What defines a Texas gift? Sure, it’s something made in, designed in, or strongly connected to the Lone Star State. But a true Texas gift also tells you something about the giver—their love of craftsmanship and a good story. Whether it’s rodeo-inspired artwork from Frisco, intricate silver accessories from Kerrville, or an alpaca cardigan from . . . Manhattan (via the talent of an Austin native), each of these 25 gifts offers a bonus present: a tale for your partner, kid, host, or favorite Texpat to unwrap. As the old song says: Merry Texas Christmas, y’all!

Courtesy of True South Puzzle CompanyHouston Puzzle, True South, $28

Okay, so the brand’s from Nashville. But after all, it was a former Tennessee governor who once said, “Texas is the finest portion of the globe that has blessed my vision.” This five-hundred-piece puzzle depicts the city that’s named in his honor, ideal for the Space City aficionado in your life.

Courtesy of Frankie JeanThe Stars at Night Kids Tee, Frankie Jean, $28

In 2027, the song “Deep in the Heart of Texas” will turn 85 years old. Help the little one in your life celebrate early with this shirt, available in fifteen child-friendly colors. The brand is based in Austin but has roots in New Braunfels—where its namesake grew up on a farm—and Buda, where Frankie Jean’s daughter also grew up on a farm. Ashley Green was only a freshman in high school when her mom passed away; her line of clothing, accessories, and home goods pays tribute to Frankie Jean’s legacy.

Courtesy of Marcello Andres CeramicsCopitas, Marcello Andres Ceramics, from $30

The best gifts are the ones the recipient doesn’t even know they need. Case in point: these copitas from Marcello Andres Ceramics, in Dallas, which can be used for everything from sipping mezcal to holding jewelry. They’re made by hand in a range of colors in Marcello Andres Ortega’s ceramics studio, where Ortega has also churned out pieces for some of the country’s best restaurants (including those at Pullman Market, in San Antonio). A surprising gift with a cool backstory? Santa would be proud.

Courtesy of WytheAlpaca Cardigan in Armadillo, Wythe, $598

Wythe founder and designer Peter Middleton hails from Austin, so while his brand calls Manhattan home, you can still find nods to the Lone Star State throughout his Western-meets-preppy collections (he honed his aesthetic as a fabric researcher at Ralph Lauren). Case in point: this cardigan, which features a very Texan cactus and armadillo and is made with hand-knit Peruvian alpaca wool.

Courtesy of Tejas Country ClubFirst Rodeo Ticket Stub Art Print, Tejas Country Club, from $35

A clever ode to the most famous saying about rodeos, this piece from a couple out of Frisco specializing in Texana is a sweet way of acknowledging that someone is experienced, gracious, funny, and wise. Less punny options include works depicting bluebonnets, saguaro cacti, and our distinctive all-purpose noun for the second person plural: y’all.

Courtesy of Westero SeasoningsSmoking Three-Pack, Westero, $38

If the carnivore in your life is more of a smoker than a griller, this set of barbecue and rib rubs and a steak seasoning, from Fort Worth’s Gilbert Pedroza and his daughter Roxanne, might be their speed. The products, made without sugar or artificial ingredients, have a serious pedigree: Gilbert Pedroza was the patriarch of the “First Family of Fajitas” when he ran Fort Worth’s pioneering and much-missed La Palma.


Wes Anderson: The Archives, Design Museum, $45

This might shock you, but it turns out Wes Anderson is something of a hoarder. Or at least a guy with a meticulous approach to archiving, as evidenced by this new book documenting the filmmaker’s personal collections of notebooks, drawings, paintings, props, sets, costumes, and more from the Houston native’s three decades and counting in the movies. Regular collaborators, including Tilda Swinton and Owen Wilson, provide context, and the tome itself gives the recipient the opportunity to quote the classic line from Wilson’s Eli Cash in The Royal Tenenbaums: “What this book presupposes is . . . maybe he didn’t?”

Courtesy of Alcott CandlesCowboy Like Me Candle, Alcott, $49

This new candle maker from Austin names all of its wares after songs by Taylor Swift or the National (which makes sense, given Swift’s long-running collaboration with that band’s Aaron Dessner). This one feels especially Texan, with notes of leather, blood orange, and vanilla. It’s also a classic do good, feel good scenario: The brand donates 5 percent of every sale to an Austin-based nonprofit, including ones that support LGBTQ youth and sustainability.

