Between Garden & Gun’s annual Made in the South Awards and our staff’s everyday monitoring of what’s new in the South, we see a lot of great gift ideas throughout the year. Many of them—and many more—make their way to Mercantile & Co., G&G’s online store. If you’re searching for holiday gifts that offer a little something extra, start with a few of our staff’s favorite items.
Copper Measuring Cups, $32
Marshall McKinney, Design Director
“I like to receive gifts that I can really use—the more often the better. As a result, I reflect on the person who gave them to me with a smile. The pragmatist in me likes giving things I know they too can use on the regular. So, my holiday gifting philosophy is this: If I’m going to give a pair of scissors or a thermos or measuring cups, they better be made of lasting materials, damn fine-functioning, easy to look at, and of the highest quality. That always gets a smile.”
Cornbread Cast-Iron Skillet, $28
Phillip Rhodes, Executive Managing Editor
“White cornmeal or yellow? Sugar in the batter or not? Everybody has their own opinions about cornbread, but one thing I think we can all agree on is that the crust is the best part, and with this skillet, everybody gets more of it.”
Observer’s Notebooks, $18.95
CJ Lotz, Research Editor
“I give gifts that connect my friends and family with nature, whether they enjoy paging through an inspiring garden book, planting a gardenia, arranging stems in a beautiful vase, or pulling on a pair of boots for a muddy walk in the woods. These notebooks feature delightful illustrations, useful charts, and fun trivia, plus plenty of blank pages for sketching a pretty scene or just letting your ideas meander.”
Elk Punch Bowl, $785
Rebecca Darwin, CEO
“I have a small, but hopefully growing, collection of pewter and silver serving dishes and bowls with flora and fauna on them. I love that these pieces are festive but not stuffy, and every Southerner needs a punch bowl on her sideboard! Punch is easy for holiday entertaining and aprés party, just fill the bowl with fruit or an orchid or two.”
Wren & Ivy Waxed Canvas Ditty Bag, $385
David DiBenedetto, Senior Vice President and Editor in Chief
“I’ve been really impressed with Wren & Ivy products this year, whether it’s their blind bag or two-in-one dog bowl. This Ditty Bag is sharp and useful. I’d be happy to stuff it with gear for the field.”
Luxury Cornhole Set, $4,600
Haskell Harris, Style Director
“If you can’t splurge on someone you love during the holidays, when can you? This cornhole set is an instant memory-maker. Just think about all the parties and lively conversations that might happen around it for years to come. Games bring people together and that’s a very thoughtful, Southern sentiment indeed.”