At The C Word Mag, we love celebrating the achievements of women all around the globe. As I’m based in the UK, I’ve rounded up some of my favourite female-owned, UK-based small businesses to make gift-giving (or treating yourself, you deserve it!) just that little bit easier for you.

Whether you’ve missed a birthday during a lockdown or you just want to show someone you care, they can even add a special message from you to the package and ship it straight to your lucky recipient.

As an added bonus, they’ve each created an exclusive offer especially for readers of The C Word Mag!

In no particular order, here come our top small businesses!

Patchwork Bunny

The Bristol-based Patchwork Bunny has been featured in our magazine before when we talked about purchasing reusable face masks, but they are way more than just that.

From Christmas stockings to cushions, The Patchwork Bunny has all sorts of amazing gifts for yourself, your loved ones and your home.

Specialising in bunting, The Patchwork Bunny has recently brought out a new range of designs making them perfect for any décor. I’ve bought myself a string of their cocktail bunting as a hen party decoration.

I also love their planet bunting - it’s perfect for decorating your budding scientist’s bedroom while teaching them about the universe. Heck, it would be great for the classroom too!

Never one to shy away from a challenge, I can say from experience that if you can think it up, The Patchwork Bunny can sew it into existence. 

What started as an inside joke borne from my friend having ‘pregnancy brain’, quickly became real when I asked The Patchwork Bunny to ‘please make me a rasher of bacon’. My point is, The Patchwork Bunny is crazy talented and turns her hand to anything.

As well as bunting, The Patchwork Bunny loves the opportunity to try new things, so if you have an idea, make sure to message them on Facebook to see if she can bring it to life for you.

Message them on Facebook and quote the code ‘CWORD’ for free postage on any order over ten pounds!

The Mothercraft

A mother and daughter team, despite having almost 200 miles between them, the duo that makes up The Mothercraft are always working together with military precision to get their orders perfect. 

Another fantastic example of great customer service, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone to Lisa and Lyn with a vague idea and they’ve made it come to life for me.

They have the patience of two saints (it’s probably the gin that helps to be fair) and are shameless perfectionists, wanting to make sure that every little detail is taken care of before letting the product leave them.

From notebooks to wine glasses, if it stays still long enough it’s gonna be customised. 

They have such a huge range of products that it would take me all day to list them. And that’s just the ones I know about!

From things made of cardboard, wood, plastics, ceramic goods, and fabric, there’s something for everyone. Never ones to shy away from a bit of bling, The Mothercraft loves a bit of sparkle in their lives and loves bringing that glitter to you.

See, for example, their new wine glass holders that you simply attach to a bottle of bubbly (unfortunately not included - I have tried to convince them to send me wine but they weren’t having any of it!). If you’re feeling particularly extra, they can personalise the wine glasses too!

Whether you’re a small business yourself looking for branding, you’re looking for a gift for a loved one, or you’re simply wanting to treat yo’self, The Mothercraft has your back.

One more thing I have to mention, is that I really appreciate their honesty and candour - if something won’t work, they don’t mince words. They’ll tell you that it won’t look good or last long, and they’ll work with you to come up with a different solution. It’s rare to find a business this honest and open. 

My favourite product so far has to be the tree decoration I surprised my partner with for Christmas. Featuring all of the family so far, it took pride of place as soon as our tree was put up.

Follow their Facebook page to stay up to date with their new products, competitions, and discounts. For a sneak peek of what’s coming in the next few weeks, check out this bad boy!

Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for their new wedding range, coming soon!

Quote offer code CWORD10 for 10% off your first purchase with The Mothercraft.

Neon Electra

Born out of lockdown boredom and frustration, Neon Electra was created almost by accident. When Nichola and Helen sat down with a bottle of fizz, they had no idea that they were about to uncover oodles of hidden talent. 

Two best friends having a play around with Fimo clay posted the results on Facebook and soon realised that there was a market for their fun and sassy earrings.

Being handmade, every pair is unique, and Neon Electra even do custom creations. 

I managed to snag myself the bottom three pairs in their latest sale, and the three on the top row above were made to order. It was as simple as screenshotting a few pairs I liked the look of but that weren’t quite right for me, and asking if they could recreate them in a different colour or with a different charm. 

The customer service is amazing - they kept me up to date every step of the way and I can’t wait to receive them!

Check out their Facebook page to see the ever-changing range of bold, eclectic, and one-of-a-kind earrings. With new pairs uploaded every week, you’re sure to find something that catches your eye - and if you don’t? Pop them a message and see if they can make you something that fits your style. With talent like theirs, I bet they can.