Courtesy of Talking Out of Turn Skate Bag, Talking Out of Turn, $65

As anyone with a TikTok account knows, roller-skating is hot right now, and these megacute bags from a Dallas brand are the perfect accessory for the enthusiast and/or influencer in your life. Bonus: They’re made with vegan leather and can be used to hold things besides skates, too. (And speaking of the youths, is it just us, or did they miss out by not making the price $67 . . . ?)

Courtesy of UT Press
The Soul of Fonda San Miguel, University of Texas Press, $65

Not a cookbook so much as a meditation on the meaning of Austin’s groundbreaking Mexican restaurant, which turned fifty this year, this book blends recipes for fan-favorite dishes (pescado a la plancha, anyone?) with personal remembrances from regulars and admirers like Pat Sharpe, the former longtime Texas Monthly restaurant critic, and Aaron Franklin, who wrote the foreword. (Current TM dining critic Paula Forbes served as a consultant on the book.) It’s also a flagship offering from the University of Texas Press, which is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary this year. The only question is where the recipient will keep it: coffee table or kitchen counter?

Courtesy of Clint OrmsSlide 1912 Small Sterling Sunflower, Clint Orms Engravers & Silversmiths, $220

The Western wear trend shows no signs of stopping (and in Texas, of course, it isn’t so much a trend as a way of life). This handmade engraved scarf slide, from a silversmith who grew up in Wichita Falls and just opened a store in Kerrville, is exactly the kind of what-you-wanted-but-better idea that makes a clutch gift. (If she’s more of a hat girl, the armadillo and oil derrick hat pins are beautiful too.)

Courtesy of Esker
The Bubble Soak, Esker, $70

For the hardworkin’, stressed-out, cattle-raisin’, rattlesnake-killin’ cowpoke in your life (or, you know, your mom): A deliriously indulgent bath powder, powered by pink Himalayan sea salt, coconut milk powder, and jojoba seed oil and then housed in an eye-pleasing vessel. It’s from an Austin-based aromatherapist whose dedication to plant-based body-care products was born around the same time as her first child. Be sure to point the lucky recipient toward an ideal bathing companion: the brand’s Bath People playlist on Spotify.

Courtesy of Chieffalo AmericanaCowboy Saddle Napkin Rings, Chieffalo Americana, $80

Look, no one needs napkin rings. Napkins have this virtuous habit of staying folded quite well on their own, thank you very much. And certainly, no one needs elaborately detailed napkin rings, crafted with fine pewter that’s been hand finished to showcase every detail of the hand-tooled saddles they represent, sold by these Fort Worth specialists in au courant Western gear. But a great holiday gift isn’t about need, it’s about want—and trust us, the host with the most in your life wants these.

Courtesy of Devils River Whiskey5-Year Rye, Devils River Whiskey, $86

At the most recent Texas Whiskey Awards, this spirit from San Antonio earned Best Texas Rye accolades. Generally speaking, Texas whiskeys age more quickly because of the hot climate, so this rye is more complex than one of the same age you might find elsewhere. Worth noting: Each bottle benefits the conservation nonprofit American Rivers. (For a vessel worthy of this fine spirit, see below.)

Courtesy Lucchese BootmakerBoot Decanter, Lucchese, $425

Just as there are cowboy boots and there are Luccheses, there are decanters and there is . . . this. The topper and base are built with brushed cast iron, the former an intricately sculpted replica of the brand’s signature offering. (And hey, it’s guaranteed to fit.) Each bookends a vintage-style glass bottle. Pro tip: The gift lands even better if you fill it with the good stuff, like the rye mentioned earlier.

Courtesy of 44 FarmsThe Rancher Collection Steak Bundle, 44 Farms, $266

Beloved by acclaimed Texas chefs like Houston’s Chris Shepherd and the guys behind Austin’s LeRoy and Lewis—not to mention our own Paula Forbes, who labeled its sixteen-ounce ribeye at Nuri, in Dallas, “the best steak of the year”—this Cameron ranch knows what it’s doing. Hopefully, so does whoever you give this to. As the old saying goes, a meat bundle (including two of those sixteen-ounce ribeyes) is a terrible thing to waste.

Courtesy of San Antonio SpursOrigins Hoodie, Bexar Goods Co., $95

For the Wemby-loving teen in your life who claims they’re always cold, even in the Texas summers, may we humbly suggest this sharp kangaroo-pocket hoodie. It’s the first taste of a new project: Beloved San Antonio leather-goods brand Bexar Goods Co. is now a private label under the Spurs. So, expect goods that are approximately 20 percent cooler than your standard-issue NBA merch.

