Left your Christmas shopping until the last minute? Let us help.

Here’s a roundup of the coolest cruelty-free gifts that are sure to knock everyone’s festive socks off on Christmas morning.

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Children love animals, and the festive season is a great time to keep them entertained while they learn all about creatures great and small. Our top picks include the books Jelly-Boy by Australian author Nicole Godwin, which tells the story of a jellyfish who falls in love with a plastic bag, and Life Upside Down, a recent Australian Geographic release with a unique look at the lives of grey-headed flying foxes.

If the child in your life isn’t much of a bookworm, why not order a vegan gingerbread house kit from Gingerbread Folk to assemble together? There’s a gluten-free option, too, which you can pick up at Myer.

For Kind Cooks

Put on your elastic-waist pants and get ready to feast on delicious, deep-fried plant-based fare. Melbourne recipe developer Zacchary Bird’s new cookbook, Vegan Junk Food, is a smorgasbord of crowd-pleasing, supermarket-ready recipes. You can find it at bookstores around Australia (and some in New Zealand) or simply order it online.

 

For Chocolate Lovers

Vegan advent calendars flew off the shelves around Australia this year, and we can’t find any left. (That’s why every company should be offering more vegan products!) Thankfully, there is still an abundance of festive sweets out there for chocolate fiends who’d rather pass on bovine mammary secretions. Pick up the Constant Craving Brandy Truffle Gift Box from The Cruelty Free Shop or, if you want to spend a little more for some worthwhile extra indulgence, a Treat Dreams Small Chocolate Box.

For Christmas Cheer

Celebrate getting through 2020 with a glass of vino by The Vegan Wine Project, whose products are available at BWS and Dan Murphy’s.

Many other vegan wine options (made without fish or egg as a fining agent) are available. Check out Barnivore for a comprehensive list, ask staff in store, or use the vegan filters on the websites of online sellers.

For Fragrance Fans

Buyers, beware: some cosmetics companies are still paying for cruel and unnecessary tests on animals. Thankfully, the Bunny Free app is here to help you make cruelty-free choices.

One destination for kind, divine-smelling lotions and potions is Lush. Try its Christmas-themed Yog Nog shower gel that smells like crème caramel, and its Secret Santa bath pack is perfect for office parties.

For Trendsetters

Forward-thinking fashion fans know you don’t need to harm animals in order to rock the looks you love, and Aussie brands like Unreal Fur, James & Co, Sans Beast, Zhivago, The Ahimsa Collective, and Kinds of Grace are all using the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo.

For fun summer vibes, look no further than the crops and singlets from Queensland brand Vegan Leather Co for sweatshop-free, animal-free, and environmentally packaged clothing with a vegan message.

For Green Thumbs

Indoor plants have been on trend all through 2020, and Bosque offers a variety of plants for under $50 that you can choose from to deliver to your loved ones from afar this Christmas. Delivery areas include the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria.

For Intersectional Vegans

The animal rights movement isn’t alone in its fight for equality. These cute earrings by Aboriginal-owned business Haus of Dizzy are perfect for the vegan social justice warrior who is also standing up against sexism, racism, ableism, and all other forms of oppression.

For Animal Companions

The animals in your life need something to tear into on Christmas Day, too, so stuff their stockings with treats from VeganPet. From tasty treats and plush beds to potato-based “pig’s ear” chews that are kind to Fido and Babe, your pup will be begging for more – heck, even your feline friends might give you the time of day!

For a dog parent who wants something a bit “extra”, try the Veggie Paws Advent Calendar, available from The Cruelty Free Shop. Each window contains a paw-shaped biscuit in one of several decadent flavours.

For Feeling Festive

The holidays aren’t all about presents – they’re also about presence. This year, show kindness to your fellow Earthlings by cooking a delicious vegan dish for loved ones, volunteering at an animal shelter, or even adopting or fostering an animal in need. Then, keep the spirit of the season alive into the new year by taking PETA’s 30-day vegan pledge and making 2021 the year you go vegan.