puzzle made from 100% recycled cardboard. The smaller cardboard trees are pretty cute too.

Also, don’t forget to check out our Gift Guide; we’re updating it often with our latest picks. If we’re missing something, or if you’ve got a difficult person to buy for, let us know and we’ll do our best to fill in the gap.

Snowflake Tree puzzle – 100% recycled cardboard
Measures: 10 x 10 x 13 inches
$18.00, Buy it here.

Wreath puzzle – Leaf pattern of 100% recycled cardboard
Measures: 24 x 24 x 3 inches
$38.00, Buy it here.

Multi Polar Projects is working on 1 million pieces of ‘ITS OK’, a phrase chosen for its calming effect during difficult times. Each phrase is hand cut from varying thickness and types of wood and numbered by the artist, who estimates the project taking the next 30-60 years to finish. For every one sold, a tree is planted through the Arbor Day Foundation.

To see a short documentary of the process, visit here.

$20.00, Buy it here.

Hmm, very similar to the Redemption Shoe Brush…

“the cross brush is an emotionally complicated product. for people with ties to christianity, the brush represents an unorthodox, even disrespectful manipulation of a revered symbol. touching a dirty floor with a cross is grade A defacement in certain circles. i think, though, that it can be seen as an example of how the christian cross is constantly being re-interpreted by different cultures. in the early 21st century, this vaguely troubling, slightly wrong-shaped object poses a lot of questions about shared values. it’s also an amusing visual pun of the phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness”, and fun to have around as an engaging (and sometimes shocking) conversation piece. its 16″ x 10″ size also provides a large surface area for scrubbing, if you’re inclined to pay your penance that way.”

$128.00, Buy it here.