Courtesy of Double J Saddlery
Floral Hand-Tooled Leather Phone Case, Double J Saddlery, $130

A little bit nineteenth century, a little bit twenty-first, this phone case is crafted with hand-tooled leather, like a saddle you would’ve seen at King Ranch during its early days. The case, made by a saddle shop in Yoakum, is just a touch handier than something designed for a horse. Giddyup! (Note: You can specify what type of phone it’s for when ordering.)

Courtesy of Brazos Fine Shirts
Western Shirt, Brazos Fine Shirts, from $156

What do you wear the night after premiering your own fashion line? If you’re Post Malone, a red pearl-snap number from these guys, an Austin-based outfit that debuted this year. Inspired by the city’s golden age of outlaw country, Brazos makes its shirts from 100 percent cotton. It offers seven options right now, and we suspect you’ll know who on your list should get the Burnt Orange, the Alamo, and the evocatively named Ejecutivo, a limited-run piece made with Japanese fabric.

Courtesy of Blake JonesLeather Bird Bag, Blake Jones Designs, from $279

The outdoorsperson in your life probably has the essentials, which is why a luxe upgrade to their standard gear is a smart play. Consider one of these handcrafted bird bags out of La Vernia, made by a leather-goods expert with more than thirty years of experience. It won’t guarantee success on your beloved’s next hunt, but it will guarantee that any success will return home in a handsome package.

Courtesy of Ida Mae Home
Longhorn Icon Brown Quilt, Ida Mae Home, from $160

Made by hand in Cowtown, bedcovers from Ida Mae Home’s bedcovers pair iconic Texas imagery with the warmth and feel of classic quilts. We’re partial to this one, which is more bucolic ranch vibes than rah-rah UT spirit. Procrastinator alert: Each quilt is made to order, so allow up to four weeks for shipping. Or, if you’re near the small town of Aledo, about nineteen miles southwest of downtown Fort Worth, swing by the shop and see what’s in stock. Ida Mae is named for its founder’s grandmother, a quilter who grew up outside Waco.

Courtesy of ConsuelaAvery Uptown Crossbody, Consuela x James Avery, $165

A bag from Consuela, the twenty-year-old Austin brand that found a new audience on TikTok, is always appreciated under the tree. And something from beloved Kerrville jeweler James Avery is always welcome when stuffed into a stocking. A gift that’s from both brands? A surefire hit. Anything from the new collaboration is likely to help you win the holidays, but we’re partial to this crossbody bag, which boasts a pleasingly Texan flair. It’s also an ideal blend of quality and value, which puts a bow on it.

Courtesy of Fulton & RoarkContrabando Extrait de Parfum, Fulton & Roark, $205

If he loves road trips, this fragrance has a journey to share. It’s made by a Dallas-based perfumer and is inspired by Big Bend, opening with dry and earthy notes, then a hint of desert rain, then a finish of cedar and leather. The name comes from a ghost town west of Lajitas, home to an abandoned film set from the eighties comedic western Uphill All the Way (you can also see it in Streets of Laredo, the made-for-TV adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove sequel). If you ask us, though, the scent is more A-list than B western.

Courtesy of Ciano Farmer Denim Co.
Jeans, Ciano Farmer Denim Co., from $289

The blue jean’s role in Texas history hardly needs retelling. James Dean in Giant. Dubya clearing brush. Willie at all times. Point is, it looks good, and back in the day, it arguably looked even better. Which is why Ciano Farmer makes his jeans the old-fashioned way—by hand, from selvage denim, using vintage sewing machines and other old-school tools, from his Denton studio. Yes, they cost a little more than what you’d find at, say, the Gap, but the cost per wear is likely to be outrageously low, and Farmer himself will repair them if anything happens—they’re guaranteed for life.

Brad Smith/ISI Photos/GettyWorld Cup 26 tickets to games in Houston or Dallas, FIFA, prices vary

As you might’ve heard, the biggest sporting event on earth is headed to the Lone Star State next year. Chances are, the soccer fan in your life is already hatching a plan to go, but just in case, you can make your play for tickets or a hospitality package through FIFA, which will release a new batch of tickets after the draw in December. They’ll likely set you back an amount in the four figures (at least!), but considering it will have been 32 years since the last World Cup on American soil, that’s (almost) a bargain.

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