Bag yourself 10% off any shop items by quoting offer code CWORD!

Jen & Tracey’s Melt Pot

In a world where everyone and their mum seems to be making wax melts (thanks COVID), it can be difficult to stand out. That’s where Jen & Tracey’s Melt Pot excel. 

Established in 2018, long before the pandemic hit, they’ve been working overtime to bring new scents and new products to us all the time.

Unlike some competitors, Jen & Tracey’s Melt Pot melts come in a huge variety of different shapes and if you ask nicely, they’ll even make you custom ones!

With a wide range of products, there’s something for everyone. 

Some of the options you can choose from include:

• carpet snow

• car air fresheners

• electric warmers

• shimmering granules

• squeezy wax

• soaps

• bath bombs

• bath soak

• shaving bars

• solid shampoos

They even have an open box feature which means you only have to pay postage once! Most of the deals they have on offer can be added to an open box meaning you can grab yourself bargains as they become available.

And that’s not evening mentioning their Limited Edition monthly themed boxes. I’ve managed to grab myself two of these since they started doing them. I really appreciate the amount of effort these ladies put into coming up with themes and making everything tie together beautifully. 

With ten different wax scents, and at least two non-waxy treats each month, they’re a fantastic way to try a variety of scents without committing to locking yourself into a subscription.

One thing I especially love about Jen & Tracey’s Melt Pot is how personal the service is. If there’s a particular scent you’re looking for, they really go out of their way to find it and make it for you. 

Living with three cats, a dog, and a man, my house isn’t always the nicest smelling place, therefore I rely heavily on scented products to bring it back to how I like it.

Seeing how often I ordered my favourite Mountain Air melts, Jen & Tracey decided to try something new and made me a giant tub of the scent. Now I don’t have to worry about running out - and look at the sparkle! (That’s mine on the left!)

Check out their website here to place your first order, or join their Facebook group to keep up with all the latest offers.

Don’t forget to enter offer code CWORD20 for a whopping 20% off your order. Code is valid until September 30 2021.

Taylor-Made To You

Teacher by day, master crafter by night, Taylor specialises in vinyl personalisation.

If you’re looking for sleek and classy designs, you’ve come to the right place.

Whether you want to kit out your bathroom or simply jazz up an otherwise boring (but practical) hand sanitizer bottle, check out Taylor-Made To You.

From teacher’s gifts to clothes and everything in between, Taylor has it.

Let’s be honest, teachers haven’t had it easy this year, and so it’s easy to see why Taylor’s range of clipboards and pencil cases are flying off the proverbial shelves. You can order them with set patterns or I’ve even seen ones that have been customised to the teacher’s subject! 

If you want to show your appreciation to your child’s teacher, or even if you’re a teacher wanting to make sure your clipboard doesn’t have the misfortune of wandering off, take a look.

With tonnes of colour options, font choices, and all different designs, you can get a truly unique gift either for yourself or someone you know. If it can be “vinyled”, Taylor-Made To You can personalise it.

I especially adore the matching sets you can get as gifts for babies - perfect for a new-born photoshoot or to announce the name of your shiny new tiny human. Available to purchase individually or as a set, and in a variety of different colours.

Speaking of babies - did you know how fast they grow up?

With the current situation we’re all in, making birthdays fun can be difficult. So why not take a look at Taylor-Made To You’s range of ‘When I Wake Up…’ pyjamas?

In a variety of patterns and colours, these pyjamas can help to make their day that bit more special, and make for great photos too!

One thing I haven’t seen them advertise very often, but I noticed when I was sneaking through their photos, is that you can get the labels printed. Now, what could you use labels for? Well, the possibilities are limitless but one funky idea I saw Taylor’s customers do is to use them on helium balloons for pregnancy announcements, to make the older sibling feel more included. Combined with a big brother/sister t-shirt, it’s a great way to make sure older children don’t feel left out!

Check out her Facebook page to see the wide range of vinyl-related gifts and don’t forget to quote offer code TMTY10 for 10% off your order.

Support small businesses

I’m a big advocate for supporting small businesses when I can, and these are just some of the small businesses I know and love. 

One of the best things about supporting small businesses over big corporations is the customer service you receive from them - they don’t just see you as your wallet, but they see you as a person and want to make sure that your experience with them is as good as it can be. 

Do you know any small businesses that we’ve missed out, which you think should be included? Let us know and maybe they’ll make it into the next edition!