Because everyone knows the fun in birdhousing comes from folding up your very own (??) and hanging it from a tree. With that in mind, Tweet Tweet Home has a fun array of 100% recyclable plastic designs that ship flat. A nice gift idea - surely you can interest a friend or relative in birding with a little DIY aviary construction.

We saw a great selection of magnets at the recent NYIGF from Greggo Magnets. Learn everything from brail to biology, brush up on some presidential spousage or just pick up a good old fashioned magnetic Santa Claus you can dress up!

Because you can never really see too many great wall decal designs, Blik features a myriad of designers and styles to select from. Usually a bold design choice, there’s really something for any setting there. From more “traditional” decal stickers like those from boodalee to the unique and whimsical collection of community-created designs from Threadless.



Also catching a few eyes is their collection of ultra-modern minimalist “headboards” (seen below). They’ve always been a fairly superfluous piece of furniture, so save the space and pick a headboard you can easily switch out when your mood changes.

Here’s an incredible gift idea from Gift Republic - personalized classic novels! Could there really be anything less interesting than a story about some random people named Romeo & Juliet? Just who exactly are they supposed to be? Well now you can plug in your own name, along with your friends, relatives or even celebrities for a much more personal (and memorable) adventure. After all, who could forget the iconic Shakespeare line “Wherefore art thou *Ted*?”

Don’t think of it as throwing money away, you’re brightening up your trash can! Although Suck UK features a nice collection of fun and interesting gadgets, it’s hard to find a great use for the ”Christmas Pudding” and ”Pet Goldfish” bags. They seem to harken back to the days of the giant orange pumpkin face leaf bags you would see around Autumn.

Lately it’s been hard not to notice all the media attention on Tea Parties and Tea Bags. Never one to miss out on an emerging market - albeit one that’s been around for thousands of years - we found some interesting recent teabag innovations: Tea Bags That Look Like Stuff! Pictured above, the ”Maum Tea Bags” from Wdaru, and seen below, the ”RoyalTea” teabags available at donkey products. Fulfill a lifelong dream and enjoy a cup of tea with Camilla Parker Bowles!

Catching a few eyes at NYIGF was Bedol’s selection of Water Powered Alarm Clocks (pictured below). Working on “100% natural power,” these ingenious devices require only water to operate - no batteries, chemicals, electricity or pollution. With this in the bag, next I’m expecting a complete line of fully functioning, water-based equipment for my home and office.



For your more dubious endeavors, Bedol also offers a “James Bond” style Super Sleuth Pen complete with Voice, Still Picture and Video Capture modes. It even has a motion sensor so you can stash it in a pen cup and collect evidence “Dwight Schrute” style! See their full collection of stuff here.

Another company who featured some interesting new products last week were Japan’s own Saikai. Established in 1946, they have been distributing their products in the US since 1991, and featured several innovative ideas for the classic porcelain teapot design. Sadly, it’s a little too soon to find those creations online, so pictured above you will see their 1961 Good Design Award Winning G-style Soy Sauce Pot, and pictured below, the Stone Mug designed by Yasuki Sakamoto.

With so many great finds from last week’s NYIGF left to showcase here, it took a rare convergence of high style and video gaming for a limited edition PSP of all things to find its way here. Back before the “PSP Go” spoiled everyone’s taste for a handheld gaming device from Sony, the PSP 3000 was the go-to machine. So it’s with that in mind that Jill Stuart lent her name to this lovely special edition game bundle created for female gamers tired of bold, dark color schemes. No word yet on a Region 1 release, but designs like this are always a welcome change. via.

Confuse and inspire your children with the officially licensed LEGO reproductions of classic Frank Lloyd Wright designs for Falling Water and the Guggenheim now available from Bedol. These small scale versions were actually designed by architect Adam Reed Tucker to capture all of the distinctive features that make each landmark. I love the Falling Water set, and although I appreciate the desk-sized quality of Lego Architecture’s other designs - the Seattle Space Needle, Empire State Building, John Hancock Center - at only 8” tall, the skyscrapers seem to lack a bit of the grandeur we associate with each location?

Our first full day at the New York International Gift Fair offered some very nice and interesting surprises. The first of which is a striking selection of handcrafted ceramic mugs and accessories from Montreal’s own PMO Design.

Below you’ll see the “Pisa Oga” ceramic cup, an eye-catching design that may look tipped while sitting on the table, but is perfectly balanced in your hand. And since the liquid can only be filled to the level of the lower rim, this cup should never too full to hold and drink comfortably.



Seen below, the “Union Oga” family of Salt and Pepper Shakers. Each piece has its own personality and character thanks to the simple (and functional) placement of the dispenser holes.

Here’s a smart idea we likely won’t see featured at this weekend’s NYIGF, but I love it nonetheless. Touted mostly as a place to store your spare key - and honestly, does anyone use those magnetic hide-a-key’s anyway? - the ”Hitch Safe” is a clever storage place for truck owners. They also appear to be compatible with most existing Truck Nuts (I’ll just assume that someone can’t remove the pin and steal your entire hitch)

Because a keyboard stitched into the front of your pants isn’t enough, these “Beauty and the Geek” jeans from designer Erik De Nijs also include a pair of speakers built into the knees, a pocket for your mouse and even a “joystick controller located just behind the front zipper.” No one said you have to leave the house in them.. via.

....distract from the food, take a look at the design elements from ”Tast.es” Catering. They offer some of the sleekest dining platters and accessories you will find anywhere. Although, I think after a few sake bombs you may need to be careful not to injure yourself on the wasabi dish. via.

One of the many brilliant creations from XYZ Design, their Computer Desk is completely cable free, and all of the computer components are easily accessible under the desk lid. Their design is from 2007 and still listed as a prototype for purchase shortly.. One day everything will look like this, so please hurry up with it!